We have spent some extra time discussing and giving answers to frequently asked questions about skin problems stemming from Sarcoptes and Demodectic Mange Mites, not lastly because these parasites most frequently cause skin problems in dogs in Guyana and in the wider tropical areas of the world.
Since these two types of Mange ailments are similar, yet quite different in many respects, I would like to summarise the differences between Sarcoptes Mange (Scabies) and Demodicosis.
SARCOPTES MANGE
● Itching sensation leading to violent scratching
● Skin around the edges and the tips of the ears thickens and are swollen
● The spread incorporates the head; around the eyes; around the front legs and later the hind legs; the underbelly. Not so often the feet and the tail
● The alopecia (hairlessness) is quite (diffuse), incorporating large portions merging into an entire hairlessness of the body.
● The lymph nodes are not swollen and visible
● Dogs can easily be directly infected
● Dogs can be infected at any age
● Reinfection can easily occur if the environment is conducive to the flourishing of the mites
● Pretty much all dog breeds tend to contract the Sarcoptic Mange, especially the long-haired breeds, eg German Shepherd
● The microscopic examination of the skin scrapings do not easily reveal the Sarcoptic Mange Mites infestation
● Once the animal is healthy, and a secondary infection (usually due to the intense scratching) is not heavily present, and the veterinarian administers the appropriate medication, the prognosis is quite favourable
● This ailment will not heal itself spontaneously
● Efficient drugs are available which promote quick recovery
● A successful healing will, in all likelihood, be achieved once the itch/scratch cycle ceases and the Sarcoptic Mites are destroyed
DEMODECTIC MANGE
● Not much scratching
● The ears’ edges remain normal
● In relatively short order, the entire head becomes hairless; soon the neck, then the chest – quickly spreading to the external side walls of thorax (rib cage area); later, the legs and paws and tail also exhibit hairlessness
● The bald patches are circumscript and well defined
● The lymph nodes in the neck area and on the back of the hind legs are swollen and quite visible and palpable
● It seems that there must exist a predisposition of the skin to pick up the infection
● The first infection is mostly in young dogs
● Once the young animal has been infected and cured, it is not highly likely that this type of mange will easily recur in the older dog, but the re-infection could occur
● Short-haired dogs become infected more easily with the Demodectic Mange Mite, eg Doberman, Boxer, Dachshund, Fox Terriers, hunting dogs, etc. The Demodex Mite actually seems to prefer short-haired dogs
● Actually, it is quite simple to make the diagnosis from the microscopic examination of the skin scrapings
● The prognosis is doubtful, even irreversible
● Veterinarians have observed and reported several cases of the ailment subsiding and disappearing – without veterinary medicinal intervention
● The success, even with new types of medication, is not speedy and the healing process is long and drawn out
● Once the hair begins to grow on the hitherto bald patches, success is pretty much expected and guaranteed
NB
1. Biology is not mathematics. In the latter, two plus two is always equal to four, unless one is dealing with a Parliament and certain professionals that believe that a case can be made whereby 33 is not necessarily bigger than 32. In biology, nothing is indisputably fixed, irreversibly anchored and irretractibly exact. Consequently, when a caregiver reads the above, it is not immutable and definitive and unalterably accurate, just as how a woman can carry her baby for 9 months, 8½ months, 9½ months, etc – you get the point that is how “normalcy”, ailments and diseases work.
2. The above differentiation between the two skin diseases has emerged from decades of experience, and from the observation related by many colleagues, and from discussions at many conferences dealing with pet diseases, including skin ailments.
3. The treatment of skin lesions can be most frustrating and disappointing. Often the caregiver loses trust in his/her veterinarians, or in the family physician for that matter. Patience is needed. We’ll very likely win in the end; especially nowadays when so many wonder drugs are on the market.
