This morning my veterinarian diagnosed my pet with mange. He did a skin scrapping and said he would call with the result and arrange to start treatment. What is mange and how is it treated?
Mange is a generic term for a number of inflammatory skin conditions caused by several different genera and species of mites. Some mite species may only infest a specific animal (species) host. Others may infest more than one animal species. Generally, mange is contagious. Depending on the parasite species, mange mites burrow into the skin or around the base of the hair shaft of an affected animal, causing severe itching and prompting vigorous scratching and biting. This results in skin erosion, crusting and scabbing. The superficial layers of skin tend to thicken in response and then shed (exfoliate). Bacteria on the skin may invade the damaged skin and cause infection.
Sarcoptes scabiei causes sarcoptic mange (also called scabies) in dogs, farm animals, humans, and other species. Sarcoptic mange occurs infrequently in cats. In farm animals it is also called red mange (red mange in dogs is caused by an unrelated mite, Demodex canis). Sarcoptic mange can be transmitted from dogs or cats to people and to each other. Notoedres cati, another species of mite in the same family as Sarcoptes, is one of several different types of mites that cause mange in cats, especially on the head and face (notoedric mange). Another cousin to these mites, Trixacarus caviae, causes trixacaric mange in guinea pigs.
Several species of Knemidokoptes mites cause knemidokoptic mange in parakeets, canaries, chickens, turkeys, pheasants and other birds.
Other mite species from other families and genera of mites cause mange in a wide-range of animals. Demodex species, in addition to causing red mange in dogs, causes demodectic mange in rabbits, cats, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses. Most of these animals, along with foxes and ferrets, may develop mange from Otodectes species infestation. Otodectic mange tends to appear on the ears of affected animals. Psoroptic mange, an affliction of horses, sheep and cattle, is an especially serious infection and by law must be reported to public health authorities.
Diagnosis of the particular mite causing mange is made by taking a skin scraping of the affected area and studying it under a microscope. The various genera and species of mange mites each have a characteristic microscopic morphology and are identified on that basis. Other tests may be necessary to rule other concurrent skin disease, including bacterial and fungal infection.
Treatment of mange depends on the infecting parasite, the animal species affected, and the clinical extent and location of the associated skin lesions. Generally, an acaricide (a drug or other chemical compound that kills mites) is employed. Ascaricides may be oral or injectable medications, topically applied formulations, dips, and shampoos. In many cases a combination of these may be needed one or more times daily for several days or weeks. In cases where crusting or scab formation is severe, topical preparations may be used to remove them. If infection is present, antibiotics may be prescribed.
After your veterinarian has made a diagnosis of the type of mite causing your pet's problem, please go to the VetCentric Web site at http://www.vetcentric.com and search for articles (search the entire site) about that specific mange mite.
12/18/03
