Demodectic mange is a contagious disease. It is dangerous for both dogs and humans. The causative agent is a tick that enters the body of the animal and begins to parasitize. When the first signs of demodicosis are found, treatment must be started promptly.
The causative agent of demodicosis
Young individuals (up to one year old) and short-haired breeds are most susceptible to infection with demodectic mange. The pathogen enters the animal's body through infected household items or from an infected dog. A humid and warm environment is most suitable for the pathogen. In such conditions, he can live for 2-3 weeks. This is enough for reproduction. Sweat and sebaceous glands, liver, spleen, hair follicles are the habitat of the tick. It is there that he forms entire colonies.
Demodectic mange is sometimes called stray dog disease, but this is not at all the case. A completely healthy, domestic dog can get sick. It is enough only for a short time to contact with an infected individual. The incubation period lasts 4-6 weeks, followed by the primary signs of demodicosis.
Forms of demodicosis
There are several forms of the disease. Subcutaneous demodicosis occurs when a tick breaks through tunnels under the skin, causing an allergic reaction in the dog. If there are several pets, then treatment should be carried out at once for everyone, since the disease is contagious. With cutaneous demodicosis, the mite lives on the surface and feeds on dead cells of the epithelium.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the disease are the following: severe itching, redness of the skin, hair loss, sores, blisters. The scalp is affected first. At the site of localization of the mite, wool falls out, the skin turns red, wrinkles, coarsens, scales appear, which then crack and turn into ichor. Following the head, the body and limbs are affected. The dog feels unwell, is rapidly losing weight. In advanced cases, it can die of septic inflammation. Treatment should be comprehensive. The first step is to stop the vital activity of the tick, and then restore the defenses of the skin.
Disease prevention
To protect your pet from an unpleasant disease, you need to monitor him while walking on the street so that he does not come into contact with stray animals that can be dangerous. In order to prevent skin diseases, you need to monitor the hygiene of the pet and the sanitary conditions in the apartment. Every day it is necessary to examine the dog to identify various damage to the skin. If suspicious symptoms are found, it is better to take the pet to the veterinarian. The clinic will take all the necessary tests, including scraping the skin for laboratory research. From time to time, the dog needs to be washed with special shampoos and combed out.
