[bmac]

I took Wilco to the vet yesterday for his shots. He's 14 weeks. I mentioned to the vet that he had a couple of small, red, spots in an area that I would describe as his armpit (front left leg). The spots had not been an issue, I just saw them while he was laying on his back. She did a skin scraping and determined it was demodectic mange. The word mange always brings to mind images of dogs with sores and large patches of missing hair. Apparently it can get that bad but we caught it at a very early stage. It is treatable but it's expensive and lengthy. It involves a series of anitbiotics and at least two dippings followed by more skin scraping to make sure the treatment was successful. While we were planning to neuter Wilco anyway, the vet told me it was a must that we do so. Apparently, mange is passed on at birth. She also recommended that I notify the breeder so that the breeder doesn't try the same breeding combination again. I have emailed the breeder but have not yet heard back.

I'm curious if anyone else has had a similar experience. While I'm not accusing the breeder of having knowledge of the mange, I feel like the breeder has some responsibility for the situation. My agreement with the breeder guaranteed a healthy dog as long as any issues were reported within 48 hours of possession but did not mention mange specifically. This type of mange does not generally show up until some time after 12 weeks. I would welcome any thoughts or comments.

Thanks.

 

[Doodlesville]

Hi there

When i used to breed Collies i did have some experience with this problem,,here is a link that may help you http://www.marvistavet.com/html/demodectic_mange.html
Not sure there is a way for a breeder to know that this would occur unless it had occured before,,
Next i would get a 2nd opinion,,,some vets have little experience noting the different types of mites,,it is fairly easy to treat btw,,lots of good info on the site i posted,,hope this helps,,:O)

 

[susan]

Hi. This brings back lots of worry about our puppy, Biscuit, when we first got him at 8 weeks. He came to us delivered from the breeder with lice and mites. We thought it was Mange and he endured several skin scrapings. It was very stressful for the puppy and us. It ended up that he was given antibiotics and ear drops as well as skin spray. Everything worked out. But, we still have to watch his ears. We saw the mites with the Vets microscope. It was terrible to see an animal with conditions like that. And, the breeder didn't take any responsibility and never even inquired to see how the puppy was. You just never know about people.

To make a long long story short. The forum gave me lots of great advice and suggestions. The puppy did come through everything and he's pretty healthy, except for allergies now.

Good luck. There is lots of research on Mange on the internet. Hope your puppy is feeling better soon.

Susan

 

[Doodlesville]

Susan

Maybe its not the breeders fault,, Sometimes things slip by they arent aware of or dont know what it could be ,,we all are humans ,,We all learn thru experience ,, sometimes things just happen,, We do what we can with the knowledge we have at the time,, I think people dont understand the time and energy breeding dogs takes ,socalizing pups,cleaning,feeding,no sleep ,,and to keep up with everyone is at times impossible,it is up to individuals to keep in touch if advice is needed, or problems occur ,Luckily Mites/Lice are very easily treated and normally transmitted by cats ,, I really wouldnt hold to many hard feelings toward your breeder,with pups believe me Anything can happen at any time!!! :!: :?

 

[bmac]

Thanks for the post Susan. Wilco was dipped last Friday. He really didn't seem back to normal until Tuesday but now appears fine. He will be dipped again at the end of the month and hopefully that will take care of the mange.

I don't want to give the impression that I blame the breeder. However, since I made the breeder aware of the situation, I would hope that they have at least contacted others who have puppies from the same litter. If the condition is left alone it can become much worse. Again, I'm aware that there were no warranties against mange, it's just disappointing that it happened and that my dog has to go through the treatments.

 

[susan]

I am glad your puppy can be treated. Our breeder, was not what I expected and that's just the way it goes sometimes. I know there are many wonderful breeders on the forum and they are willing to always step in and give great advice. The end result is we all want a healthy puppy. Sometimes, it takes a bit of work to get one.

 

[keywee]

I don't know if this will help, but my previous dog, Ollie, had a terrible skin condition that the vet said was not mange, but seemed to be very persistent. We treated him with antibiotics, creams and ointments of all kinds, aloe, sulfur, lamb meal and rice kibble, you name it. Nothing worked and his hair was falling out, poor thing!. In Ollie's case there was no breeder to contact because I literally rescued him up off the street in a Target parking lot in Miami.
Anyway, once I had exhausted all the vet's suggestions to no avail, my neighbor suggested I give Ollie a tablespoon of safflower oil with each feeding. (Twice daily at that time) He said he'd heard of dogs down here that are sensitive to the lime in the coral and the oil seems to help. It took about two weeks, but it worked! And boy, did his black coat become shiny!
Good luck with your Wilco's skin issues.

 

[bmac]

Susana,
Thanks so much for that advice. Unfortunately I'm fairly certain the diagnosis was correct. I looked at the mite under a microscope and it looks exactly like pictures I've seen on the internet. If the treatments don't work I'll definitely try the safflower oil.

 

[Doodlesville]

The link i sent before

did you see the treatment recommendations,,ivomec is the best IMO
that is really a very imformative site btw