Types Of Mange In Dogs
Scabies or scabies is a disease that affects the skin and is extremely contagious. In the animal world, there are many species susceptible to contracting it, although perhaps the best known cases are those of mange in dogs, but did you know that there are different types of mange? From My Animals we detail you about some of them.
What exactly is mange in dogs?
At a general level, it can be said that scabies is a topical disease, since the area of the skin is the one that is affected. It must also be said that it is not an exclusive disease of dogs, since many other species are susceptible to contracting it, including humans.
The causative agents of scabies are called mites. These tiny organisms belong to the group of arachnids, and there are currently about 50,000 species described. These organisms are responsible for the transmission of scabies, usually by direct contact.
As has already been said, there are different variants of the disease, because each type of mite causes different symptoms. In summary, these are the most common symptoms:
- Intense itching
- Hair loss, as localized bald spots are caused.
- Reddened and inflamed skin, with the appearance of scabs.
Sarcoptic mange
This variety is one of the most common, and it is one of the most common scabies in dogs. Its name is due to the causative mite, Sarcoptes scabiei var. Canis. This genus of mite is also capable of attacking felines, although the probability of cross infection is very low.
The life cycle of this mite is about three weeks, during which the females lay eggs in small galleries on the animal’s skin. They tend to prefer areas where hair is not abundant, such as the ears, elbows or abdomen. In these areas, red areas with scabs begin to form, with the consequent itching and shedding of the coat.
It should be noted that this type of mange in dogs is highly contagious, and humans are susceptible to infection. The treatment for this type of scabies is based on acaricides.
Demodectic mange in dogs
This type of scabies is known as red scabies. In this case, the causative organism is Demodex canis , a mite that lives naturally in the skin area of dogs. It normally affects puppies under six months of age or older dogs to a greater extent, because the mite thrives in better conditions when the immune system is weakened.
There are two variants of demodectic scabies: localized and generalized, which is nothing more than an evolution of the previous one. The most typical symptoms are redness in areas with thin skin – lips, eyelids, folds of extremities – accompanied by a strong odor.
Some research has been done around the incidence of this disease, and there is evidence to affirm that there is a certain hereditary predisposition to suffer this type of scabies. Some studies suggest that there may be some breeds more prone to demodectic mange.
Otodectic scabies
We are facing a less frequent but highly contagious type of scabies, which affects both dogs and cats. The responsible organism is Otodectes cynotis, a mite that is located in the ear of the animal and whose life cycle is 21 days. During these days, the mite will feed on the earwax and blood, which causes itching, irritation and constant head shaking.
As a result of infection, a dark brown waxy fluid is secreted from the external ear canal. This is one of the indicators of the disease that, if not detected in time, can begin to spread throughout the rest of the body. The prevention of this type of scabies is to periodically check the ears of our dogs.
