Red Mange

[ElJefe]

my rottie had this when he was a young pup took him to the vet and they gave me an ointment to put on him and it went away. but 5 months later he had a relapse is there any thing to do to prevent it from coming back?

[targonrotts]

red mange aka demodex mange.
it is an oppurtunist mite that lives on the skin and when the immune system is low or stressed, it takes advantage.
when it affects a small spot, it is usually called localized. when it takes a big area it is generalized.

puppies can get demodex during stressful times such as teething, coming in heat for first time, new home,sick,low immunity/vaccines.
if a puppy gets localized demodex and goes away after a treatment-it usually resolves for good as the puppy builts his immunity.
if it gets localized and has reoccurences at later dates, genetics are suspected and should not be bred. this can reoccur after being in heat, whelping a litter,vaccines, moving, training, ect.
if it is generalized, it is much harder to treat and keep under control. definitely should not be bred and spaying is reccomended.

age is also important. a young dog under one year of age has better success rate than an older dog.

i have seen cases, especially in english and american bulldogs, where the dogs with more white have a higher affected rate and those that have had pups, have passed it down.

treatments:
localized can be treated with oxydex gel, mitaban/mineral oil solution mix(1cc to 13 cc),vitamin e, and cephalexin antibiotic.fatty acids.
aggressive localized or generalized need medicated baths of benzoyl peroxide or oxy/sulfur shampoos and mitaban dips, vitamin e, cephalexin, and in some cases, get a shot of immunoregulin to boost immune system.

before you do anything-talk to your vet.
is your dog being stressed? are you sure it is a reoccurence or can it be a ring worm?
you might need it re evaluated.
good luck!

[ElJefe]

can you get any of those treatments over the counter? i had just moved in about 6 months ago. could it be caused by a bad diet?(which leads to a low immune system)

[targonrotts]

i would suggest you go by the vet first and verify it is mange first and not ringworm, bacterial infections.

you can probably get some of the stuff mentioned on line. some you need a vet script.

[ElJefe]

ok i'll make an appt for this weekend. gettin low on heart worm med's any way. do the dips work faster than an ointment/pills?

[targonrotts]

it depends on severity and what you use.
let us know how your vet appointment turns out and what they choose to use.
good luck!