Monday, February 21, 2011

Scabies

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Scabies: Scabies rash is a skin desease that afflicts dogs. Cause of this disease is an oval

shaped micro-organism called sarcoptes scagei that hosted in the depth of skin and causes

extremely itchy skin in Pets.

Scabies in Dogs:

Scabies is a skin disease caused by mites that have the 21 days lifcycle. These mite can spread to the other parts of the dog's body and also from one dog to another dog by direct contact. In order to treat your dog , you have to remove the mites from his skin. Dogs of all ages, bread and both sexes can get infected by this mite.
Symptoms of Scabies in Dogs:

* Skin Rash.
* Red, irritated skin.
* Itchiness.
* Red bumps that form a crust upon scratching.
* Infections
* Loss of hair
* Loss of appetite.
* Loss of weight.

Diagnosis of Scabies Rash in Dogs:

A medical history, physical examination and an evaluation of the life style of the pet can indicate whether canine scabies is the cause for the skin lesions and rashes. Skin scrapings aren’t very reliable as even a small number of sarcoptic mites can cause a severe infection even though their presence might go undetected through skin scrapings. Skin biopsies also give false negative results and aren’t reliable.

Vets often resort to a trial treatment when confronted with symptoms such as hair loss, skin rashes and lesions. Since treatment of scabies is generally successful, a course of 2 to 4 weeks is sufficient to provide confirmation that the condition is indeed caused by scabies mites.

Treatment of Scabies Rash in Dogs

There are several treatments that are effective in ridding dogs of the mites responsible for canine scabies. Keeping the environment clean, clipping your pet’s hair and shampooing his hair with benzoyl peroxide shampoo are ways to remove the mites from his skin. Amitraz and Mitaban dips are good treatment options. Lime sulfur dips are also effective when used appropriately. Dogs should be dipped several times every 2 weeks for the treatment to be effective.

However, very young or old dogs and sick pets shouldn’t be treated in this manner as dips can be toxic. There are several topical solutions such as Selamectin, Interceptor and liquid Ivermectin that help you control scabies in your pet. Medications in tablet form are also available. Dogs can also contract bacterial or yeast infections as a result of excessive scratching and should be treated for these as well.

Precautions:

All dogs living under the same roof should be treated along with the infected pet. Keep your pet away from areas where there are large dog populations. Clean your pet’s bedding and the interior of the house. Also ensure that your immediate neighboring environment is clean and get rid of any trash that’s lying about.

It’s important that you feed your pet a healthy and nutritious diet as a weakened immune system can make him susceptible to opportunistic infections. Cleanliness is also vital in the prevention of scabies.

Read more: Scabies Rash in Dogs

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