Does my dog have scabies/mange? Treating it with sunflower oil? Other natural remedies? Ivermectin?

CanadaEh

Songster
May 31, 2018
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She's almost 2y old Great Pyrenees / Lab mix. We have got her at 6 months age as a puppy mill rescue.

About 2-3 weeks ago she started shedding heavily - mostly on the legs, tail and belly we have attributed to hot weather. We brushed here and took her for a dip in a river daily to minimize shedding in the house and hoping cooling down would reduce shedding. Then we noticed red skin/dots on her belly she kept licking - we though mosquito and black fly bites cause she lost so much hair there. Then just few days ago she started scratching viciously, causing sores on here sides and chest. She also not been able to eat, play, or rest without a few interruptions jumping up and running around as if some insect has bitten her or crawled on her, scratching sides and chest and licking and biting legs and belly.

It also seems that she has less symptoms while lying on a cool ground under the deck near house foundation.

I could not find any flees or flee dirt on her, but the coat was very dry. I have given her yogurt, oily fish, eggs, quercetin so far suspecting allergy reaction. The was no change to her food.

Giving severity of itching I am starting to suspect sarcoptic mange (scabies). The only relive I was able to give her so far is by massaging sunflower oil into her belly, chest and legs. She leaks off a lot of it, but the remainder works for about 12 hours. A trip to a vet is not an option at the moment. I also have read that mange can't be diagnosed reliably by skin scrapping and most of the time should be treated without testing and diagnosed by response to the treatment.

Questions:
1) is the description above consistent with sarcopic mange? She does not have any "Thick yellow crusts" described as one of the symptoms - just rush and extreme itchiness preventing her to do anything, scratching non stop and running away like from invisible insects attack. Either laying on cool ground (and shivering) all the time or sunflower oil every 12h help big time and make her almost normal.

2) is there a natural remedy? By applying sunflower oil regularly do I have a chance to suffocate mites (if it is a mange) or just masking the symptoms and allowing them multiply and making it worse? I am planing getting ivermectin tomorrow, but will be hesitant to use it given her puppy mill heritage (that was sold by puppy mill owner and identified as Great Pyrenees / Lab mix in the shelter) as to MDR-1 gen sensitivity.
 
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She's almost 2y old Great Pyrenees / Lab mix. We have got her at 6 months age as a puppy mill rescue.

About 2-3 weeks ago she started shedding heavily - mostly on the legs, tail and belly we have attributed to hot weather. We brushed here and took her for a dip in a river daily to minimize shedding in the house and hoping cooling down would reduce shedding. Then we noticed red skin/dots on her belly she kept licking - we though mosquito and black fly bites cause she lost so much hair there. Then just few days ago she started scratching viciously, causing sores on here sides and chest. She also not been able to eat, play, or rest without a few interruptions jumping up and running around as if some insect has bitten her or crawled on her, scratching sides and chest and licking and biting legs and belly.

It also seems that she has less symptoms while lying on a cool ground under the deck near house foundation.

I could not find any flees or flee dirt on her, but the coat was very dry. I have given her yogurt, oily fish, eggs, quercetin so far suspecting allergy reaction. The was no change to her food.

Giving severity of itching I am starting to suspect sarcoptic mange (scabies). The only relive I was able to give her so far is by massaging sunflower oil into her belly, chest and legs. She leaks off a lot of it, but the remainder works for about 12 hours. A trip to a vet is not an option at the moment. I also have read that mange can't be diagnosed reliably by skin scrapping and most of the time should be treated without testing and diagnosed by response to the treatment.

Questions:
1) is the description above consistent with sarcopic mange? She does not have any "Thick yellow crusts" described as one of the symptoms - just rush and extreme itchiness preventing her to do anything, scratching non stop and running away like from invisible insects attack. Either laying on cool ground (and shivering) all the time or sunflower oil every 12h help big time and make her almost normal.

2) is there a natural remedy? By applying sunflower oil regularly do I have a chance to suffocate mites (if it is a mange) or just masking the symptoms and allowing the multiply and making it worse? I am planing getting ivermectin tomorrow, but will be hesitant to use it given her puppy mill heritage (that was sold by puppy mill owner and identified as Great Pyrenees / Lab mix in the shelter) as to MDR-1 gen sensitivity.
So sorry your dog is suffering. I have read up a little but maybe a few more folks in here may have some directions as well. Depending on the size of your dog, a little cider vinegar taken orally in food may help but it must be done over several days, to work from the inside out, personally in addition I've used this vinegar to bath my animals with a little bicarbonate soda which I've added to Castile soap, it really helped to soothe. The oil you used is a good idea as you already said, to suffocate any mites or fleas. Olive oil ,coconut oil and aloe vera are all good to combat many skin problems. This is only what I chose too use in the past, I'm not a qualified vet. Good luck . Hope you update how it all goes.
 
Just to add a little coconut oil inside the ears have kept problems away from my cat and dog the bicarb on the coat dried out the flies and mites bicarb and vinegar helped too stop the itching
 
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Good grief!! Take the dog to a vet and get a proper diagnoses. Once it is known what the problem is an effective treatment can be given. Bear in mind that just because something is "natural" it does not therefore mean that it is either safe or effective. You need to get something that actually works
 
Good grief!! Take the dog to a vet and get a proper diagnoses. Once it is known what the problem is an effective treatment can be given. Bear in mind that just because something is "natural" it does not therefore mean that it is either safe or effective. You need to get something that actually works
X2
Thank you for your common sense!
 
I'm thinking Fleas or chiggers are biting the dog. I wouldn't use ivermectin though. Some dogs really react badly to it. Pick up flea shampoo and get a topical flea medication. Brush her out good and clean all her bedding. Get something to spray in her bedding like a flea/mite spray.
Good luck 👍
 
It could literally be anything from mange, to a rash, to fleas, to allergies.

The only way to know for sure if it's mange is to have a skin scraping done. Natural remedies don't work for mange.

If it is fleas, you would see evidence.

I recommend vet. Until then, try giving benadryl to relieve the itching. If it works, it's likely an allergic reaction to something.

Dosage is 1mg/pound of body weight every 8-12 hours.
 
Then we noticed red skin/dots on her belly she kept licking
Having dealt with mange in a rescue dog before.. your description doesn't fit. Skin scrapings have been useful in my experience, though I do understand budgeting.. hence I bought my own microscope to do fecal floats etc.

Permethrin based horse fly spray helps with both mosquitoes and fleas.. as well as some mites.. if you have it available to you. Not for use on cats.

My dogs dealt with fleas for the first time in 11 years this season.. at first mosquito bites were suspect.. and the itching from a single bite can last 2-3 weeks, I KNOW! :barnie



My thought is EARLY onset of fleas that are difficult to see the evidence still. Are you able to post pics of what you are seeing?

Hope it resolves quickly for you both! :fl
 
Here right now, getting to a vet in my situation is impossible, hence I went for only the natural alternatives! @ everyone that replied.. @canada
Are you able to get to a vet? Has there been any change?
 

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