MANGE

[The Grebe]

I seen something really bad today and I want to know if any of you dog owners out there, know anything about it....I seen a very old Golden Retriever, a dog from Florida, with the mange!

This poor old dog, ridden with arthritis, had most of the hair on it's torso gone, scabs and sores and what looked like soriosis...it was almost to tough to look at!

I asked the woman what the hell the deal was, that the dog had to be suffering? Although I must admit, it did'nt look like it was? I trapped for over 25 years and I seen enough fox and coyotes with the mange and I know THEY were suffering!

She said she has been taking the dog to the vet and they have been giving him medicine so that he does'nt suffer, is this for real? What the hell kind of vet would let an old dog, (She told me he was 15) progress to that kind of shape? It was awful.

I had scabbie mites when I was a kid and I have since read up on them and they are the same kind of mites that cause mange...maybe a different variety, but work on the same principle, **** things drive you nuts! I was able to get rid of them in a couple of days once my folks got the medicine...is'nt there something like that for dogs?

[FISHER ED]

My parents were talking about how one of their neighbors dogs currently has mange and a previous dog died from it. I'm no expert but they said it comes from fox (which one had recently been seen in their area) and it's a mite that gets into the dogs skin causing extreme itching. They itch to a point where they scratch their fur off. They didn't think there is any "real" cure and said the neighbors have spent a lot of $ at the vet to care for the dog. The vet told them it was natures way of "thinning the heard", the fox scratch all their fur off then freeze in the winter.

All I can say is when I heard this I instantly feared for my lab as he had been running all over. Not that I would wish this on any dog at any stage but my guy is way to early in life to catch this. I really keep an eye on him we we are around my folks place now. It sucks because it was always a great place inthe country to let him burn some of the pent up "cities" energy. Hopefully someone else can add to this for you.

[Swamp Scooter]

Mange is a bad thing. There are really two types prevalent. the first as you noted is from the mites but there is also one called Demadectic(ap) mange that is an immune deficiency related condition. This can come on to a whole litter or only one pup. Maybe it was the immune response one. Not very pleasant to look at and I am sure it itches like crazy. Maybe big doses of Pred or other steroids is keeping the irritation down but I would agree. At that age just have the sense to not think for yourself but the well being of your companion.

[HUNTER2]

Golden retrievers are noted for having skin problems. Such as hot spots and allergies.

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Hunt&Fish tell you drop!
I.B.O.T's 250 & 249

[The Grebe]

Thank you for responding, troops! I did a little searching on the net and I found out more about it...I guess the woman is doing what she can?

Like I said, in the past, I trapped a lot of Fox and a few coyotes that had it....I would'nt even get close to them. The .22, the hognoose and a plastic bag to transport the carcass, the crowbar to pull the set and put the whole shebag in a bucket and haul it to the creek! YUK! I had never seen a case in a domestic dog, thanks again for responding!

[Big Brown]

My lab actually has had many (3-4) cases of the mange. She had the less serious, immune def., type. She first got it as a young pup and the doc said that some pups just don't have the immune system built up to fight off the parasites. All dogs have some of these critters on them but have the immune system to keep them in check. After fighting them off with meds for 3-4 time she finally (I hope) has built up the immune system. She has not had a case in over a year and she is now almost 3 years old. It sounds like the golden has the more severe type or is just too old to have the immune system fight them off. It is not fun to see the hound scratching like crazy and not being able to do anything about it.

[eyesontonka]

Grebe

olive oil should solve the problem..at the farm we get fox/yotes that transfer it to the calves and we use that a couple times 3 days apart..gone..now the farm dog when she got it took 4 or 5 times to get rid of it..but i found a dead fox out back a few weeks later and i think the dog kept going back and rolling on it thats why it stayed as long as it did..if the dogs a house dog ya might wanna keep it outside for a week after you use the oil..after a weeks up give the dog a bath...should be gone..dont use the oil when it's hot out..this will probly kill the animal from over heating..70 degrees or less should be ok also be a good idea to put a dunts hat on the dog the 1st day after ya put oil on it..keep the dog outa the water for 1 week..

this dog would'nt happen to be near 52 and hwy 19 would it???

[The Grebe]

eyesontonka...thanks for the info, I would have passed it on to the woman (One of my clients) but they decided to have to old dog put down a couple of days ago.

The dog came from Florida, it got the mange down there somewhere? My client lives in St. Paul.

You know, if something as basically simple as the formula you wrote about works, and I have no doubt that it does, why would'nt one of the vets reccommend it? (Other then the fact that they probably would'nt make much on it.) That old dog suffered in Florida and up here and the vets were with it all the way...it was sad, seems to me they could have done something for it? Thanks again bud.

[eyesontonka]

Well Grebe

Most vets/doctors/what ever dont know it all..we found out from a retired vet from new richland mn that was a trapper/coon hunter while we were fishing red lake a few years ago..his coon dogs got the mange years ago and he tried everything under the sun he said..so he thought a skin moisturizer might help..he applied olive oil since thats all he had and the dogs stopped scratchin and grew all the hair back..

[The Grebe]

eyesontonka