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#1
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
Hello all, early this past June my Springer Spaniel had a close
encounter with a fox. The fox did not look well at all. The two animals did make contact. About 6 weeks later (and I guess that I hadn't seen her scratching) I began to find clods of hair/fur on my light carpeting. I looked a bit closer at my dog as she sat there and noticed one ear flap quite shorter than the other. She was losing her hair! I felt her ears over and she had crusting around the edges of the ear flaps as well as some crusty bumps on the flap itself. After multiple searches on Google, I decided to try and treat what I thought was a fungus using white vinegar. Within 24 hours I had an explosion of these invisible mites...all over her and all over me. They were driving me right up a wall. So, off to the vet we went... The vet did an ear scraping and found no mites, however they began an immediate treatment for sarcoptic mange using injectable Ivermectin and a strong antibiotic. The dog was given the antibiotic twice a day for two weeks and was given a second shot of Ivermectin two weeks after that first shot. Interestingly, the mites were pretty much gone within 48 hours of the first shot. At about 2 weeks or so after that final shot, there was only one tiny, tiny lump on my dogs ear flap. And it grew...and it grew...and it spread! I once again treated her ear with that white vinegar and within 48 hours I have those invisible bugs driving me nuts again. Back to the vet we go... The vet does another ear scraping (finding nothing) and decides, "Ok, we'll give her another shot of Ivermectin, another 2 weeks of antibiotics and give her an oral dose of Ivermectin once every two weeks for 3 doses. The shot stops the mites like right now, but it begins coming back. The oral doses don't do spit. Before that 3rd dose I am back at the vet... The vet does another ear scraping, finds nothing and decides, "Let's treat her as though it is Demodexic Mange and give her a daily oral dose of Ivermectin...this may take 2-3 months". Now I am two weeks into this treatment and the lumps on my dogs ears are spreading...GRRRR!!! I am of the opinion that they nearly had this thing licked the first time and that 2 shots simply was enough. A third shot and possibly a fourth would have done the job as the mites do not like this Ivermectin giving in a hypo. In an oral dose, they laugh at it. Would I be out of line to suggest to my vet that we take a different course of treatment? I am out about $400+ so far and am right back where I started. What's more is that I have a dog that has been suffering with this for far too long. Your take? |
#2
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article ,
wrote: The vet does another ear scraping, finds nothing and decides, "Let's treat her as though it is Demodexic Mange and give her a daily oral dose of Ivermectin...this may take 2-3 months". I don't have any experience with sarcoptic mange but I do with Demodex, and I'm surprised your vet said it would take 2-3 months. I think it more typically takes a year or two. I'm also surprised that he's been prescribing Ivermectin even though he's found nothing in the skin scrapings, so I'd tend to question his diagnosis and probably take the dog to another vet for another opinion. You might think about a veterinary dermatologist. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
#3
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article
, wrote: A third shot and possibly a fourth would have done the job as the mites do not like this Ivermectin giving in a hypo. I had to deal with it several years ago. The dogs got 3 injections of Ivermectin, a few weeks between each. Problem solved. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#4
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article ,
Janet Boss wrote: I had to deal with it several years ago. The dogs got 3 injections of Ivermectin, a few weeks between each. Problem solved. What do you make of the repeated negative skin scrapes? -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
#6
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
Janet Boss wrote:
In article , wrote: A third shot and possibly a fourth would have done the job as the mites do not like this Ivermectin giving in a hypo. I had to deal with it several years ago. The dogs got 3 injections of Ivermectin, a few weeks between each. Problem solved. I don't think it counts when the dog is dead. |
#7
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote: I don't think it counts when the dog is dead. While 2 of those dogs have passed on, it was not from the Ivermectin, nor close to the time of the mange outbreak. One of the dogs was a lab, who lived to 15.5 years. The other a Golden, who died just short of 12. The third, still with us, is a lab/wgsd mix who will be 12 in 9 days and is in exceptional health. Too bad the same can't be said of your dogs. I'm sorry for them. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#8
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
Janet Boss wrote:
In article , chardonnay9 wrote: I don't think it counts when the dog is dead. While 2 of those dogs have passed on, it was not from the Ivermectin, nor close to the time of the mange outbreak. One of the dogs was a lab, who lived to 15.5 years. The other a Golden, who died just short of 12. The third, still with us, is a lab/wgsd mix who will be 12 in 9 days and is in exceptional health. At least you think they are in good health. Janet, your history precedes you. That nasty collar you think is a good idea on a dog says a lot about you. |
#9
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote: At least you think they are in good health. What an odd thing for someone who doesn't take her dog to the vet to say. Janet certainly has a much better picture of her dogs' health than you do of yours. And you never did explain how you do heartworm testing. My guess is that you just plain lied about it. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
#10
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Mange problem...Grrrrrr!!! This really sucks!
In article ,
chardonnay9 wrote: At least you think they are in good health. Unlike your little guessing games, my dogs actually get wellness checks and blood tests at the veterinarian's. Lucy is in exceptionally good shape at almost 12. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
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