When to see a vet for dog mange

Disclaimer: This article, its content, and its related references do not constitute veterinary advice and should not be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If your pet is showing any symptoms that could indicate a medical emergency, please seek immediate emergency care.

The symptoms of persistent itch, skin redness, and patchy hair loss occur with many skin conditions in dogs, including mange, so it’s best to see a veterinarian as soon as possible if you notice them in your pet. Even though mange isn’t as common as many other skin conditions, it’s a big concern because it can be highly contagious to both other animals and humans, and seeing a vet right away can help mitigate whether other members of the household develop symptoms as well. In addition to understanding that several other diseases look like mange, it's also important to know that mange isn’t one specific disease but rather a category of parasitic skin conditions, which include:

• Scabies, or sarcoptic mange (caused by Sarcoptes scabiei mites)
• Demodicosis, or demodectic mange (caused by Demodex canis mites)

Other parasites that can cause similar symptoms include ear mites, fleas, lice, and another mite called “walking dandruff” due to its appearance. Dogs also develop itchy rashes from other conditions that don’t involve parasites and which call for different treatments. With such a broad range of possibilities, it’s important to contact a vet as soon as you can.

Very advanced cases of mange can be life-threatening, but the disease doesn't usually progress to that stage until a dog’s been showing signs for several weeks, months, or even more than a year.

However, early veterinary care for a dog with an itchy rash allows for an accurate diagnosis so an effective treatment plan can be prescribed. Early treatment reduces the possibility that complications and life-threatening circumstances may arise.

Consider booking a virtual care appointment on Vetster if you think your dog has mange. Veterinarians on the Vetster platform are available 24/7 to assess your dog's condition, providing online vet care when needed — usually with short wait times. They can chat with you from the comfort of home and evaluate your pet by video, ensuring you have the information you need to determine the appropriate course of action. Depending on the situation, the vet may recommend an at-home diagnostic kit that can identify mange mites. In some cases the vet can offer specific treatment recommendations and even provide prescriptions, depending on the laws of the state or province where you and/or the vet are located. If it’s in your dog’s best interests to be seen in person, an online vet can also let you know that’s your only option, allowing you to save in-clinic visits for when they’re necessary.

Vets have expertise on a broad array of skin conditions, which all tend to look alike. Your vet will determine what testing your dog needs in order to ensure an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. They can consider factors such as the onset and history of your dog’s symptoms, what the skin irritation or hair loss looks like and where it’s located, and potential risk factors based on what kind of parasite control your dog is already on as well as your dog’s location, diet, and lifestyle. These factors help a vet determine if additional testing is necessary and whether your dog’s symptoms are more likely due to other causes, such as dietary or environmental allergies.

When presented with a dog with itchy skin and hair loss, veterinarians typically start by collecting skin scrapings, biopsies, or hair samples. When examining these samples under a microscope, a vet can identify any parasites as well as look for other disease-causing organisms.

Some samples, however, may not show any parasites even if the dog has mange. This is known as a “false negative” test result and can be common with mange. Vets rely on their professional judgment to interpret test results and may proceed with treatment even with a false negative. It's also common for vets to put dogs with itchy skin rashes on broad spectrum parasite control regardless of what the underlying diagnosis may be — it’s often simpler and better to cover that base with a dog who’s not on regular parasite control, even if their skin rash turns out to be allergies or something other than mange.

It’s important to see a vet as soon as you notice your dog has symptoms indicating possible mange, such as persistent itching, skin redness, and patches of hair loss. Since many skin conditions can cause these symptoms, seeing a vet is an important step to make sure your dog gets the correct diagnosis and treatment. Some cases of mange are highly contagious, and getting treatment right away can help prevent it from spreading to other pets or people.

A vet can also determine the best methods to alleviate your dog’s itching and discomfort while waiting for the mange medication to take effect. This helps prevent the formation of skin wounds from excessive scratching, which can become infected.

Some parasites that cause mange can indefinitely increase in number until your dog receives treatment. Early treatment is important to make sure the parasite population doesn’t get out of control and cause increasingly severe symptoms and potentially serious complications.

Scabies

Scabies is highly contagious to other animals, including humans, and it can spread by physical contact and through shared items, such as combs, towels, or bedding. Dogs with scabies may develop secondary infections in affected areas due to the irritation and scratching. Early treatment can help prevent secondary infections, but if an infection does develop, seeing a vet ensures it gets treated in addition to the mange.

Demodicosis

Demodicosis, or mange from demodex mites, typically only develops in puppies and dogs with weak immune systems. If a dog that’s less than a year old develops mange from these mites, it’s often because their immune system is still immature, but it can also indicate a genetic immune abnormality.

Since the immune system of an adult dog can usually keep a population of demodex mites from growing to the point that it causes a rash, a case of demodicosis in an adult often indicates a decrease in the strength of their immune system. This can happen when a dog develops certain diseases, such as diabetes, thyroid problems, or even certain types of cancer. If your adult dog has demodicosis, the sooner you see a vet, the sooner you can identify and treat the underlying disease or illness.

How can an online vet help my dog’s mange?

An online appointment can be a great first step for dogs with itchy red skin and hair loss who aren’t showing more serious symptoms. They can usually be booked with a relatively short wait time, and you can get started from the comfort of home at a time that works for you. The vet can spend the necessary time asking important questions about your dog’s previous health conditions, possible dietary or environmental changes, and risks of exposure to certain parasites or allergens.

An online vet can also visually observe your dog’s scratching behaviors in a relaxed environment and see any patches of hair loss or red skin. This information will help the vet determine if your dog needs additional diagnostic testing and if and how urgently your dog needs to be seen in person. They may also recommend some precautionary measures, and in some states or provinces, they may even be able to prescribe certain medications to initiate treatment.

Travel to an in-person vet may be time consuming, and appointments may not be available for several days, so seeing a vet online is a great way to identify the best course of action. If you’re uncertain about your dog’s symptoms, an online vet can help you figure out what to do next, and ensure that any in-person visit to a vet is truly necessary.

Online vets are also a great resource when you have questions or concerns that arise after your in-person vet starts your dog on treatment for mange. Treatment for mange typically requires several weeks or months to eradicate the parasites, and you might want to check in with a vet to make sure everything is progressing appropriately. Seeing a vet online in these cases can help you maintain the best course of treatment while saving you time and money.

How will an in-person vet help my dog’s mange?

An in-person vet can carry out a hands-on examination and perform testing to determine why a dog has an itchy rash and hair loss. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of mange and identify what — if any — type of parasite is present is to see it under a microscope, and this requires either an in-person visit or appropriate use of a home diagnostic test kit. An in-person vet can also do blood work and other diagnostic testing to determine the underlying cause of your dog’s rash.

It’s best to see a vet as soon as you notice persistent itching, skin redness, or unexplained hair loss in your dog. These symptoms are uncomfortable, no matter what’s causing them, and typically get worse as time passes. If it turns out to be mange, not only can it be highly contagious, treatment often takes weeks or even several months. Any delays in starting treatment can draw out an already extensive process. The sooner you see the vet, the sooner your dog can get back to feeling their best.

The symptoms of mange overlap with an array of other skin conditions, and if you treat your dog at home without seeing the vet, you won’t have the training, experience, and diagnostic tools to ensure effective treatment. If your dog’s skin symptoms are caused by an allergy but you provide them with antiparasitic medication, the underlying source of your dog’s symptoms won’t be addressed and you won’t get a complete solution.

In some cases, providing treatment for one skin condition can make a different skin condition worse. For example, some anti-itch medications commonly used for allergies work by temporarily suppressing the immune system. When an itchy dog is assumed to have allergies and is put on these medications, the resulting immunosuppression can allow a previously unidentified mite population to grow rapidly, making the infestation much worse.

In addition to making sure you’re treating the correct condition, it’s important to understand the broad array of treatment options and how the benefits and risks associated with them may affect your dog.

If a veterinarian diagnoses your dog with mange, you may help at home by grooming your dog, cleaning their environment, and limiting contact with other animals. Consult with a vet about the best way to keep your dog clean with soothing baths while they’re undergoing treatment and how best to reduce the likelihood of spreading parasites by washing any bedding and towels.

You can also help by limiting your dog’s contact with other animals. You can do this as soon as you suspect your dog has mange, even before you go to the vet. Once you know for certain that your dog has mange and what type it is, your vet can advise whether it’s necessary to keep your dog isolated during treatment.

Depending on the type of mange and other details of the situation, the duration of treatment varies widely. Most cases require several weeks to months to resolve, with more severe cases taking longer.

Treatment for mange typically focuses on oral or topical antiparasitic medication and may also include itch relief medications or special shampoos, along with antibiotics when secondary infections are present. Other animals in your household may also need antiparasitic medication to limit the spread of mange and prevent reinfection.

Mild cases of localized demodicosis in puppies, where only one or two small spots of skin are affected, often go away on their own as the puppy’s immune system matures.

As your dog improves, you should notice that the itching subsides, the skin looks less irritated, and the hair eventually starts to grow back. Depending on the type of mange, repeated testing every few weeks may be necessary to monitor the progression of treatment and determine when it’s okay to stop.

Check out Vetster’s other resources on dog mange:

• Demodectic mange in dogs
• Scabies (sarcoptic mange) in dogs
• Itching and scratching (pruritis) in dogs
• Prevent parasites and improve your pet’s health