It was originally thought that because the mite is a normal inhabitant of the dogs skin, the presence of the mites does not conclusively mean the dog has demodicosis. Recent research, however, found that the demodex mite is rarely found on clinically normal dogs, meaning that the presence of any number of mites in a sample is very likely to be significant. In breeds such as the West Highland White Terrier, relatively minor skin irritation which would otherwise be considered allergy should be carefully scraped because of the predilection of these dogs to demodectic mange. Skin scrapings may be used to follow the progress of treatment in demodectic mange. Alternatively, plasma levels of zinc and copper have been seen to be decreased in dogs with demodicosis. This may be due to inflammation involved in the immune response of demodicosis which can lead to oxidative stress, resulting in dogs with demodicosis to exhibit higher levels of antioxidant productivity. The catalases involved in the antioxidant pathway require the trace minerals zinc and copper. Dogs with demodicosis show a decrease in plasma copper and zinc levels due to the increased demand for antioxidant activity. Therefore, this may be considered as a potential marker for demodicosis. Treatment
Dogs
Localized demodectic mange is considered a common puppyhood ailment, with roughly 90% of cases resolving on their own with no treatment. Minor, localized cases should be left to resolve on their own to prevent masking of the more severe generalized form.
In the more severe form, hair loss can occur in patches all over the body and might be accompanied by crusting, pain, enlarged lymph nodes, and deep skin infections. Typically, animals become infected through nursing from their mother. The transmission of these mites from mother to pup is normal (which is why the mites are normal inhabitants of the dogs skin), but some individuals are sensitive to the mites due to a cellular immune deficiency, underlying disease, stress, or malnutrition, which can lead to the development of clinical demodectic mange. Some breeds appear to have an increased risk of mild cases as young dogs, including the Afghan Hound, American Staffordshire Terrier, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Chihuahua, Chow Chow, Shar-Pei, Collie, Dalmatian, Doberman Pinscher, Bulldog, French Bulldog, English Bull Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Old English Sheepdog, American Pit Bull Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Rat Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Dachshund, and Pug. Cats
There are two types of demodectic mange in cats. Demodex cati causes follicular mange, similar to that seen in dogs, though it is much less common. Demodex gatoi is a more superficial form of mange, causes an itchy skin condition, and is contagious amongst cats. Other
Demodectic mange also occurs in other domestic and wild animals, including captive pandas. Diagnosis
For demodectic mange, properly performed deep skin scrapings generally allow the veterinarian to identify the microscopic mites. Acetate tape impression with squeezing has recently found to be a more sensitive method to identify mites.