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"Demodicosis in dogs is caused by tiny parasitic mites of the species, Demodex canis.  These mites live deep inside the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the skin of host dogs. Demodex canis mites are considered to be part of the normal flora of the skin of dogs and typically are present in small numbers without causing any noticeable symptoms.  In fact, almost all puppies acquire these mites directly from their mothers within the first few days of life.  The immune systems of healthy dogs usually suppress excessive proliferation of the mites, which in turn prevents any obvious adverse reactions from their presence.  However, dogs with weakened immune systems can develop clinical signs of demodectic mange, because the mite population gets out of control.  In other words, the immune system does not respond properly to the normal presence of the Demodex mites.  It is thought that genetic influences play a strong role in a dog\u2019s development of demodicosis.  This theory is supported by the fact that purebred dogs from certain breeds and bloodlines are more likely to develop demodectic mange than are other dogs."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Health/Demodectic-Mange/Causes.aspx>