# Demodex



## anawd (Oct 13, 2011)

I am just looking for opinions. I recently got a working prospect puppy (and also breeding prospect if things worked out health and temperament wise). When I picked her up she had a bit of what looked like puppy pyoderma on her neck. Breeder said the vet told him it was just a bacterial infection and would resolve on its own. I went ahead and took the pup home. After a few days it looked to be getting worse, so I took her in to the vet and he also thought bacterial infection and sent her home with antibiotics. After those were finished, she was actually starting to look worse rather than better. :-/. At that point I did a skin scrape on her and we found demodex mites. She's on her fourth round of treatment now, and still no big improvement. This is definitely not a localized case, very much a generalized case. 
So my question is, would you expect the breeder to take the puppy back and replace her?


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## mharrisonjr26 (Feb 10, 2011)

Yes!! Absolutely and if the pup was sold as breeding prospect for sure. I would be careful of getting a pup from that dam.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Oh this is a tough one!!!

I honestly don't know. I would need to figure out what it going on with her immune system to cause such generalized demodex. A small spot is not a big deal. But generalized. Hmmmm... 

What treatment are you using?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

shampoo with Defendex .

review her feed .

the anti biotics may have driven what immune system there was into decline

how hardy are the sire and dam ? If this is caused by management that is one thing .
If this is caused by a constitutionally weak system that is another.

I think it is important that more attention need to be paid to general robust health . Dogs need to "do-well" .


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## anawd (Oct 13, 2011)

Well I had originally thought it was stress from going to a new home. But since she already had the issue when I picked her up, that shouldn't have been why started it. Here she has some kibble with raw as well. There she was on the Costco brand food (can't remember what it's called). I am not sure about the mother, but the sire is a nice older dog that seems very robust to me. I asked the breeder about the dam having any issues but he said he got her when she was older so who knows. 
This is definitely not just a little localized spot. She barely has hair left. . I am doing what the vet recommended and treating with a mite killing drench every two weeks. Her spirits are up but she just looks horrible. He thought three treatments would do the trick,and she was looking better, but now her skin is getting inflamed again so we are starting another round. Poor girl. I feel awful for her. I just hope we are able to get this under control. I would never breed this dog and honestly would be afraid to do too much training that would stress her out for fear of this popping up again. 
Are there times when you're unable to get control of this? I've only dealt with one localized case that resolved on its own. I'm just really getting discouraged. I also feel like the breeder should take her back and either replace her or free a refund. As was said, I'm a little shy of getting another pup from him after this, but I know most breeders won't refund your money. This girl has just had trouble from day one. :-/


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

is it demodex or sarcoptic .

Demodex usually starts around the eyes and muzzle .

Is there wildlife around the breeder's place.


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## anawd (Oct 13, 2011)

I know the usual starting places for it. One reason I didn't think about it being demodex to begin with. And yes it is definitely demodex, not sarcoptic. There were several mites on the slide and I saw them myself. 
I don't know about wildlife around the breeder. We live out in the country with all kinds of animals around, but she is the only one of my dogs having any issues at all.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I can't answer your question about returning the puppy but Rafi had localized mange when I adopted him and I started a thread in the holistic section. He had been given antibiotics and that seemed to make things worse. Boosting the immune system and using NEEM shampoo worked wonders for Rafi and I know for several other dogs too. I've also used a couple drops of NEEM oil mixed into an oatmeal shampoo. 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...6105-demodectic-mange-natural-treatments.html


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## anawd (Oct 13, 2011)

Thank you, I may try that. She hasn't been on any antibiotics for quite a while now (just that first round when we thought it was only bacterial and not mites).


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## Degadog (Aug 15, 2015)

*Démodetic mites*



anawd said:


> Thank you, I may try that. She hasn't been on any antibiotics for quite a while now (just that first round when we thought it was only bacterial and not mites).


We have a shepherd with periodic bouts of generalized démodetic mites. Got her from a bad breeder. We have used ivermectin for the last couple of years with much success. Although She will be medicated for the rest of her life. If you send her back to the breeder, chances are he will notwill treat her properly for the long duration and the suffering she will go through is horrible, if not die. We have switched our shepherd to bravecto per the vet. It treats fleas, ticks and mites. It has a huge success rate. Our shepherd did not change in personality and loves to be worked. She is a trooper through the whole mite ordeal. We had her spayed. Would not breed her, nor give her up. Once they bond it is for life. I would not trade her loving companionship foe anything, money back or new dog. We took her and love her despite the cost and challenges. Hope this helps.


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## Degadog (Aug 15, 2015)

We have a bitch GS with generalized Demodedic mites. Bad Bad breeding. Bad breeders will not treat Demodedic mites properly or long term. They are in it for the money. These types of mites will kill a dog if not treated. We had her spayed so as not to pass bad breeding on. She has been on ivamectin daily for a couple of years with a lot of success. But a new drug called bravecto treats fleas, tick and mites has just been introduced and we are going with that per our vet. It is a every 2 month treatment. Our GS has been quite the trooper throughout this very painful ordeal. She is wonderful. Still plays and trains. She only wants to please. We would never trade her. We took her, and it is our job now to give her the best life life, despite not being able to breed her.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

All dogs have Demodex mites, but not all dogs have demodectic mange. The mange usually only happens when something stresses or suppresses the immune system. Demodectic mange is more commonly seen in puppies simply because they don't have a fully developed immune system. While a localized case that either goes away on its own of only requires spot treatment isn't that big a deal, generalize mange, with or without a secondary bacterial infection, is more problematic. Dogs who had generalized Demodex as puppies are usually not good candidates for breeding, since the propensity for a weaker immune system can be inherited. 8

I've had two dogs with generalized Demodex, and both responded well to the Mitaban dips. One lived to nearly 15 with no further issues, and one is currently 5, also with no further issues. Not to say I don't worry about it, just keep an eye on them, and don't obsess over it.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

And..... I just saw the date of the OP.... my only excuse is I'm on a tablet, with little, teeny type.


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

LeoRose said:


> And..... I just saw the date of the OP.... my only excuse is I'm on a tablet, with little, teeny type.


This worked out perfectly, I think Wick might have this caused by his lowered immune system from allergies so the extra info was really helpful, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! It's been a continuous battle with wicks allergies and immune system, we finally have the allergies all figured out but this came up right towards the end, hopefully everything is solved after this!


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## wick (Mar 7, 2015)

Also we have been to the vet but since it happened at the same time as a very bad allergy reaction she wasn't sure if it was part of that or something different, she was fairly sure since it was on the eyes and muzzle that it was mange, but she couldn't get a good scraping at the time so she chose to wait until after we got the allergies controlled.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

"but she couldn't get a good scraping at the time so she chose to wait until after we got the allergies controlled"

why? the remedy to both is the same


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