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- Scabies in Dogs
In this guide to scabies in dogs, you’ll discover:
- What scabies is
- What causes scabies
- The symptoms of scabies
- Scabies treatment for dogs
The mite has a life cycle that is spent entirely on the dog and lasts no more than 21 days.
- Adult females will burrow into the skin to make a tunnel, laying a few eggs per day for up to 3 weeks
- Eggs hatch within 5 days
- Larvae go through a molting cycle
- Nymphs mature to adults
- Adults mate on the skin, and the female burrows to lay eggs
Scabies must be treated as soon as possible to stop it becoming more severe. Compare the best pet insurance plans and make sure you’re covered should your dog start itching.
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The mites prefer the skin where there is no hair so the first place you may notice them is in their ears. It could be that your dog’s ear has scabies, but ear mites in dogs are also common, so if you notice them itching just their ear it’s not necessarily scabies. Check other hairless areas, such as their tummy and armpits as well as checking the rest of their body.
But, what do scabies look like on a dog? Well, you might not be able to see the mites themselves. They are miniscule and burrow beneath the skin. But other symptoms to look out for, include:
- Red skin or a scabies rash on dogs
- Inflammation of skin
- Hair loss (alopecia) which may be first noticed on the legs and stomach
- Self-mutilation
- Bleeding
- Small bumps that will evolve into crusty sores
- There may be an unpleasant odor due to the sores
- The sores will mainly be found on the abdomen, legs, ears, chest, and elbows
- Thickening of the skin due to damage
- Secondary bacterial or yeast related sores can develop
- If untreated, the scabies will spread to the entire body
- Badly infected dogs may lose their appetite and begin to lose weight
Although not as common, it could be indirectly transmitted from the bedding of an infected dog. The mites can also be spread through grooming tools if use from one dog to another is within a relatively short time.
The reaction will also depend upon how many mites were transmitted but dogs in poor health will have a more intense reaction.
The answer is yes - dogs can get scabies from humans. But, in the same way canine scabies can’t complete a life cycle on a human, human scabies can’t reproduce on a dog. This means it won’t affect them in the same way, it may just cause a small rash.
The vet may want to obtain a stool sample for testing, or perform blood work and a skin swab to perhaps rule out conditions like allergies or bacterial skin infection. Both the blood test and the fecal sample are important diagnostic tools for determining the cause of your dog’s itchy skin.
A deep skin scrape, and subsequent observation under the microscope is the method used that most often gives a definitive diagnosis. The scrape will be done deep enough to try and reach the mites. Often the mites and eggs will be clearly visible. However, it can be entirely possible that the mites will not be seen, in which case the lesions that they produce could lead to a presumptive diagnosis.
Mites can be difficult to remove, so you may need to repeat this, with several weekly applications being required.
It’s also possible they’ll need oral medication and injections. A combination of products will likely be required to combat the infection.
Unless the infection is severe and has caused threatening secondary complications that require your dog to be hospitalized, the treatment will be done at home. If you don’t see any improvements in four to five days then you should contact your vet.
If your house has had a case of scabies, dogs need to be treated even if they don’t appear to have any symptoms yet as it’s very contagious. This includes other dogs that live in your home as well as any that have been regularly visiting recently.
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You could wash their bedding with hot water and bleach, but it’s best to just dispose of it if you can. You don’t need to do anything else in your home but you should make sure your dog doesn’t get on the beds or any other furniture until they are fully recovered.
You don’t want to leave it until your dog has health issues to think about how you will pay for the treatment. Compare pet insurance and browse wellness plans today and you’ll have peace of mind that, whether they get scabies or any other condition, you’ll be covered.
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