Mange in bulldogs. Looks like patches of hair loss. Finally got it treated and under control!

KristinMarie

New member
Jul 30, 2011
65
3
Bellevue, WA
Bulldog(s) Names
Rocco
Hi there, I have an 11 month old bullie boy named Rocco. I noticed a few spots on his back about 6 months ago where the hair was missing. It didn't seem to bother him so I didn't worry about it. At his 6 month check up they said it was probably just a skin mite - and his immune system would kick in over the next few months and fight it so dont' worry about it. It seemed to not be getting worse so I didn't worry about it - per the vets recommendation.

However - over the next month or so he started breaking out in hives (starting under his eyes, on his feet and eventually on his chest and head). I would call the vet and they instructed me to give benadryl and warned it was probably something he got into outside causing the allergic reaction. This helped with the hives - where they would disappear after the benadryl in a few hours. However it started happening more and more frequently - to the point where one morning after having an attack the night before he was covered in hives and is face was so swollen I could hardly recognize him.

I rushed him into the vet and they did some tests - it turned out he had mange. Mange is a parasite that all dog breeds carry - but because the bulldog has a surpressed immune system - it causes it to get out of control and they dogs can lose their hair, have seizures and it can be fatal if it goes un-treated. Of course I was freaked out. He was prescribed Mitaban dips - which also has its own set of side effects including "neuroligical events such as seizures" - but I had to risk it. He had 3 dips 2 weeks apart over 6 weeks. All without issue. Thank god! He is parasite free now and seems to be doing great. No hives or allergic reactions since the treatment finished about 3 weeks ago. His hair is growing back and it should be fully back in a few weeks.

They told me I should keep an eye on it until he is 18 to 24 months old - at which point his immune system should be more developed to help keep the parasites in check. They also suggested I look into supplements to help boost the immune system. I'm trying different foods recommended for bullies that include supplements that help boost the immune system.

If you haven't gotten him checked for parasites, mites or mange (all the same thing, but the vets seem to call it different things). I would get this looked at right away. I also have a friend with a female bully that gets hot spots that get infected all the time. They said it was allergies that cause them and are doing weekly injections to help - so far so good).

Good luck and please keep us posted. Find a new vet if you think your vet isn't aggressive enough or not making you feel like they know what they are dealing with. Never accept the first opinion - do your research and make sure you have all the data to make informed decisions about your bullies care. Take care and all the best!!!
 

GatorRay

I am in total control....I think
Feb 25, 2011
3,432
227
Louisville, KY
Bulldog(s) Names
Gator & Lucy Goosey, the Basset and Gigi (AKA Gypsy)
There are several good treatments for mange and there are a lot of threads on it here if you do a search. My girl has it and after a few weeks, her skin is healthy looking again. We just used a cream on the spots. It CAN be extremely serious and nothing that you want to put off being looked at. What did they recommend that you give as a supplement to help with his immune system?
 

cslafferty

New member
Jan 17, 2011
26
2
Linden, MI
Bulldog(s) Names
Lola (1/31/11) & Chief (9/18/00-12/30/10)
My 6 mo old Lola is on her second month of treatment for mange. I noticed a couple of red patches where it looked like she was loosing her hair, but since she wasn't bothered by them at all, I decided not to take her to the vet and was just going to keep an eye on them. Then she got a slight eye infection that I HAD to take her to the vet for, and he noticed the patches right away. He did a skin scrape to diagnose it, and because she had a couple of patches starting on her face, he didn't want to use cream or a dip. So we are on a treatment of Ivermectin, which is an injectable med that we are giving her orally for 60 days. She doesn't like it much, but her patches have cleared up very nicely. He will repeat the skin scrape next month to be sure the mites that cause mange are all gone, but she looks absolutely back to normal.
 

jortiz9758

New member
Aug 22, 2010
407
79
Pembroke Pines Florida
Bulldog(s) Names
Bruno
Ivermectin is what I used on Bruno when he needed it. It is much safer than dips and used a lot more now by Vets. Im kind of surprised he suggested dipping the dog.
 

Most Reactions

📰 Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

Top