Demodex Treatments and other...

[Georgiadog]

Hello!

I am new to the forum (just posted an Introductory message) and am hoping some fellow users can offer some advice. My 5 mos old puppy, GA, was just diagnosed with demodex. After consulting two of the "top" vets in my area I'm concerned about the treatments they've recommended given their toxicity and potential side effects. I have two small children who won't leave the dog's side and do not want them exposed to the chemicals in these medications.

Has anyone had success with all natural or holistic treatments for demodex?

Demodex aside, she's had numerous skin problems since September. We are assuming she has allergies (she's on Natural Balance L-I-D Venison/Sweet Potato) as she is continuously chewing/licking her paws. I can't put her in the crate without an e-collar as she'll chew hot spots on her legs. She's on chlorpheniramine (4 mg every 12 hours) which basically sedates her to the point where she's too tired to itch. She's had a staph infection, yeast infection and has an overall odor (similar to human B.O.) and has been on Simplicef several times.

If anyone has recommendations on demodex and/or allergy treatment, I would welcome your input. ...or on ringworm as we're waiting for test results on possible ringworm, as well.

Thanks in advance. Poor thing has had a myriad of health problems popping up in the past few months and I'm just feeling overwhelmed.

 

[Davidh]

First of all I would get her off the sweet potato immediately, as this can cause skin allergies in a lot of bullies. As far as the demodex, it usually can be treated with antibiotics and not the poison dip. I am no expert in this but some people on here have dealt with it. This is some info I found on the net

Many veterinarians believe that all dogs have small numbers of demodex mites residing in the skin and that having a few mites is normal and common. It is when immune related -- or nutritional or environmental -- stresses impact the dog that visible skin lesions from mite infestations become noticeable.

Demodex is generally less severe than Sarcoptic mites (often called scabies) and in most cases is self-limiting -- that is, the animal is able to arrest the reproduction and growth of the mites and eventually repair the damage they do.

 

[izstigspunks]

Hi there, to the forum. You'll find a wealth of info here, with owners that have experienced quite a bit with their bullies and open to share them.

So sorry Georgia's having some health issues. A lot of the times, it's the food that will make a big difference. Have you tried another brand other than the NB you mentioned? Although that brand is highly recommended, it's possible that Georgia may be allergic to some of it's ingredients.

I'm guessing you're referring to the dip procedure regarding his mange. When Stig had demodex, we treated it with meds called Interceptor. He was supposed to take it for more than a month, but we stopped halfway when we figured out what diet was best for him, thus boosting his immune system.

 

[2BullyMama]

Poor baby... a lot of what you list definitely sounds like allergies --- food and environmental.

we'll hit environment first...
-- benedryl is a big help - as your vet for dosage based on Georgia's weight and the other meds she is on
-- wipe her paws when she comes in from being outside
-- wash/bathe her paws/legs in warm water and epsom salt to help with the itching

Food..
-- chicken seems to be a big problem for a lot of bullies
-- try a grain free food
-- [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] --- she is the resident food expert and will give great suggestions.

Last but most important --- ask your vet to run a full screen blood allergy test. it will give you a good indication of what to stay away from.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[ABEBD]

Hello,

First off welcome to this site. You will notice that there are many differing opinions posted. Read all of them, consult several vet, research, research and then YOU decide.

I have 6 Bulldogs dogs. I have had bouts with demodex so I can share with you my experiences. First be sure that you really understand what it IS and what it is NOT. It is completely treatable and the coats will come back perfect if not even better. One of my young dogs got it, very badly, lost lots of hair. But after treamtment her skin and hair coat are perfect to the point that I even show her now.

Treatment does take some time so don't be in too big of a hurry and KEEP at it. IT WILL get better.

As for the sweet potato...I feed the same thing as you are now. ALL of my dogs are doing just fine on it. I recently attended a holistic/nautral dog food clinic. They have several products that include sweet potato. Yes, some dogs are allergic. But then some dogs are allergic to plastic, wool, chicken, etc. Sweet potato is very good for the digestive system. In the LID, it is better than the other sources of carb. But I do recommend staying away from grains in dog foods. Also, what kind or "treats" are you giving?

So have you have scrapings to tell if it is Demodex?

I will watch for your updates?

Good Day~

 

[ABEBD]

Hello,

"benedryl is a big help" I use to give this, but now I use CLEMASTINE. It works the same but does not dry out as much.

Good Day~

 

[ABEBD]

Hello,

Here is what I posted earlier this year.
Hope this helps.

Good Day~

http://www.englishbulldognews.com/f.../6051-what-do-you-know-about-demodecosis.html

 

[Donna LeBlanc]

All dogs have Demodex mites on their skin and most dogs never get overrun by the mites. When a dog's immune system is compromised the mites will take over and multiply if the immune system deficiency is not addressed quickly. Unknowing to us, our Bullie was imported from a Russian puppy mill by a broker. She became very ill and the demodex mites took over. Our vet suggested the dips but we didn't want to take that route. Instead, we chose to boost her immune system by feeding her a premium, grain-free kibble. You should also add a high quality natural, unsweetened yogurt to Georgia's diet...at least two Tablespoons per day. We also added a pack of Forti-Flora to the yogurt for about 2-3 months. Local honey from your local farmers market is also a great way to naturally treat allergies and it promotes healing as well. All our dogs get a teaspoon of honey every day during the allergy season in Texas. If your dog is not on Heartgard, etc. she can be treated with Ivermectin paste which you can get from your vet. We used the Ivermectin for 30 days combined with Cephalexin to clear up secondary infection caused by the Demodex. The Ivermectin has a very bitter taste to it, so you have to find a way to disguise the taste...we used thin sliced deli turkey meat. A bath twice a week with a medicated shampoo followed with a vinegar and water rinse helps speed up the recovery process of the skin. We rescued a poor Bullie on August 1 and she was very sick...had no hair and had an awful smell. She was even too weak to be spayed. We used the same treatment for her and she has a full coat back, no smell and we were able to get her spayed 3 weeks ago.

Hope this helps...good luck with your girl...don't be overwhelmed...Demodex can be cleared without harsh chemicals.

 

[Sarah]

My Brooklyn had demodex and we treated orally with ivermectin as was mentioned before, as well as an antibiotic. She HATED it so at first we would tempt her with peanut butter on our finger and as she was licking we would squirt it into her mouth. She eventually caught onto that and one of us would have to hold her while the other gave her the meds. It was terrible but she was all better in just one month. We also started adding salmon oil to her food. This both boosted her immune system to help her recover faster and also made her fur come back in sooo beautiful. We still give her salmon oil everyday since she loves it and it has so many health benefits. We feed her natural balance alpha dog trout salmon and whitefish and it's been great. But I think it has a lot of the same ingredients as the one you currently feed though so it may not be a good food to switch to for your bully. (our bully isn't allergic to anything, so far)

P.S. Some people don't like using the meds ivermectin (its whats in heart gaurd except a much bigger dose). I think [MENTION=1906]GatorRay[/MENTION] treated hollistically but it did take a lot longer to beat.

 

[Georgiadog]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I am researching other brands of puppy food and have received a recommendation for an area vet Dermatologist whom I will be contacting for an appt. In interim, I'm going to speak with our vet about some of the other ideas you've mentioned.

I've been feeding her the NB sweet potato/venison treats to maintain consistency. After conversations with the vet, we're currently giving her a Pyroban (?) benzoyl peroxide bath once/weekly and have given her Resolution (1 application every 2 weeks) for next 6 weeks. Additionally she's back on simplicef for a secodary skin infection which has just cropped up. I plan to incorporate plain yogurt once she's off the antibiotic.
Our vet said Ivermectin could cause temporary blindness, has anyone heard of that happening? Also, I didn't realize it could be administered orally - I thought only as a liquid between shoulder blades, similar to other flea/tick treatments?

I've heard the first year can be tough as their immune systems are so immature; hopefully we can work through her medical issues and help her become healthy & comfortable!

 

[Georgiadog]

Donna LeBlanc
Glad to hear your treatments worked! May I ask which grain-free food you started using to build the immune system?

 

[2BullyMama]

[MENTION=2728]Donna LeBlanc[/MENTION] Glad to hear your treatments worked! May I ask which grain-free food you started using to build the immune system?

tagged [MENTION=2728]Donna LeBlanc[/MENTION]

 

[GatorRay]

I did treat naturally for Gypsy. But I would never recommend it if the mange is widespread. Gypsy just had about 5 or 6 small spots. Most the size of a pea but the largest about the size of a quarter. The vet actually suggested (and gave us) a cream that I ended up not using because it irritated her skin. Instead, I switched to RAW feeding. If you are not comfortable with that, then just make sure your pup is on a good grain free food. Preferably one with a probiotic (I know FROMM has a good rating in that area). Then make sure any treats you give are grain free. Lay off the people food (yes, I do mean veggies and fruits!). The mange will feed on the carb aspect and sugars in it. You can also start them on a good fish oil. There are lots of wild salmon oils out there. Just make sure that you check the ingredients and get one with only one or two ingredients (fish oil and a possible preservative). Topically, I made a 50-50 mix of pure lavender oil and neem oil. The lavender is to help calm them and the neem is to kill the mites topically. It worked really great! I just put it on twice a day. You have to also keep their life very low stress. No big changes, strange people or dogs. That sort of thing.If the mange is all over the pup or severe, I would say follow the vet's treatment.

 

[GatorRay]

Oh, and I also should add that some use Nu-stock which is topical with great success. It is for horses but it is safe to use. Donna LeBlanc was absolutely right in her explanation. Even a heat cycle can lower their immune system enough to let the mites take over.

 

[sitartzm]

My Brewer just had demodex which we were just cleared of yesterday. We did mitaban dips which smelled strong but we just made sure the heat was up and the windows were open. We did 4 baths one every week and by bath 3 all his hair was back in all of the spots. He had probably about 8 spots and they are all gone now with hair grown back. My vet said he would rather do the baths because it is not as harsh as the invermentin, which there have been many side effects including many deaths. I dont know the real truth about anything, and am not saying anyones advice here is bad (because all of the advice here is super helpful), all I am saying is that the baths worked real well for us. Good luck with what you choose.