Scabies, also known as scabies, is a skin disease caused by mites. These mites are carried by the dog, but when they reproduce more than normal, mange appears. It is very common to find it in dogs and it normally attacks very specific areas, such as the ears, but it can also spread to the rest of the skin. The skin swells, wounds or even hair loss may appear.
Other signs that your pet may have scabies are if it has cracked skin, if there begins to be a fairly strong bad smell, if there is swelling, if the dog scratches incessantly due to itching…
Mainly the cause of scabies is poor hygiene. Another of the causes that originate it is contact with some other dog that has it and also the fact that the animal does not have a good diet.
Localized mange usually occurs, especially in young dogs that have not yet reached the year. Although it can also appear in adult specimens, regardless of whether it is female or male.
The hair around the mouth and eyes will begin to disappear, there may also be a lack of hair on the legs, back or feet and take on a red hue. Normally, the immune system itself is responsible for making these bald spots disappear. However, it is recommended that you take your pet to the vet. He will advise you on the treatment to follow.
Remember that each dog is a world and some can be cured with a single product or medication, but others need more products and a longer treatment. You may be worried about getting scabies. It is true that humans can also suffer from it, but it is not the same mite that attacks the dog, so at most you will notice itching and burning but the disease will not develop.
Surely you have been told or have read that there are also natural or home remedies. If you want you can apply them and thus complement the treatment proposed by your veterinarian. In this way, the dog will recover faster.
Below we collect a series of treatments that are usually used, but also home remedies to make your pet’s life easier.
What do you need to treat it and Home Remedies?
- Sea water and olive oil.
- 250 ml of sea water.
- 10 ml of olive oil.
- Tap water.
- Small mattress or a specific place where you will start your recovery.
- Honey.
- Towel.
- Sponge.
- Casserole.
- Lemon.
- Container to make infusions.
- Strainer.
- Yogurt to clean the dog’s ears.
Instructions to treat it and Home Remedies
Basic care
If you want to take good care of your dog, keep these instructions in mind:
- Clean very well the place where the animal sleeps and lies down. Remember that it is a contagious disease.
- Bathe it with neutral soap and warm water and if the soap is anti-seborrhea, better. This will clean the skin and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the body.
- Remove as much as you can of the scabs that are already dry so that all the pus begins to drain.
- Dry it carefully with a towel.
- Place him on a small mattress where he can be comfortable as this will be the place where the rehabilitation begins.
Veterinary Recommended Treatments
- Always remember to go to the vet first. This can recommend a series of treatments of which we will list some below:
- Maîtres solution. It is a shampoo to bathe the dog. Apply twice a week for two months.
- Doramectin. Injectable. You should go to the vet once a week to give him the injection.
- Ivermectin. It is also an injectable that the veterinarian has to put every fifteen days.
- Maîtres shampoo. Bathe once a week with this shampoo and for two months. The amount to use will depend on how your skin is, if it is red and hairless or if it is already like the skin of an elephant. For the first case, we will use a sponge to scrub the dishes on the soft side, and if the skin is in worse conditions, we will do it with the rough side. Be careful with it because it will hurt when you remove the dead skin. Gently pat him dry with a towel. The bath will be done every four or five days, depending on the intensity of the scabies.
- Herpetic. It is an appetite stimulant and liver protector in syrup, which if the veterinarian does not indicate otherwise, it will have to be given every day, except for the first week in which an ant parasitic pill will be given.
- Ivermectin. Give the dog a dose orally once a week for two months.
- Sometimes, if the infection is very severe, the vet may prescribe antibiotic treatment.
Home remedies
- Sea water and olive oil:
- You collect some water from the sea. It serves the water of any beach. The sea is of great help against skin parasites.
- You put it in a spray bottle.
- Add 10 cc of olive oil.
- Shake the sprayer well
- Spray the entire body of the dog once a day.
- This procedure must be carried out for 60 days or what is the same two months.
- The dog should drink isotonic seawater. That is: you dilute 250 cc of sea water in 750 cc of tap water. He should only drink this water every day, without forcing him to drink it.
- Spread the honey directly on the animal’s skin. Before going to bed, the product should be removed so that it does not attract insects.
- Another home remedy is the application of yogurt in the dog’s ears. Do not use more than two tablespoons.
- Cut a lemon into slices and boil them in water the day before use. You don’t need to remove the shell. Let it sit overnight. Then apply with a sponge on the skin of the animal carefully.
- Aloe Vera. Boil water and put a little aloe Vera on a colander or if you have a container to prepare infusions, much better. It is about preparing a kind of tea that after letting it cool down and let it rest, we will apply it with a sponge to the animal.
Tips to treat it and Home Remedies
- If possible, take the dog to bathe in the sea on the beach.
- Seawater is not the same as boiled water. Sea water has other components such as salt and iodine that will help heal wounds.
- After the bath when you dry your pet, do it with a towel very carefully. Never use a dryer because the heat will sting on contact with sensitive skin and can even burn.
- Keep in mind that for your dog to heal, the vet will determine how long the treatment should last.
- To prevent scabies, it is advisable to deworm your pet both internally and externally, and to eat an adequate diet.
- By the third week, the hair already looks much better and the bath can be weekly. When there are no wounds, you can use the FLT shampoo.
- Never bathe a dog with burnt oil on a dog that has mange. Burnt oil is excessively toxic, it can destroy the skin and if it is hot it causes severe burns. And if the dog ingests it, it can cause vomiting, liver and kidney damage, poisoning and even death.
- Feeding. This has to be healthy. The first week only give chicken and rice soup. For example, in the morning dry rice and cooked chicken, in the afternoon rice and chicken soup and at night rice soup.
- Always give your dog a lot of love because the sadder the dog is, the more difficult it will be for his immune system to recover.
