Not only fleas and ticks can make life difficult for our dogs. Various types of mites are also considered extremely unpleasant.
One of these is undoubtedly the Demodex mite, also known as the hair follicle mite.
like you Demodex mites in dogs, what causes them and what treatment is possible, reveal the following lines.
What are Demodex mites in dogs?
Demodex mites or hair follicle mites actually belong to a healthy skin fauna of dogs.
Puppies already have these mites, which are mainly found in the sweat and sebaceous glands and hair follicles.
So far, three different types of Demodex mites have been detected in dogs:
- Demodex cornei
- Demodex canis
- Demodex injai
In normal numbers, these three types of Demodex mites are not a health problem in dogs.
But they will if they multiply extremely quickly and the population is too high.
The result is the so-called demodicosis, a skin disease that can occur in the following 5 types:
- Spontaneous/localized demodicosis, mainly in young dogs
- Generalized iatrogenic demodicosis, especially in older dogs
- Iatrogenic/localized demodicosis in which the immune system plays a role
- Hereditary, generalized demodicosis caused by a genetic immune deficiency
- Pododemodicosis, in which the dog’s paws are infested with the Haabalg mites
What are the causes of Demodex mites in dogs?
The cause of Demodex mites in dogs lies at the biological dog mom who passed these mites on to her puppies passes on.
The hair follicle mites, in turn, may then be the cause of a form of demodicosis, usually when they are present in dogs in far too high numbers.
But why can there be a sudden increase in Demodex mites in dogs at all?
On the one hand, the cause can be a weakened immune system. This can be cracked by a variety of causes, which may include the following:
- drug treatment with cortisone-containing drugs
- Infections/diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
- Hormonal disorders, such as the thyroid
- stress and anxiety disorders
- wrong diet
If the body’s own defenses are weakened, the hair follicle mites, among other things, are happy, which then multiply and can cause damage to health.
Recognizing Demodex mites in dogs correctly
On the first signs of demodex mites in dogs include skin irritations such as redness and in some cases itching.
The signs you can use to recognize Demodex mites always depend on the demodicosis disease.
If it is a local demodicosis, you can recognize the Demodex mites by several small bald spots on the skin.
In the case of generalized demodicosis, these bald spots do not only appear in one specific area, but are distributed over the entire dog body.
You can also recognize signs of a heavy infestation with Demodex mites by these symptoms:
- swollen lymph nodes (in advanced local demodicosis)
- thickening of the affected skin areas
- scale and crust formation
- thickening of hair follicles
- formation of pustules
A dog with advanced stage demodicosis also tends to lose appetite.
IMPORTANT
Please don’t wait too long to take your dog to the vet. Because a strong hair follicle mite infestation is painful for your fur nose and has serious consequences.
Treatment and therapy of Demodex mites in dogs
If you suspect that your dog is suffering from demodicosis, only the veterinarian can really confirm this suspicion.
To do this, he takes one from the dog Skin sample, which is then examined under the microscope becomes.
A heavy infestation with hair follicle mites can not only be detected by such a deep skin scraping, but also by these examinations:
- Adhesive tape and squeeze preparations
- Examination of the hair roots and follicles
If the suspicion of demodicosis has been confirmed, treatment or therapy is pending.
Because if the Demodex mites have triggered demodicosis in your dog, it must be treated promptly and usually contains antiparasitic agents.
These are usually added to a bath, which means that your furry friend may (or may not) be happy about one or the other additional bath.
These antiparasitic agents can also be contained in special dog shampoos, which you can use to carefully soap and wash your dog’s fur.
In addition, spot-ons such as Advantix should be able to counteract rapid multiplication.
Veterinary medicines such as Ectodex are also administered in some cases when demodicosis is present.
The exact treatment is of course decided by the vet – as well as the correct dosage and application.
Incidentally, the success of the treatment should be checked at regular intervals. One variant is a cytological examination (microscopic examination of cells), which takes place after a good 4 weeks.
How to properly prevent Demodex mites in dogs?
Since Demodex mites are an integral part of the canine skin fauna, a real prevention is not possible.
However, it is possible to prevent an excessive infestation with hair follicle mites and the resulting demodicosis with apple cider vinegar, among other things.
You can apply this diluted with water to the affected areas of the skin. Incidentally, apple cider vinegar also helps against grave mites, which in turn can cause mange in dogs.
It is also very useful to strengthen your dog’s immune system. On the one hand, this is possible with special preparations such as Impromune.
But the immune system of your fur nose can also be strengthened by natural means.
Of course, a strong immune system not only makes sense in the case of spontaneous demodicosis, but also for the general health of your dog.
Our guide “Strengthening the dog’s immune system: the 8 best home remedies” tells you which natural remedies and plants these are.
If there is hereditary demodicosis, there is nothing you can do as a dog owner, except to treat it properly when it breaks out.
Prevention lies with the breeder. Because dogs that carry the genetic information for demodicosis must be excluded from further breeding.
Not only a breeder will tell you whether your furry friend is prone to a genetically caused heavy demodex mite infestation, but also a DNA test for dogs.
Has your dog already had negative experiences with Demodex mites? Then we say thank you if you share them with us in our comments.