Lola Nallia

Lola is a cute and very much loved, 5-month old female black pug.  Her owners brought her in for severe hair loss.  She also had reddened skin and scabs, especially on top of her head!  She looked really bad!  (This was in no way the owner’s fault.)  

Skin scaping verified the presence of demodex mites (demodectic mange).  This tiny parasite lives in the hair follicles and skin glands of dogs.  This is very common in dogs younger than two years of age and it is not contagious to people or to other animals.  Adult-onset demodicosis is usually due to a systemic or other disease causing suppression of the immune system.

Demodectic mange can present itself in two different forms.  The localized version is easily treatable with a daily topical ointment.  The more generalized mange (which Lola had) is often severe and requires mulitple dips with a special insecticide.  Some dogs may present only with chronic skin problems involving their feet.  Secondary bacterial infections are common.  Antibiotics and a special shampoo are often added to treatment.  This disease has a hereditary predisposition and it is recommended that dogs with generalized mange be neutered.  

With appropriate treatment, mange can usually be cured 80 to 85% of the time.  Between 10 and 15% of dogs may need an alternative or additional medication added to their treatment.  Less than 5% of dogs will need life-time therapy.

In Lola’s case, she required both the specialized dips and the alternative oral medication.  We also spayed Lola and she is doing very well at this time.

Another type of mange that dogs, and cats, can get is sarcoptic mange.  This type of mange is highly contagious to people and to other pets.  Diagnosis is made with a skin scraping and medical treatment is different for this disease.  It is typically easier to cure than demodectic mange.

Other diseases/conditions, such as fleas and allergies can also cause hair loss.  We recommend a physical examination should your pet experience hair loss, itching, or skin lesions.

Please do not hesitate to call us with any concerns or questions that you may have.