Help!!!! Sissy has demodex
 

I havent been here in a while (granpa is very sick) but i want to vent and get your advice. Sissy is 7 months and doing great. Last sunday i notice when i was bathing her a small portion of her back moisty and red. So i decided to take her to the vet. The doctor checked her and did fecal, blood test and even checked her ears for mites and everything came negative :D. But then he scraped (im sorry if thats not how its spelled) the "thing" she had on her back and the test was positive for demodex. He prescibe topical cream, shampoo and i should take her in next wednesday to check her again and to take some "baths" :confused:. Anyway what i want to know is; first does this baths are dangerous (she weights 4.4) and sencond is there any food that maybe can help her get better? Any advice will be great.

This is an infestation of red mange -- tiny little mites. You need to follow the vets instructions to the letter and get rid of it fast. I heard this is usually passed from mother to pup. It can affect the immune system and can sometimes be exasperated by a compromised immune system. So -- if you are looking for a premium food for support -- look for those saying they have immune system support.

I looked this up for you. It might help when choosing food:

Vitamins to Support Immune Health
If you're looking to provide your dog with additional immune support, to help stave off an illness or help in the treatment of an infection, there are some vitamins and other supplements that can help boost his immunity. Vitamins A, C, and E are essential for your dog's immune health. The minerals selenium and zinc are also helpful in the support of the canine immune system.

Some foods that contain these vitamins and nutrients include:

•Parsley
•Carrots
•Watercress
•Alfalfa
•Apples
•Bananas
•Whole Grains
•Barley
•Potatos
•Liver
•Yogurt
•Fish
Adding some of these foods to your dog's diet will make it more pleasing to his palate, as well as healthier.

Supplements that Support Canine Immunity
If you're looking for some herbal supplements to help support your dog's immune system, to keep him healthy and give him extra energy, you can try one of these:

•Atsralgus helps maintain blood sugar levels, increases vitality, and improves appetite. It could even help your dog live longer.
•Mistletoe helps prevent respiratory problems and cancer. It's also good for the circulatory system.
•Echinacea is a well known herb used for immune support. It's also good for blood pressure.
•Indian ginseng supports growth and helps cleanse and nourish the blood as well as strengthening the immune system.
•Milk thistle has been used as a liver tonic for thousands of years, and may be of great benefit to dogs with liver disease. The plant contains a compound called sylmarin, which scientists hold responsible for its beneficial effects.
•Cat's claw supports the immune system.

from: http://www.vetinfo.com/dog-immune-supplements.html

This mite is a mite that all dogs carry, but it is usualldy inactive untill the dog becomes stressed. It has nothing to dco with her food.

Perhaps she is stressed because your grandpa is sick.

If you are concerned about the baths, ask the vet about them, but from what I understand it is very serious and if not treated it will spread.

I hope Sissy and grandpa are both doing better soon.

I hope she recovers quickly. Hugs to you both.

Foods are mentioned only as a support to the immune system -- not to help or cure the mites. Vet info on this type of mite infestation details the importance of supporting the immune system.

Most dogs do carry some of these mites, but when their immune system is stressed or down, they are more susceptible to them getting out of control. Then it becomes a catch-22 as the infestation further compromises their immune system. So -- building the immune system is an important part to getting back to full health. The better the dog's immune system, the more they can conrol the mites.

I was posting at the same time that you were, so I had not seen your comments on the food. I agree there are foods that support the immune system, but I thought she was asking if perhaps the food had caused it.

I understand, I hadn't noticed the closeness of our posting times. :)

Im really thankful for your post, i will be making some changes on her food and start adding some of those things to her diet. By the way she is doing greattttt today all of the red is gone and and her skin is dry yayyy!!!. She is currently on Animax (topical cream) and via oral shes on clindamycin hydrochloride. Today is her first bath with Pyoben.

Thanks to all for your support and best wishes, Sissy is looking better and my grandpa is still on ICU but doing good. The only thing is that i will have Sissy on dresses once my vet says is ok to dress her because she has a bald spot because the vet shave a big area to do the scrape :p.

The baths are necessary but they are potent. After about 3 I would have the vet do a scrape to see if she still has mites and anymore dips are needed. Chachi had it and after the 5th dip he started vomiting and diahrea so I decided he wasnt going to have anymore unless absolutely necessary so I had the vet do a scrape and he was mite free so he didnt have any more

Why don't they just put her on ProMeris? It is much safer than the bath treatments and treats fleas at the same time. Promeris - Home

I know, im scare, he ordered 3 so since he didnt told me anything about possible reactions i will speak to he about this. Thanks so much

Does any of you knows about Sojos grain free food? I do have that food accesible to myself but the people that sells it doesnt know anything about it. Iwant to improve my girls life not just treat the skin. My DH is already going crazy cause the visit to the vet were more than 130 bucks and i only sell hairbows:D. So what i made last week i had to paid in the vet lol. But i really dont care i can use last year clothes for the christmas

Glad to hear she is doing so well already. I am not familiar with the meds. Haven't had to treat a dog for this myself. Just be sure to continue to follow up. I like Chachi's recommendation to retest to make sure they are gone and maybe be able to discontinue the baths early.

I didnt mean to scare you but prepare you. The dips are the most effective way to get rid of the mites and its important because they can also get a staph infection also if they arent taken care of and they have open wounds