Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Symptoms of Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies Rash)

Scabies Rash

It is important for you to know that sarcoptic mange can infect dogs of any age or breed. The mites that cause sarcoptic mange prefer to live on dogs, but they can also be passed on to other animals as well as humans. The mites usually spend their entire life cycle on the dog. Female mites burrow into the skin and lays her eggs several times as she continues to burrow. The length of the tunnels can be a few centimeters and when she is finished laying her eggs, the female mite dies. The eggs hatch in about 3-8 days, and the entire life process is about 2-3 weeks in length.

Although the mites prefer to live on the dog, they are able to survive for up to 22 days off of a dog or other host animal. At normal room temperature in your home, the mites can live anywhere from 2 to 6 days. This means that a dog can become infected with sarcoptic mange without ever coming in contact with an infected dog.

The symptoms of sarcoptic mange are different for every dog, but will generally include: hair loss, severe itching on the belly, elbows, ears, armpits, and chest. For burrowing purposes, the mites prefer to live on skin with very little hair but as the infection worsens, it can spread over the entire body. Red sores will often develop and there will be a yellow crust on the skin. Other sores and infections can easily develop because the dog is scratching very intensely often tearing open certain areas. The itching will also intensify when the dog is in a warm area - such as by a stove or fireplace.

Scabies Rash

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