I am currently using the borax/H.P. solution on my black newfie for mange. Having him turn Reddish Brown is not an option - still looks sickly, and because of his long coat, it would take years to grow out. Would ACV instead of HP work ? Any other suggestiions - an even milder concentration of HP - thanks
Hey Lynn!
Vinegar is not better than the hydrogen peroxide for the mange remedy -it can be used in the formula, but it creates peracetic acid which is very strong and harsh on the skin. It sounds like you have a good start and are seeing results; please remember that healing takes time - it is something you simply cannot rush.
You might find the topical application of an OTC tripple antibiotic ointment helpful in healing the elephant skin - you might also consider coconut oil as well. The idea is to put a softening oil with an antimicrobial agent on the skin to sooth it and moisturize.
Additional approaches; alkalizing the drinking water with baking soda and improving the diet by going grain free if you have not done so already.
Supplements to Build Immunity
I am currently treating my bulldog mix with ivermectin and started using the hydrogen/borax today. I wanted to add he got this after vaccines and being on a dewormer.
So I am working on his immune system. Colloidal silver daily, olive leaf extract, dmg, probiotics, and colostrum. These are very effective and proven to greatly enhance the immune system in humans or dogs. I can not speak highly enough of these supplements. Colloidal silver alone kills almost any pathogen including ebola.
A strong immune system is key in humans and animals.
Aloe Vera Gel
African street dogs are prone to mange. What works well - the classics:
- Shot of Ivermectine on day 1
- Antibiotics coverage according to vet's instruction
- Amitraz solution bath on day 1
- Amitraz baths must be given every 2 weeks, then every month until 100% recovery
- Skin condition will be greatly improved with Karit butter, or cade nut oil.
Aloe Vera Gel
Robert, I tried aloe vera juice and gel for a dog I had and didn';t have much success, but the dosage is 1ml for every kilo of the juice. The gel I rubbed on him didn't get the results I had hoped for.
Aloe Vera Gel
Do not give ivermectin to your GSD. Research ivermectin before use. The dose they give for mange is two times what they would give for heartworms. Herding dogs can have a severe reaction which does include death. Go with Apple Cider Vinegar accompanied by other treatments like coconut oil.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Mayonnaise
★★★★★
After reading the reviews of nautropathic ways to handle mange, I decided to try the mayo & apple cider vinegar method as it appeared to be the least invasive to my dog... I just had to comment that the combination did wonders to heal the mange on my dog makana! I applied the mayo consistententy so as to not have the mites spread & the vinegar cleaned & protected her skin... It really worked.. It took several weeks, but the mange has disappeared & her new hair has grown back... Once the mange was contained & the worst was over, I applied 100% aloe vera & tea tree oil.. I highly recommend this method, the whole ordeal is over & it did the trick... Thank you! Kudos!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Well while Apple Cider Vinegar might be beneficial, it doesnt cure the problem. OMG, NEVER EVER USE BORAX ON YOUR DOG.... I have four pit bulls and one got mange and theyb spread it to eachother because I couldnt keep them apart. They cried for eachother. Vet injections can be deadly. Borax felt hot and somewhat of a burning sensation, which is more tolerable when you think about it than a persistant itch. I tried the patch test on my arm.
Please use safe products on your pets, nothing harsh, ive Leave this treatment to air dry on your dog or cat. Read some crazy things. Yeah you go nuts when your dog doesnt get better. Give them good quality food, dog food or raw diet. Then give them a bath with antimicrobial or antibacterial shampoo for dogs. Wash all the things they lay or walk on with hot water and bleach, try to use the one that is not original, the sent is harmful to pets, clorox lavender or any other sent is great. Then pour a mixture of warm water and listerine original, use it equal parts or try to use a bit more Listerine, this really works. Listerine is an antiseptic, and it kills the itch, the mange is on the skin and hair follicles, and just below the skin -why it takes soooo long to cure. But if you care for your pet, and dont want them bleeding and in pain, DO THIS, IT REALLY WORKS. The hair w-ill grow back and your dog will feel better and know you are caring for him. Some people spray the mixture on, I wanted to see results, and stop their discomfort, so I poured it on where needed and gently did their faces with a cotton wash towel. The bumps all gone, the itch all gone, the mange, after 2 Months, and dogs will vary, ALL GONE. GOOD LUCK.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I used the Borax solution on my whole body multiple times. Including my face. It does not burn or sting at all. It did not bother my eyes at all. Perhaps you tried boric acid.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Ted's Remedy
★★★★★
My 4 mo old dog (golden/lab mix) has had itchy skin since he was about 9 wks old. It progressively got worse. The vet thought it was allergies, then mange. But neither med helped nor relieved the itching. I found this website and have read alot. I have ruled out poor diet, wheat, grains. I tried ACV and H2O and it does relieve itching and I noticed his coat was very soft afterwards. I will continue to use this as a rinse after his baths. But after a few days the redness got worse.
I decided to try the Ted's mange remedy. I will say that after 2 days he has gotten better. I put the mixture in a spray bottle and either squirt it on his belly and groin area (he doesnt really like being sprayed) or I put it on a cotton ball and rub it all over his underside. He really likes this better. I just pet him and talk to him until it dries. My problem is that he wants to lick this area afterwards so I do rub it on him 2-3 times a day. He loves having his belly rubbed so it is very easy for me to soak his underside. He is a great puppy, I hope this continues to work. I will post again after I have done this longer.
★☆☆☆☆
PLEASE don't use Veg or Corn Oil on your pet!! Watch ANY video about how its made and you'll realize its no bueno for you either! They should call it "frankenoil". DNA damage and inflammation are two things it causes, just off the top of my head. For this mange cure, please use Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Neem Oil, Castor Oil (ie anything BUT veg oil) and you'll get the same results, but without any cellular damage! Ted's remedy was not working on my Leo. He became terrified when he saw me making the solution, and after no sign of improvement after 4 baths, I decided to try this. Its only been 2 days so far and I can see improvement! And way less itching. This site is the best. Stay well, everybody!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Mayonnaise
★★★★★
I am a 66 year old senior with an 11 year old dog. We are both a couple of old dogs. I just used a home remedy of Apple Cider Vinegar & mayonaise on the hot spots on my dog & (mange) his itiching seemed to go away immediately. I then put the ACV in a spray bottle with water and a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide and sprayed the carpet and his bedding. I gave my dog a bath and shampooed the carpet. I put 2 tablespoons of ACV in his food and he licked his bowl clean. took him to the park and dabbed mayonaise(2 tablespoons-suffocates the Mites)on his chest where the red spots were and the itiching and then brought him home and gave him a good bath. I washed his bedding and then sprayed it with ACV, water, H202. I have not heard him scratching since. Lou
★★★★☆
Chronic Mange
I have been reading Ted's remedy for mange and I would like to contribute with some more information.
I have been treating an abandoned dog for over 6 years now due to demodesic mange. He didn't have a permanent home, so I had trouble in keeping the medical routines. Now I brought it to my house decided to finish with his disease. I've been shooting him with Ivermectin and bathing with Amitraz for long time, though I have stopped in some periods when he got better or when he was too infested to take the baths.
Finally, I decided to try with homeopathy and wrote to some vets and got some directions.
- I started giving him Sulphur & Psorinum everyday (20 little globules of each diluted in milk, yougurt or water) on empty stomach. Can feed him after 20 minutes.
- Daily massages with Almond Oil mixed with drops of Lavender Oil. 5 drops of Pure Lavender Oil in 30 cc of Almond oil. He loves the massages.
- A weekly bath with a shampoo of peroxide that my vet says it can be prepared by the pharmacy, and it's cheaper than buying it ready with a brand name. Basically, the shampoo has to have an ingredient able to get rid of the excess of serum of the hair follicles which is the main food of the demodex mite. (In the dictionary is called follicle mite: any of several minute mites of the genus Demodex that are parasitic in the hair follicles).
- I give him Omega3 in capsules every day or two, I gave him Echinacea (1/2 capsule) for 7 days, to reinforce his inmune system.
- I apply Omega3 Pet oil (two puffs) in his daily food.
He had big and smelly pimples that made awful bleeding after he scratched them. Researching about mange, I discovered that Mange itself it is not smelly. Bad smell is not because of Mange, but definitelly because some oportunistic bacteria has started living in the wounds produced by so much scratching. Those pimples are infections that produce the bad smell and have to be treated with ANTIBIOTICS. I found out this now, and I was so surprised that none of the vets that saw this dog ever told me of this. Finally, one vet mention this important fact so she prescribed an antibiotic that had to be taken for at least 7 days,every 8 hours. CEFADROXILO is the name of this antibiotic in this country. It contains every 5ml, 250 mg of Cefadroxilo Anhidro (as a monohidrate). It comes in powder and has to be mixed with water. One bottle of preparation lasted only 5 days, so I gave him 2 bottles =10 days. The smell dissapeared 99% and also the pimples and now he looks much healthier, doesn't scratch and his hair is growing little by little. He still has some black spots and some red areas but no open wounds, no pimples, no smell, besides the normal dog smell.Finally, researching on the properties of the Aloe Vera plant, I discovered that one of the properties of the aloe gel is that it can help tremendously in the serum control of the hair, so I started to rub the black spot areas of his skin with this, and it seems to be working fine, cause besides hydrating the area, it is a powerful antiseptic.
Now that he doesn't have any wounds, I will start with the Sodium Perborate & Hydrogen Peroxide treatment.
I will also try the tip of putting 1/8 teaspoon of Sodium Perborate/Borax in the drinking water.
With all the years I have been treating dogs with mange, I came to realize that in order to definitely finish with it, you have to give the dog all the time necessary for the cure of this disease, cause the almost full time treatment requires all the patience you can have. It is needed a big amount of love for animals in the main place.
Hope my experience is of some help to any of you. Thanks for the space to share this.
★★★★★
Dear Earth Clinic,
I have a pet male dog that is 10 years old, he is a half-breed pit bull. Pongo began biting his back area just above his tail one day and I would wash and treat the area with over-the- counter medication for dogs. But commercial products would not work. Eventually the area became so troublesome that I would find the hair on his backside wet and with some blood on it where Pongo bit the area with his teeth as the itching was so unbearable. It hurt me to see my dog suffering so much.
This is what worked for Pongo:
1. I would wash the itchy area with soap and water (Pongo felt happy with the soap wash) I washed the area with ordinary bath soap (Dove), then I would rinse the infected area with a solution of water and vinegar (half water and half vinegar! BE SURE TO RINSE OFF ALL THE SOAP!
I did this routine daily (once a day) and eventually the mange completely healed. It has never returned!
Mange Remedies
★★★★★
Our dog Coco who had this when we got her home. She was still a pup. She got this from the mother dog. Coco has a very delicate system. We first tried the vet's way with a dip that stunk like rotten eggs. We brought her home and tried that until the dips irritated her skin and she ran a tempature. We put Coco on local antibiotics one for her face and an oral one. The doctor put her on Ivermectin and it worked for a while until she started to throw up the meds. This is what is used in heart worm medication. Also the vet told us not to give her Ivermectin at the same time as we gave her heart worm meds. When we had stopped the Ivermectin within 3 months the buggers came back in full force. So, we did some research holitically that landed us here on this website. We went to a local pet feed store. They have a lot of holistic foods etc. At the store, I found a local over the counter medicine for sarcoptic mange for dogs and horses. It has linseed oil, pine tree oil and sulfur. It has a smell to it but not as bad as the other stuff from the vet. Asked if it worked and one customer tried it and it worked. I cleaned her with a well known flea and tick shampoo which had Pyrethrin in it. This one product had the highest Pyrethrin in it out of all the others. Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide. We wet her down scrubbed & washed her in our tub with warm water with the flea and tick shampoo and left it on her for about 7 minutes. Her scabs came off. We dried her off. I took a face sponge for make-up put the mange medicine on her. Around her face we used vegetable oil. It took a bottle of that mange medicine. After, I put the mange medicine we rubbed her with vegetable oil. I also used the spray vegetable oil which works well for "Hot Spots". We did this for about 3 weeks. Then we changed our regime and first washed her with some of our vet's shampoo for dogs for delicate skin. It is is a Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo. Then we still used the flea and tick shampoo. Then we stopped the mange lotion and put a biological natural flea and dog spray on her. It has avocado and other natural stuff for their skin as well as something for fleas & ticks. This worked well on her. She's an indoor dog. So far so good. Her hair is growing back and she's happy and playing. We also placed her on a dog food that has Salmon in it for her skin. We also put an insecticide for the yard to kill bugs, fleas, ticks. etc. We washed her bedding and cleaned our carpet with a carpet shampoo. I would suggest covering your furniture and pillows because of the mange medicine. This process takes about three weeks to a month. Ths skin will dry and flake off and the new skin comes in. I hope this helps.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Mayonnaise
★★★★★
First let me tell you thanks for this web site
the woman from Florida who runs a puppy rescue ..
THANK YOU for the Mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar cure for Mange !
simple and soothing for my pooch..
The Mayo she said deprives oxygen from getting to the mite...
I just took a plastic teaspoon and slathered it on the hair loss patch and directly on with the mite bumps ... about an hour later I removed the mayo with a paper towel.. and took sterile gauze pads and soaked them in the apple vinegar.. I left the gauze soaked pads in place for about 10 minutes ( my pooch was very cooperative. so I guess she felt relief immediately.. and became calm as if she was getting a spa treatment.
I did this procedure twice in 12 hours ( night time ) and I am amazed to report that YES the mites vacated the bumps .. you can see the exit opening in the bumps
but they were evidently trapped in the mayo.. and were tossed out in the paper towel..(RIP... < smile > and my dog's relief? priceless all this from my cupboard./ grocery store.. fantastic
I now have made a mixture of the borax soap ( 20 mule team laundry detergent .. from Von's grocery store) and diluted 3 percent hydrogen peroxide ( cut with equal amounts of water to reduce it to approx 1 percent hydrogen peroxide )
I made a paste of sorts of the mixture and took a plastic spoon and mad a sort of poultice? covering the effected mite bumps on my dog.. I have placed it on her and am letting her dry -- as I said the relief she is getting is making her soooooo cooperative
NOW while she is sleeping I am taking all towels used, and my bed sheets and putting them in the washing machine..bleach, hottest water, 20 Mule Team Laundry detergent .. and washing everything while she sleeps ..
wow I cant believe the difference @80 percent improvem3ent and almost all the mite mounds/bumps are gone !!Again thank you for this web site.. amd thanks Ted and the woman with the Rescue in Florida for posting your natural treatments on this site ..
I notice that there is a cure for people who have Scabies.. with the same remedies
if it works as well on the same treatment for people as it did my little dog.. i can only imagine what relieve it would be.. hopefully I won't befall such a medical issue myself.. but if I ever should I am reaching for the mayo and cider vinegar.. and the borax and peroxide treatment --cause they are Very Very effective.. WOW
my pooch sends you big wet grateful kisses K. Anderson
EC: We can't find the original post from Florida! Can you let us know what page you found it on so we can link to it? Thank you!
Don't use petroleum, it's toxic. Tea tree oil in coconut oil would be better than that. I'm looking for a mild sulfur shampoo for the fur myself. Sulfur kills the mites and stays in the hair follicles a little longer. Is also antifungal.
Vegetable Oil
★★★★★
I have read alot of remedies for Mange.The old timers used old motor oil, which is bad for the pet. I have several cats and a little dog. Several of them had the mange at one time or another. One little stray that I had taken in had it bad. From her neck up to all of her head was hairless!I had no money for a vet or anything. So, all I did for them all was to take a cotton ball and put regular cooking oil on it and rub it on the places where the hair was coming out. It takes a little longer than with medicine to get rid of it. But, if they lick it, it will not hurt the animal. And it really worked. The regular mange is because of mites under the skin. I guess the oil sufocates the little buggars! But, it really, really did work!!
How is Scout? I cannot believe a vet prescribe Ivermectin to a Sheltie. Actually, I can believe it, I had a vet give one of my adoptees Revolution and Sentinel at the same time, he's only 7 pounds. The adopter called and told me he threw it up and I was PO'd that he gave those two things together. I told her you have to double check everything, especially meds, even if you trust your vet. Always question everything.
Vegetable Oil
★★★★★
You're right. Oil does suffocate insects and other critters by obstructing their airways.
Heart Worm Medication Connection
Heartworms and DE
To those who still have no idea what DE aka silica actually does. If only very little opal silica got into the bloodstream how does anyone explain how it grows nails, hair, stronger bones, tendons, cartilage, better skin and produces loads of collagen? While also removing aluminum, mercury, and all other heavy metals. Also removing mold, fungus, candida, bad bacteria, pathogens, chemicals and toxins of every sort. How on earth can it possibly affect your liver, kidneys, heart and all other organs and pull the garbage out of your brain and decalcify the pineal gland? How can it be seen in high amounts in your urine? Can you please explain how it is that silica manages quite well at removing all atherosclerosis from the arteries and removes inflammation if not through the blood? But it's going to leave the parasites alone. Can anyone at all tell us what the heart does? The heart pumps blood. In fact the heart pumps blood to every last cell in your body in under a minute. Can anyone tell me how silica is carried through the blood and heart at remarkable speed and high concentration but yet somehow a heart worm manages to miraculously avoid contact with the blood and opal silica even when it is literally in the absolute worst place it can be for a parasite? If there is one parasite that is most certainly in the absolute danger zone it is in fact the heartworm. By the way heartworms do not remain in the same place and location as they do move around a lot as well. Absolutely no one can tell me that heartworms are safe from death. It is incredulous that anyone who has a working mind and understanding of how the body works could ever claim heartworms are safe from impending doom. The same goes for all parasites in the body. DE also prevents heartworms by wiping out the threat as soon as fleas or other insects drink the blood they begin to die and whatever they pass is killed in the bloodstream as well. By Kareen Vasquez Might be anecdotal, but I helped rehome two dogs in Texas, which is heavy in heartworm cases. The owner couldn't afford heartworm medication, but did give her dogs DE. I was shocked when the dogs tested negative for heartworm. In Texas, an outdoor dog doesn't stand too good a chance in avoiding heartworm. A vet probably wouldn't agree, but I think it'd be an interesting experiment (for someone braver than me). By Johnny T Nguyen Neil Dailey 100% In the holistic dog group, people use DE to treat heartworms all the time with great success.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Thank you for pointing out that BORAX is safe, is not poisonous, and cures all mange if properly used. We have treated our medium size dog, probably 12 times. She had mange over all her body. Most places are cured, and the hair is growing back. Best of all she no longer itches and bites herself constantly, like she did before. Suggestion to help dissolve the Borax quicker, is to use two cups of hot water into the container with hydrogen peroxide, in a container with a tight lid that you can shake. Our vet thought it was allergies.
Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
hi! just want to say that i tried this apple cider vinegar to my dog(toy poodel) for the last month he suffer from mange...then i found this site and tried this apple cider vinegar...for 5 days now...and guez what?! it works! my dogs hair now is growing back...just want to say thanks you...
xoxo
keoki
Petroleum Jelly
★★★★★
Mix some flower of sulfur in the petroleum jelly until it has a light yellow tinge. Then apply to your dog. This works very well. You can also add a teaspoon of sulfur to a small dog's food/a tablespoon to a big dog. Mites hate sulfur as it kills them.
Castor Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar
★★★★★
Castor oil rubbed onto the skin works well to kill or at least slow mites and helps the skin heal from Mange or other skin issues. Also rub 1 part apple cider vinegar and 1 part water (diluted 50/50 mix) on the skin After the bath or anytime itching is apparent. Great stuff for cats, dogs and people too.😊
Coconut Oil
My dog was infested with mange. I bought a big bag of diatamaceous earth from a feed store, where farmers get their farming supplies. That is the cheapest way to buy it because you will need a lot of it. It is crushed up sea creature shells. These will kill the mites. It is completely non toxic but great care must be taken to not breath the dust as it is dangerous to breathe because of its grinding properties. You will put some directly on your pet, but you also have to shake it all over your house, furniture, yard, anywhere your dog goes. We used a strainer and just gently shook it everywhere. It was a lot of work but this powder breaks the exoskeleton of the mite skin and kills immediately, you will also rid yourself of all fleas and ants at the same time with this method. The great thing is there isnt any danger of ingesting it. In fact to treat parasites you and your dog can eat it daily to completely kill parasite infestation. Use an old vacuum to clean everything up because it can destroy it. We did this method and never had a mange problem ever again. That was 6 years ago.
Coconut Oil
I run a cat rescue. DE is wonderful. I put some in my hand and pet the cats. They love the petting, and the food grade is safe for them. You can get a shelf-sized bottle (about 8oz) of food grade DE at Home Depot for about $6.00.
Set it by your easy chair and when the cats or dogs come by, reach for it, put some in your hand and pet your pet. :)
Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil
★★★★★
Help with Red Mange
I have a 4 month-old puppy who was dumped in a ditch in the rural area where we live. In looking up a natural remedy and also talking with my vet, we have been doing the following:
In equal portions:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
I wet my puppy with warm water, then sponge the mixture mentioned above. Let the dog dry on its own..do not dry off with a towel. Do this every other day. I have seen good results by the third dose.
Also, check with your vet about how to improve your pet's immune system. There are so many ways to do this, however, I suggest you ask your vet. Be sure to ask about yogurt, probiotics, adding a tsp of apple cider vinegar to the food. Also, ask about a med that will stop the itching while the pet is in recovery.
I am a "people" nurse and not a doggie nurse. However, I believe in the more gentle ways of helping a pet, without causing the pet to become more ill due to excess chemicals.
Best wishes on all pet owners going through this problem Remember, this takes time and does not heal overnight.
Hey Tootiecomputie!
Kudos on finding a home remedy for red mange!
I would only say that it sounds expensive - and that you might get more bang for your buck using Ted's Mange remedy.
That said, the drawback for some in using Ted's remedy long term is dry skin, so I will not hesitate to recommend your formula in that instance.
Thank you!
Diatomaceous Earth
This information is very accurate. You just have to make sure you are using the food grade product and not the product meant for the yard and garden. There is a definite difference.
Diatomaceous Earth
Helllo Dom and everyone reading this. I have had a bag of Diatomeous earth edible sitting in my basement for 5 months because we had a flea infestation but I never used it because I was able to get rid of them another way. However, now we have another huge problem that I am going to tackle with this thank you. Thank you Lord now that I have it on hand. We adopted 2 pomeranians in June and one had crusted lesions which I asked my vet about. I said you don't think that's sarcoptic mange do you. She said it very well could be but would have to test. After a few baths I gave her it cleared up so I never took her in, however, I did think it strange that hair never grew back on her hind legs and the 2 of them still scratched. Soon my husband and I began to itch and I had crawling feelings behind my ears. I went to the doc and though I didn't show signs of scabies at the time he gave me the permethrin cream. I took it twice. It didn't get rid of them. Soon my husband broke out even after he was treated. Everything we read on the net said mites from dogs can live on humans only 36 hours. My vet said that is wrong. That we can contract scabies from their sarcoptic mange. Now my house is covered in Daetomeceous earth. I will be feeding it to all my 5 dogs. Maybe my husband and I will be eating it too. This has been horrible. Please for all of you suffering, if you have dogs please pay attention to this. I am not overdramatizing here. If they have crusted lesions of any kind please have them checked. In our case the vet said since your husband now has them I assume you probably got them from the dogs. Maybe we didn't. In all fairness to my babies I really hate to think we did. I love my kids(dogs) better than anything in this world and we would never ever get rid of one of them. We have spent countless amounts of our savings on them to keep them going. So please don't think we would ever do them harm. We will figure this out. Good luck to anyone who may be having this problem.
Mange Remedies
★★★★★
My 2 year old rescue (approximately 50 lbs, very lean and muscular) started showing sign of sarcoptic mange. He is generally a very itchy guy (lots of seasonal allergy issues) but this was different. He was itching specifically on paws, fleshy underside, and most of all his neck. He began to rapidly lose hair, about a 5 inch wide by 3 inch all patch of his neck was now bare, red and irritated. He is a very wild and anxious rescue dog, despite a lot of training and work with me, and he does NOT do well at the vet. In addition I prefer natural remedies and I hate the idea of using anything harsh or caustic on his already sensitive skin. I decided to try a mixture of natural approaches i'd read about online before resorting to a vet visit.
Diet: I already feed him a natural high protein locally produced kibble, but I began adding 1 tbsp of kelp powder to each feeding. I also added 3 pumps of salmon oil, and half a capsule of zinc (emptied the powder onto his kibble). Lastly I ground up 1 tbsp of flax seed (also known as flax meal but I prefer to grind my own). I mixed all of this together in his meals (I feed him twice per day). He loved the taste and ate it all... I also supplemented in 1/2 can of pure pumpkin about 2x per week for a natural source of zinc (and unrelated digestive aid).
Topical: I mixed 2 drops lavender oil with about 1 tbsp of vitamin E oil. I applied usually 2x per day. This worked well on his neck to soothe the inflamed skin and itching, but I couldn't use it on other parts of his body due to incessant licking.
His mange did not seem to improve in the first week, in fact it seemed to worsen at only a slightly less rapid rate. As I started to despair and think about bringing him into the vet, around day 10 he started to get better. We continued this regimen for about 10 more days (nearly 3 weeks in total). His itching stopped and he began to slowly grow the hair back. It actually has taken him almost 4 months to grow all the hair back and even still, it is thinner than the other unaffected hair.
We had one other small bout maybe 6 months later, he was itchier than usual and losing hair on his neck again. I started adding zinc for maybe one week, and the itching stopped and hair grew back! It really is a wonderful natural way to help your pet, but may not work in extreme cases.
Hope this is helpful for those who are leery of treatments that seem potentially harsh like boric acid or conventional dips and sprays.
General Feedback
Our Bam Bam passed away yesterday with a long bout of Demodectic Mange. He was only 6 months old. We tried everything and at one time we thought we had it cured. He actually got hair back and played and was back to living but only a few weeks ago it came back with such a vengence that nothing was working. He passed away with us holding him. I will never forget this experience. NEVER. we tried everything. I hope anyone who has a puppy who has this to be prepared. WE MISS YOU OUR FRIEND OUR LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR SHORT LIFE. LAUGHTER HAS BEEN SILENCED FOR NOW. LOVE MOM AND DAD.
Vaccination Connection
Hello, I just found this website and haven't read all the answers yet but I think I have something to contribute. We have a demodectic dog and at first went the "normal" vet way without any success. But knowing what I know now I am not the least bit surprised because if you checked into some other matters you will realize that this desease is caused by the traditional treatment this being vaccinations, dead food, antibiotics, deworming meds etc. So with all those so-called treatments we made matters worse for our dog.
Since some of you are very desperate I want to share the 2 articles which you should read at once. You will find out why nothing will cure this disease if you keep on going to vaccinated your dogs and do all those other things the vets are recommending. I want to mention that since about 20 years I am researching the subject of vaccination very thoroughly (mainly for humans but it goes for animals just as well) and know that a lot of people are just denying all the evidence that speak against vaccs and they are very outspoken and downright hateful and aggressive about it (talk about freedom of choice! ). So you have to make up your mind, whether you want to believe in facts or propaganda.
Anyway, here are the links to those 2 articles to start with:
http://mythicaldanes.com/healthtraining/vaccsCO.html
and
http://raraavisherb.com/mange.pdf
Of course, there is a wealth of information on the internet. Once you get started you cannot stop. Look into both sides of the coin and then decide.
Good luck,
Marianne
