We rescued a Great Dane who was abandoned tied to a lamp post with tick infestation and mange. She was also severely malnourished.The vet gave her an injection at the humane society to remove the ticks and shortly after the mange got worse, her whole body erupted in sores and lost all her fur with bleeding from the sores we tried everything she had treatment from the vet antibiotics, injections anti fungal soap, we tried coconut oil, aloe vera and yoghurt until we found borax which is not commonly available here. It is not easy to have enough solution to soak a Great Dane so we soaked her paws first in a small bucket as well as her ears and tail and finally use a small towel to sponge the solution on, initially we do find it twice a week which healed the bleeding sores in over a week and susequently in a month her fur started to grow back. I tapered the treatment to once a week after 2 months and after 3 months I stopped the treatment and the lesions started reappearing even though she is now receiving oral vitamins and is of normal weight. My question is does anyone have any experience as to how long they used the solution for with severe mange ?
Hey Chris!
If you are dealing with sarcoptic mange mites, then unless and until you can treat the entire dog you cannot obtain a full cure. Given that borax is hard to come by in your area, consider treating your dog for mange with powdered flower of sulpher mixed with coconut oil. The mange mite has a 3 week life span, and treatment - provided you can treat the entire dog each and every treatment - should be three times the first week, followed by once per week thereafter for a 12 week time span.
When dealing with sarcoptic mange you have to treat the entire house -and in particular the areas where your dog hangs out - to prevent your dog from becoming contaminated again [which sounds like what is going on ].
You may find the little borax you have put to better use in the water to help fight infection from the inside out.
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Demodectic mange: We've been treating our new to us dog Louie with the Ted's Mange Treatment and have to say are very pleased with the results after about 5 treatments.
I recently started adding a bit of coconut oil, both to work as a carrier oil to have the treatment solution more deeply penetrate the skin, as well as to add some moisturizing effects as I'm concerned about the effects of such frequent bathing drying out the skin (and we live in MN with cold dry air). I also added a bit of neem to the solution. In between treatments with Ted's solution, we've been putting diluted neem on the visible spots. Additionally we've been brushing his fur daily using a Zoom Broom, and brushing his teeth. Louie's kibble is already grain free and fairly high quality (can't quite afford the whole raw food diet thing). He's been getting 2x daily fish oil, and we also added a canine formulary nutritional supplement with pre and pro-biotics.
My question is how long to keep doing 2x weekly baths, and how to taper off. It seems to be working, but I am concerned about the drying effects on his skin. My gut is telling me that it is time to cut back to 1x weekly, seeing how he does, and if it still seems to be improving, then to cut back to 1x ~10 days, and keep cutting back from there, ie. 2 wks, monthly, quarterly? I haven't really been able to find guidelines for how to taper and when to stop all together.
I look forward to your feedback. Thank you.
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Hello, I saw your post on how you live in MN and were wondering what you did for the dry skin as I live in minnesota also and I have a 4 month old German shorthair mix and she got it. I haven't done this treatment yet as I am scared about her licking herself after the fact even if its dry? I would really appriciate your response!
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Hey Briana!
You can give your dog Evening Primrose oil - 1 capsule in the food am and pm to help with the dry skin. You can also use a moisturizing shampoo on alternate days from the mange dip.
I have used the mange dip many times and my dogs have never had any issues with licking the remedy up!
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I am going to try the Peroxide/Borax on my 6month old yorkie, who has been suffering on/off for since Christmas w/this condition. Vet gave her Ivermecin after scraping, but I am not happy with the toxic side affects. My question is, she loves to lick the water off after bathing, is the peroxide/borax solution safe for her to ingest? Also, her eyes are a mess and is currently on anti-biotics, can I gently apply with a cotton ball around the eye area?
Thank you so much for all your advice.
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Hey Linda!
The borax solution is not toxic and is safe for your dog to lick and to use around the face and eyes.
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i started treating my dog (a couple year old rhodesian ridgeback mix) a couple days ago using Teds H2O2 and borax solution. I did a 2nd dip last night and am all ready seeing the remedy do its magic. I mixed up about 1 gallon of water with 1% hydrogen peroxide and about a 1/2 cup of borax. the dog doesnt like baths but didnt object too much although he definitely wanted to get out of the tub asap. my dog has a loss of hair on her rear end mostly and her skin looked blackened in areas on her belly and spots on her back. before dipping the dog I was very carefully examining her skin using my thumb and moving it slowly across the hairs on her side when I 1st spotted one of the nasty critters! They are very tiny about the size of the head of a straight pin maybe smaller and black. so I know she has sarcoptic mange and I have faith that the treatment will work and I will post back later. as regards using hydrogen peroxide I have detoxed my system of heavy metals using 35% food grade H2O2. I started out using one drop mixed with about 4-6 ounces of distilled water increasing 1 drop per day up to 24 drops mixed with the distilled water at a rate of 2X per day. once at 24 drops I decreased 1 drop per day down to 0 drops after 24 days. you can also do a detox regimen alternating the H2O2 with MSM (the active ingredient in DMSO). as in one day use the H2O2 and the next day use MSM following instructions on a heavy metal detox web site using natural cures.
Hey Neil!
I have used the remedy many times and it is a winner for sure!
I do have to say, it sounds like you are dealing with fleas; I say this because both sarcoptic mange mites and demodectic mange mites can only be seen with a microscope. Fleas, on the other hand, are about the size of a pin head and black, and due to the areas they feed on - tail end - usually causes hair loss on the rump due to the dog chewing its skin to scratch the itch.
There is no harm in continuing using Ted's remedy, but you may have better luck using it at the correct strength; 48 oz of a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide takes about 1 heaping cup of borax, so IMHO you are using way too little borax. Also it sounds as if you are using food grade H2O2, which the dime store variety will work just fine for the skin dip; the brown bottle is a 3% solution, so just dump it into the gallon jug and fill up the empty brown bottle twice to get 48oz of a 1% solution - and then just add your cup of borax.
Another thing to consider is a flea trap. All you need is a small desk lamp, place it on the floor in the dog's area and place a white plate under the lamp. Add water mixed with dish soap and turn the light on at night, then check for black specks in the morning. Move the trap from room to room to quickly clear out the fleas.
Good luck!
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Glad to find this remedy for demodectic mange. And while fleas have not been an issue for us (knock on wood) I will keep the flea trap in mind. thanks y'all.
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Have 7 rescues. 2 Shar pei (rescued for 25 yrs.), 4 Chihuahuas & xoloitzquintle. 7th is less than 1 lb. Chihuahua who I grabbed because she was sooo weak and ill with sarcoptic mange that she would have died. Vet is treating with Frontline spray 1x week. I'm using all the natural recipes, one every few hours on the 5-7th day out. Others are itching a bit, soo hard to isolate. I've put on their drops. I only had advantix which is not the premier drug for treatment. I'll get Revolution if I can get it here and treat them again in 1.5-2 wks. Am using naturals on them also. blah, blah. I can't keep washing everything. It has been a little chilly here 68 now so things don't get dry well. I have been putting on a heating pad in the babies bed. I'm wondering if that heat will kill the mites and if I turn my electric blanket on high and leave it for a few hours, if it might kill them? Anybody have thoughts? I really can't afford the electric bills from heating or washing but could move the heating pad around to everyones' bed too. Please help, thanks!
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Hey Kitty!
Do NOT turn up your heating pad in an attempt to kill mites - it won't work, and blah, blah - you will burn your house down [seriously].
You might consider diatomaceous earth spread liberally around your house and in the pet areas, and on the pets as well; avoid inhaling and getting into eyes and mucous membranes, and if applied to the pets make sure you work it down to the skin.
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After contracting demodex from their mother, 3 "chugs" started losing hair around their eyes, muzzles, head and soon, all over - at about 3 months old.
They were scraped and diagnosed with demodex mange. One of the pups went to live with a friend of mine.
Her vet put her pup on Ivermectin, antibiotics and to date, she is completely mange free (8 months old).
My vet put the 2 pups on steroids, medicated shampoo, antibiotics (after) and wanted to "dip" them when they got older.
After all of this, the male (more Chihuahua) looks like a Cancer patient. He has very little hair growing back, still no hair on his legs, but has some on his feet, and his back looks like elephant skin that is crusty and smelly.
The vet told me not to bathe them more than 2x/month, as it would dry out their skin .. but their skin is dried out anyway.
The female (more Pug) has a lot more hair on her back, but her nose is crusty, legs are hairless and so is most of her tail. She has hair on her feet, and they both never lost the hair on their ears (go figure).
I'd be happy to send first photos and what they look like now to show the difference. I don't believe the $400 I spent at the vet (over time) has helped them at all.
I think feeding them canned tuna (kept them from eating their own poop when I wasn't looking, too) with their puppy food, washing their bedding in hot water, changing their bedding every day, fresh water has helped their immune system fight back .. but not enough.
That said, I'm getting ready to try the mange recipe with Borax and diluted Hydrogen Peroxide. My only concern is trying to keep them from licking themselves dry if I put them in their kennel after the treatment.
Plus, they're such cold natured animals, and it's chilly here in Indiana .. so I wouldn't want them to catch their death. I have a heater in the room their kennel is in just to keep them warm. I tend to like it a little cooler in my house, personally.
I'm going to try this treatment every other day for the first week, then down to 2x/week for a few weeks and 1x/week the remaining weeks for a total of 8 weeks.
Any advice or further guidance for me before I start this journey? I will be bathing the dogs first before treating, as recommended.
Thanks
~ Emmes
Hey Emmes!
Were all three pups scraped and diagnosed with demodex by the same vet? The two very different treatment methods suggest the 1 pup treated by your friend's vet was the traditional treatment, but the steroids/antibiotics/medicated shampoo route sounds as if your vet was treating for allergies. Unless your vet is totally incompetent [it happens], they treated your chugs for allergies because there was good reason to. So, be aware that your two keepers may have allergies along with demodex.
That said, if these were my puppies I would:
Check the groceries; switch to a grain free diet if you are not presently feeding a grain free diet. Consider supplementing with vitamin C [for immune support], Echinacea and Goldenseal [for infection].
Alkalize your dogs drinking water. All the dogs can drink this. Use 1 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 liter of water, and have this be their ONLY drinking water. If they avoid the water because it tastes funny, start out with a smaller dose; 1/4 baking soda to 1 liter of water for 3 days, then 1/2 for 3 days then bump up to 1 teaspoon and do that for 7 days. After 7 days you can go back down to a maintenance dose of 1/4 teaspoon per liter.
I would do the mange dip up to 3 times the first week, and then once per week after that, for the next 13 weeks. The reason for this bathing schedule is that the first 3 dips knock out the adult population of mites, so after that you only need to dip weekly to clear out any newly hatched adult mites. It sounds as if you are also dealing with a secondary staph infection, so I would also use on days that are not dip days the anti-staph/anti-fungal remedy not as a full body dip, but in a spritz bottle and target the smelly spots. If this regime really dries out the skin I would also bath on alternate days in a soothing oatmeal & lavender shampoo, and also supplement am & pm with Evening Primrose Oil capsule.
As to your concern about them licking the mange remedy, it won't hurt them, actually might help them, and if they manage to lap up a fair bit of it you may see loose stools - but they can in no way 'overdose'; this remedy is *very* safe. It would be a good idea to turn up the space heater and warm the kennel room - or crate the dogs in a smaller room and use the space heater. To ensure the dip gets enough time to *work* make sure you keep them wet in the tub for at least 15-20 minutes [30 is ideal] and then have them sit wet in the crate for another half an hour, and then let them out to air or blow dry after that.
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I'm curious about the recommendation to add baking soda to the pets drinking water. Baking soda contains high amounts of sodium, which seems like not a good idea to add to their diet.
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Hey Kristint!
Start here and keep reading :-)
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Do not use an oatmeal based shampoo on a dog with demodex. The mites will feed on the oatmeal just as they do the yeast from the secondary infection. This is also why their carb intake should be limited.
A benzoyl peroxide shampoo that is antimicrobial will open the pores where the mites live and allow the borax solution to penetrate. Being antimicrobial will aid in keeping the yeast down. Most of these are soap free and moisturize the skin.
Wiping the dog down on non-dip days with a diluted betadine solution also keeps the secondary infection down. Using the solution twice a day is even better. Neem is quite helpful and most health food stores with a pet section will have neem products ready for use.
Demodex is tough and while the borax solution will kill the mites the dogs diet and stress has to be addressed so they do not return.
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Great thoughts, Kady!
I just wanted to point out that a benzoyle peroxide shampoo is not necessary as Ted's Mange Remedy is peroxide based; the peroxide does work as a penetrant and the borax acts as a miticide.
Additionally, demodex mites do not feed on carbs or yeast - they eat sebum/skin oil and skin cells/protien. The oatmeal shampoo is OK to use on irritated skin - and the use of Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy will also work at knocking down a secondary skin infection in dogs who are battling demodex.
Demodex mites will not return if the remedy is properly applied; if the mites do return, an underlying undiagnosed health condition is likely present.
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I have a 2 yr old Husky who started having problem around his eyes last April. No matter to speak of, just kept itching his eyes and the skin looked red around the eyes, then got a couple of spots next to his nose that I wasn't sure what they were. Vet said allergies, gave him steroid shot, Ivermectin and benadryl & prednisone to take home. Vet didn't do skin scraping, thought spots on nose might be staph infection. Eyes cleared up & spots on nose but he has continued to itch/lick/bite "hot spots" which were on chest, down both front legs, inside of back legs and up into groin. Some days he looked like he was on fire!! A month ago I went to a different vet as I was not seeing any improvement and this vet diagnosed mange, which I had already pretty much decided was the problem. They gave him one treatment of Revolution and antibiotics.
Have not noticed any improvement. I found this website a week ago and have now done 3 baths with the mange treatment. One of my questions is beings my dog HATES baths, I am not able to sponge the solution over him for the recommended 15 min., let alone 30!! However I have gotten him completely wet with the solution. Am I accomplishing anything if I can't do the recommended sponging time? I noticed right after each bath his chest & front legs seems to be soothed from the itching. I have tried, olive oil/tea tree oil, Avon Skin so Soft, Benadryl lotion, calamine lotion, Aloe Vera, Bag Balm, Tri-Care skin/wound cream and some I can't remember for the itching. Again, he HATES having anything rubbed on the hot areas and then wants to lick it all off. I also have a collar which I have had on him almost constant for the past week. If he can't get to the areas to lick or itch they clear up some. If he gets the collar off within an hour his skin is fire red again.
I am frustrated, tired of paying vet bills and most of all feel horrible that I can't find some relief for my poor guy. Just wondering if anyone has any other suggestions? I also have an 11 yr old Chocolate lab who has no signs or symptoms like my Husky. Any help is much appreciated!!
Thank you.
Hey Lynne!
It sounds like your vets did all the right things presenting symptom-wise. I agree with the first vet - I think you are dealing with an allergy issues, particularly in light of the second vet's diagnosis of sarcoptic mange and the treatment with Revolution. I would have expected to see results were it sarcoptic mange and yet nothing.
Normally when you can saturate the dog in the solution and leave it on for 30 minutes, it allows the treatment to penetrate the skin, into the pores and hair follicles. With full penetration, the treatment has a lasting effect of about 24 hours.
You have noticed the remedy has brought your dog a brief respite after a partial treatment. Since we know it's not mange, then bacteria/staph and yeast are the next culprits.
Ted posted on this in 2006:
"I would bathe the dog or apply a lotion made of magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) with some epsom salt (in one cup of milk of magnesia, I may add 2-4 tablespoons of epsom salt). If that works then I might add a small amount 1/16 teaspoon of epsom salt in one liter of drinking water for only a couple of days. If the dog has low magnesium, quite often allergy shows up. For a yeast or even most ailments of the dog, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda added to the drinking water for a couple of days will also reduce the yeast infection. The yeast infection issue is due to a fungus, which if borax 1/16 teaspoon is added along with the baking soda in one liter of water can also take care of it. Besides those remedies also addresses dog's nutritional deficiency for bicarbonates and boron, and even if it does not directly address a very specific condition, the dog will generally get better and in some cases get cured, because of a deficiency issue. It's all about trying them out when I know those remedy are designed to address deficiency issue which makes it important that those should at least be addressed first."
Ted has many ideas to consider! When my pack breaks out in the itchies I do 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 liter of drinking water and do this for 5 days as a crisis dose; I then go down to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for another week, and then down to 1/4 teaspoon for maintenance until everything is healed up.
One thing to also consider that has not been discussed is your dog's diet. Allergy dogs need top of the line diets - no grocery store kibble, nothing with red dyes or added sugars, and no grains. Check the label on the brand you feed as a dietary adjustment may be needed.
Please report back!
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Hi Lynne --- can you try coconut oil mixed with turmeric 1 : 20. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory.
Just a suggestion. Namaste, Om
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Hi! Lynn, Revolution is a pesticide and a neurotoxin . It will compromise your dogs immune system. Ask your Vet if he puts it on his kids before they go out to play. Feed your dog a diversified raw meat diet, no veggies or ANYTHING else. Try "Reel Raw Co." dog food!!!! . Ivermectin is also a neurotoxin, prednisone, antibiotics , will also compromise your dogs immune system. The Vets get us on a merry go round The pesticide kills the mites , damages the immune system , the mites come back and your nice Vet makes more money. You don't have to poison your dog to keep her well. Mite infestation is a low immune system problem, feed your dog species appropriate food and eliminate stress. and eventually her immune system will keep your dog healthy unless she has some serious illness. Lots of exercise . Be patient it takes a good while for your dog to get healthy. Stop the shots and flea and tick and heart worm poisons and don't believe your vet. Investigate cures on the internet and don't treat your dog for things she doesn't have with monthly preventatives. Keep using Teds treatment and add organic apple cider vinegar, a couple oz.s to a pint unless she is raw , then it might burn. It can take up to a year or more so again be patient. Love my Amber, Yours, Robert
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Hi, I hope things are better for you in regards to the mange. I thought I would respond because this is the second post on this thread about tea tree oil and dogs. Tea tree oil is highly toxic to dogs. I read a post the other day here on EC from a woman who used TTO on her dog, and she reported the dog started convulsions and seizure like activity. I would love to hear your progress with your dog.
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Harley is a 4 1/2 year old pit bull/lab mix. Our vet told us about 2 years ago that he had demodectic mange and a weak immune system due to heredity. Harley also has repeated ear infections. He gave us Promeris. I began using it and it did seem to help at first, but his mange came back with a vengeance and I haven't been able to get it under control.
He has developed skin infections from the constant scratching that made parts of his skin rough like elephant skin, and even scratches to the point of bleeding. He has hair loss on his entire trunk/chest, legs, and around his eyes and top of head. I have changed his food to Nutro Natural Choice, started him on a multi-vitamin, and have been using GNC antibacterial/antifungal shampoo/conditioner. This all has helped a little, but not nearly enough.
I have read about this treatment before, but was always hesitant in the past - afraid of possible side effects and safety. I decided to try it and after one treatment, I have noticed an improvement. Harley has hardly scratched and appears a lot more comfortable and less miserable. The redness is also disappearing. I plan on continuing this treatment in hopes that it rids him of this problem.
My question, though, is since his vet said he had a hereditary condition and weak immunity that makes him susceptible to mange and the ear infections, is there anything that can be done to prevent it from returning?
Thank you, Colleen
Hey Colleen!
Demodex is typically a puppy affliction; in a 4.5 year old adult, something else is going on .. IF you are *still* dealing with demodex.
Has your dog had a recent scraping to confirm the demodex?
What it sounds like from my end of the keyboard is that your dog has a yeast problem and not so much a mite issue.
That said, continue the mange dips if you are seeing progress, and if that progress appears to reach a plateau I would switch over to Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph dip. I make it up in big batches and bathe the entire dog in the same way you do for the mange dipping. Wash the dog first, rinse well, let drip dry as much as possible in the tub and then stopper up the tub and pour the [warmed] dipping solution over the dog and use a plastic cup to scoop up the solution and pour over the dog again and again for at least 20 minutes. Then put sopping WET into a crate with no bedding and allow to drip dry for another half an hour, and then let him out and towel him off and let him fully air dry.
This is what you need for the dip:
Milk of magnesia
Borax
Epsom salt
Hydrogen peroxide. The drugstore sells the 3% solution, and you need a 1% solution, so to get that you take 1 part 3% and add 2 parts water.
So, to make a small batch take 1/3 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, and add 2/3 cup plain water and to that add 1 tablespoon each of the MOM, borax and Epsom salts. Double or quadruple this as necessary to fill a gallon jug. Then place the jug in a tub warm water to warm it up, and when the temp of the bath water is nice and cozy, bathe your dog - and then when it is time to use the solution it will be of a comfortable temperature for your dog. This treatment is good for 24 hours/working effect for 24 hours; you may find it helpful to bathe daily if the topical yeast is out of control, and then reduce to weekly or twice weekly.
In addition to the baths you might consider a grain free food if the current diet is not grain free already. Multivitamin is good, but you might also consider Echinacea and goldenseal combo for 2 weeks, as well as upping the vitamin c. In between Ted's treatments you can bathe with a soothing formulation that includes oatmeal and aloe and lavender to help calm the skin.
Lastly you might consider alkalizing your dog's drinking water; by altering is PH you make the entire dog less appetizing for yeast or mange. Some dogs readily accept baking soda water, some need to build up to it. A maximum dose is 1 teaspoon per liter of water for 5 days and then drop down to a maintenance dose of 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon per liter of water; have this water be his only source of drinking water.
There are additional approaches using sea salt water and or borax in the water but start with the baking soda and monitor your results for at least 1 week if not 2 and report back.
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I'm wondering if you can help me identify if my pup has demodectic mange.
I know her immune system is poor and she has been diagnosed with severe allergies/intense itching, which we've been dealing with since she was 6 months old.
She was put on a raw diet over a year ago and I've seen a massive improvement overall in her itching and general disposition! Additionally, she is not suffering as frequently from the cycle of nonstop itch-open wound-infection-secondary yeast infection. It is typically during this cycle that she begins to get black circles on her sides and belly. Those circles have, many times, turned into full black skin. A vet had suggested that the black skin circles (which spread across her trunk and lady bits) were simply caused by the yeast blooms.
After reading your site, I am suspecting she might have demodectic mange. Overall, her skin looks good (relative to its usual state) but she is beginning to develop more black circles. I've begun the treatment described on your website and am attaching some photos before treatment. We are only 4 treatments in at this point.
Thank you!
~Christine
Hey Christine!
Demodectic mange typically starts off as small bare spots on the coat, very often on the face first. The bare spots then turn reddish in color -hence the nick name 'red mange'. Demodex typically is not itchy; secondary skin infections caused by staph or yeast can cause intense itching. This type of mange is not contagious.
Sarcoptic mange -aka scabies - can be picked up from wildlife, and can spread to people as well as other pets, and can be very itchy.
It is entirely possible your dog picked up sarcoptic mange, however I do agree with your vet re: black patches of skin = yeast bloom. Your vet could perform skin scrapes to confirm the demodex if you are certain you are dealing with demodex.
You may find that Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy provides more relief than the mange remedy - JMHO! In addition, if you are indeed dealing with yeast, you might consider the addition of probiotics in your dog's diet, and might consider alkalizing her water and /or other water treatments to fight the yeast from the inside out.
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I have been using Teds remedy for three + weeks. My chocolate brown pit bull is now a blond. I saw a little improvement in scratching after the first treatment but she is back to chewing and scratching again. I treated her three times a week for two weeks then twice a week. She is losing a lot of fur all over and the initial two spots the size if a nickel seem the same. Should I be shampooing her right before or in between treatments or just let the treatments buildup ? Her skin seems dry. Is there anything additional you can recommend ?
Thanks, Robert
Hey Robert!
You should be shampooing your dog right before the treatments - so shampoo, rinse, and then treatment. I would also have no problem bathing her 24 hours later in a soothing shampoo with such ingredients as oatmeal. If you did 3x a week and then 2x a week you should be able to reduce it to once per week at this point.
Was your girl scraped to confirm demodex? Itchy skin often has a secondary infection such as staph. You might consider a staph dip - scroll down the latest pet posts for the formula [or I will post later]. Also consider adding an oil to her food - evening primrose oil can help with dry skin, as can salmon oil in the chow. Also consider some of the advice to Om for her dog with ear gunk re: water additives to help combat yeast internally [scroll down through latest pet posts to find or I will post later].
One thing to do is to feed top groceries - no Purina, rather think Fromm, Taste of the Wild, and the like.
I have a thing for red noses - please report back!!
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Hi Robert,
I have been having similar issues with my dog for quite some time now. Ted's mange cure did not work. What HAS been helping the most (but must be done regularly) is applying organic apple cider vinegar mixed with water (50/50) and a teaspoon or more of DMSO. I apply it to all the areas that he is red and inflamed, which is around his hips and along his spine, under his armpits and the bottoms of his feet. If an area is too inflamed, it will really burn, so you must dilute the apple cider vinegar even more with water. I apply it while he is eating a meal to distract him. The DMSO (found online at amazon.com) is fantastic at dropping a remedy below the skin's surface. I use bleach free paper towels to apply the mixture. I have tested this mixture on myself several times and have had no side effects. But do read up on DMSO before you use it as you need to be careful with it.
Last week, upon my holistic vet's suggestion, I switched him to a raw food beef diet (Nature's Variety, very expensive) and include human grade probiotics, vitamin E and fish oil with every meal. I haven't seen much change yet, unfortunately.
Another thing that will help is baths every 3-4 days with Selsun Blue medicinal shampoo and finish off with a 50/50 apple cider vinegar rinse. There's a post on Earth Clinic detailing the Selsun Blue protocol. It is definitely the best shampoo I have tried so far, including 2 the vet gave me.
Apparently a LOT of dogs are suffering from skin issues these days and it's very challenging to figure out what will help them. Good luck!
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One thought for Lizzy:
If Selsun Blue is providing you results you are not dealing with mange, rather you are dealing with yeast. The Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy should prove more effective than the mange remedy in this case, and anti yeast protocols would apply.
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Thanks, Theresa . She has had scrapings in three areas which confirmed demodex. She was eating Fromms and then Merick but I am feeding her pre-measured raw food from Reel Raw dog food company which is a great company with incredible customer service. I will follow your instructions and shampoo her prior to treating her. Thanks From me and my sweet red nose. Have a happy day, Robert
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Hey Robert!
One other thought: the next day after the mange dip, you could bathe her in an oatmeal based soothing shampoo, and I would add to that essential oil of lavender.
Also, how old is your girl? Demodex is typically an affliction of puppies, however in mature, adult dogs the development of demodex is typically associated with an underlying disease condition, ie hypothyroid, cancer, severe bacterial infection.
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Thanks a bunch Lizzy, for your help. I am feeding Amber raw food from Reel Raw dog food company which is human grade USDA approved . You might want to check them out. They have a pre-measured, daily, individually wrapped service according to the dogs weight. Their customer service, Alissa, is incredible. Not cheap but when I considered the shopping, organizing, and wrapping it saves me, it is not a bad deal at all. Thanks again and have a Happy Day, Robert
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Lizzy, An afterthought. I have seen such an improvement in Amber after starting her on the Reel Raw food it is amazing!!! More energy, smaller stools and she just seems more alive . The meals are balanced with no fillers, blueberries, broccoli, grains or any other junk that dogs can't digest, Just top quality diversified meat. I hope this is helpful to you. Love my dogs, Robert
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Again Theresa, Amber is a rescue so I am not sure of her age, somewhere between one and three. She had a litter, was abandoned, was given flea and tick topical poison, given shots, maybe heart worm meds, an hysterectomy, and put in a rescue kennel . Enough stress to compromise her immune system, I think, leading maybe to a demodex population increase, She doesn't look like she has had the demodex all her life so I am hoping lots of love, no stress and good food will help her bounce back. Thanks a lot for your information, you have been a real help . I am almost out of shampoo so I will try an oatmeal based type this time . The poor girl is not happy with all these baths and doesn't go near the bathroom anymore. Oh well. Have a super day Theresa, Robert
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Robert!
The brief known history you provided for Amber sounds like the perfect storm for an outbreak of demodex.
It sounds like you are doing all the right things for Amber. I would next consider nutritional supplements for the immune system - adding 500mg vitamin C to each meal, and also dosing Echinacea and kelp. I would use these nutritionals for 3 weeks and check results.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Theresa , Well another month has gone by and guess what, no more scratching and chewing . The combo of Reel Raw dog food And Teds Cure have worked wonders. The Vets, three of them, recommended Ivermectin neurotoxin and antibiotics which deplete the immune system which is the cause of the outbreak in the first place. These greedy Vets disgust me. I will keep in touch, Theresa, and as always thanks for your help to me and so many others. When Amber turns chocolate again, I'll send a picture.
Love my Amber, Robert
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Again Lizzy and Teresa , I am familiar with DMSO but I wouldn't use it on Amber , For me it is too invasive . Organic Apple cider added to Ted's remedy might help and it has no side affects. The reason dogs have so many health issues, cancer, skin problems etc come from the 100 year history of money making Commercial dog food, shots, the poisonous flea and tick topical treatment and heart worm cure. etc. Dogs have changed in appearance but their physiology is still the same as the wolves they are descended from . A wolfs life span is up to 27 years or so . Get away from Natures Variety please. Switch to "Reel Raw " brand dog food. It will take a year or so but many of your dogs issues will resolve themselves . No junk food treats at all, they digest differently than raw food and will defeat your purpose. REMEMBER if you would 't put it on your little boy or girl DON'T put it on your dog!!!!! Thanks for all your suggestions and input. Love my Amber, Robert
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Robert,
It warms my heart to hear that your pup is doing well. I'm only one week into this demon-dex journey so we'll see how it goes. You give me hope for my sweet boy.
I hear you on the greedy vets, although I think they're simply following the carrot that's dangled in front of them by the pharmaceutical companies. Those corporations are the big boys that are pushing all of the drugs and vaccines to the vets. Unfortunately for our wonderful companions, there's a lot of damaged left behind.
We rescued our black lab 4.5 years ago (really, he rescued us) and from day one he's been sick with ear infections, itchiness, fatigue, seizures, rashes, hot spots and just all around strange behavior - like licking furniture and walls and car seats. So we started our rounds of doctors and treatments and nothing was working. Now I'm a freak when it comes to healthy food, so I was very suspicious when one doc kept pushing his featured kibble that was NOT healthy. The last straw was when they prescribed Fluoroquinolone for my boy's ear infection. Hah. There's a reason they're doing tendon repair on more and more dogs. No way. I walked out and never looked back. It's not hard to see why immune systems are on a rapid downward spiral.
So long story-short. G eats raw, grassfed, organic diet that I prepare at home. We finally conquered his ear infection by using Allimax Allicin, just this past summer. And now he has demodex mites. Goodness, he deserves a break. I just started seeing a new vet who knows how to treat vaccine injured dogs so we shall see.
I've done three Ted baths and G gets a massage 3 times a week anyway, so I just rub him down with olive oil, lavendar, peppermint and clove oil. I can't say I see a big difference yet, but I'm hopeful.
Once one researches vaccine ingredients, the lightbulb turns on. It's not good. Edgar Crookshank proved it long ago that vaccines are a fraud. There's no reason to have egg, insect cells, human serum (I let you guess where they get these cells), bovine serum (they use downer cattle from factory farms and euthanized animals from research labs), mycoplasms, bacteriophages, prions, mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, etc. injected into our beloved companions (or humans for that matter). Zero reason. People are waking up, though, so I think it will all be good. Notice how the ebola fear mongering was in the news 24/7 and then it just disappeared. Yeah, people are onto the scam. I ran into my old vet a few weeks ago and I told him what I'd learned - he admitted that he knows NOW and apologized. He knows vaccines cause all this damage - so even the vets can wake up. Hah.
Gonna keep on fighting that demon-dex. Blessings to all.
Sid
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Robert!
Glad for this news! It is so important to keep in mind that healing takes *time* - and so glad you hung in there and invested the time to heal Amber. :-)
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi, Robert, just to say I thoroughly agree with you.
Namaste, Om
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Sid, I do a lot of reading and some of the things that are happening make me sick. The dogs euthanized in shelters are thrown in rendering plants along with road kill, spoiled food from supermarkets, wrappers and all, and anything they can get their hands on. The poison used in the injection to kill the animals has been found in big commercial pet food and farm animal feeds. All Govt. approved. Dogs & cats fall under agriculture laws an have no protection. In order to protect them they would have to stop using dogs for experiments so it will never change. Sad huh! Robert lovemyamber
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Theresa, With your help all things are possible. Where do you find the time? I hope you are appreciated because you sure should be. Thanks, Robert. Lovemyamber
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Sid, Don't forget, the raw meats and organs need to be diversified. I tried shopping and preparing a diversified diet and it was a nightmare. It took forever. I found this Company on the internet called Reel Raw that will ship frozen, USDA approved, human grade meat to your door. It is all pre-packaged according to your dogs weight and has a balanced selection of meats , meaty bones and organs. It is a little expensive but when you factor in the convenience its a good deal, and to me, my Amber is worth more than anything , cars, fancy clothes , expensive dinners, etc. She comes first. Good luck, Robert Lovemyamber
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Robert!
Glad to be of help to you - and Amber!
Anything for a pit bull I say! BEST breed ever! :-)
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Theresa, A story put out by the raw meat diet company Reel Raw. A female dog was producing puppies infected with demodex. They stopped every thing but a balanced raw meat diet, not to be confused with a raw food diet, ie veggies etc. A year later her litters were demodex free. I am thinking I sound like a salesman but I just want others to see the results I have seen. Interesting story anyway and makes sense. Robert Lovemyamber
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Hi! Sid, I wanted to mention that I still continue to treat Amber even though the scratching and chewing have stopped. It will take a while for her immune system to get strong again and I see a need for a maintenance program to make sure she doesn't experience any setbacks while she is healing. I told Teresa, Amber had a litter, was abused and abandoned, had an hysterectomy, given flea and tick treatment, shots, heart worm treatment, and was mal and under nourished. Long term love and Patience. Good Luck, Robert Lovemyamber
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Robert!
This story is a common one, and not limited to RAW diets. I know of several cases where the first litter had demodex, and after a grocery upgrade to a better quality kibble subsequent litters did not have demodex.
I do think immune system health plays a role in demodex, I believe diet/nutrition does play a role - particularly as the effects of malnutrition/poor nutrition in the dam affect her progeny for the next 6 generations! However I also believe that the parasite load of the dam is also a huge factor in the parasite load puppies receive and is often overlooked or ignored completely when considering why an animal breaks with demodex.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Thanks Theresa, for the clarification. Yours, Robert Lovemyamber
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Not sure it's always the greedy Vets, but the Pharmaceutical Companies that always come out on top. I never trust them.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hello, I understand the dilution factor for the H2O2, but it does not indicate how much of the diluted H2O2 to use. Tim
Hey Tim!
You use as much of the diluted hydrogen peroxide as you need. The key is to make a *saturated* solution with the borax. So if you need a gallon of the 1% h2o2 to bathe your dog, keep adding the borax crystals to the point where they stop dissolving. The correct prepared solution should have undissolved grains swirling around.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
★★★★★
I just want to say that this worked awesome. My 1 year old pi tbull had suffered from mange and we took her to the vet and they put her on 6 weeks of Ivomec. It worked for about 5 weeks then I started to see the balding spots with redness again and knew it was coming back. I knew I needed to try something different especially because I was just laid off work and couldnt take her to the vet again for something that wasn't going to work. I have given her one bath in the solution and it has done wonders; she is no longer red and no longer scratching. I will do this once a week until her spots completely clear up. Thank you so much from a concerned pitbull mom
I have been at my wits end with my year old pup. When I rescued her about a month 1/2 ago, she had a bald spot on her back. I was told that it was a hot spot. It seemed crusty, then suddenly flared up. I now have ringworm! I imagine I got it from her. I have been treating her/me with "athletes foot" fungus cream. The vet has done a skin test, also plucked a few hairs from her, to see if fungus grows. But, this will take 3-4 weeks! I'm also wondering if this might be mange. Today, I tried the Borax/peroxide bath on her. She didn't drink any! After she was almost dry, I let her out in the sunshine. About 2 hours, she was throwing up! I saw a post from someone asking if this ever happened with their dog. Well, it sure happened with my dog! I finally bathed her again to get it all off of her! Just FYI
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Hey Mary Ellen!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
You might consider reading up on EC's ringworm page:
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi. I'm suspecting mange in my dog, it's very aggressive right now, red rash all over and he is scratching like crazy (5 months old Labrador). My vet seems careless, he says that it will pass with time, but it seems to be getting worse. I've been giving him apple cider vinegar in his water for the last few days, but it does not look like it's helping, it even looks worse. I bought borax today, but I'm not sure if it's safe for my dog since he licks himself a lot? Should I buy an E-Collar or something? I hope this will help, I'm very desperate. Thanks a lot and sorry for my English :)
Hey Angela!
For sure try Ted's Mange Remedy; it is not toxic, and your dog would only get an upset stomach if he drank up a gallon of the solution :-). You can try bathing every other day for a total of 3 dips and monitor results in between - does the itching get less or stay the same?
I would not bother with the E-collar, however I would strongly look at his diet -is he eating a grain free natural diet, or does his diet contain corn and other grains along with coloring agents and dyes and sugar? Upgrading the quality of his groceries can go a long way in keeping a dog less itchy.
Along those same lines you can add baking soda to his water to help alkalize his system and balance the PH. A maintenance dose is 1/2 teaspoon into 1 liter of drinking water, and have that be his only drinking water. For a break out of intense itching I might try 2 or 3 teaspoons into 1 liter of water and do this for 5 days max, then drop down to the maintenance dose.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Terry!
NOT Ted, but the treatment is safe to use on 3 week old puppies - but a caution: 3 week old puppies are unable to maintain their own body temperature so will need additional heat and must be protected from getting chilled.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Ted, I am fostering 3 three week old puppies and have noticed flaky patches of skin and thinning hair on the tail and back. They are not scratching at this point. Are they too young to try your home remedy for mange?
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi there! I came across this Ted's mange cure discussion because I suspect my mutt has mange. we adopted him when she was 3 weeks old because the owner wants to throw them off the roads. She is very sweet and obedient, but this past few days, she was itching so much and crust appears on the edge of her ears. the problem now is that I can't take her to the vet because budget is very tight. So thankfully I found this website. I already have hydrogen peroxide but unfortunately, borax is nowhere to be found in our local groceries and drugstores here in the Philippines. The only place where I found borax was in a local hardware store BUT it was in can and labeled as for welding/brazing flux. My question is, is this borax the same as the one being used as laundry booster? Can I use it on my dog? Please help, I dont want her to suffer anymore. By the way she is turning 5 months.
Hey Charisse!
It would appear the welding flux is OK for topical use but not for taking internally.
Check out where to buy Borax in the Philippines here - you will have to scroll down and read the various discussions, and also even look at Thailand for sourcing:
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/borax15.html#philippines
You might also consider sulpher powder -
Make a salve by mixing one part "flowers of sulphur" and two parts vaseline - and then add a thin oil such as baby oil to thin the salve for easy application.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Oh Goodness, Thank you so much Theresa! :) I would do the procedure tomorrow. I'll let you know if it works on her. :) thank you so much :)
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hi! Did the brazing flux work? I'm also from the Philippines and can't find the detergent booster. Would be glad to hear from you. Thanks!
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
I found difficulty to find the borax in my city. what kind of borax should I use to save the dogs from demodectic mange? Do you have any suggestion to buy in Indonesia? thank you...
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hello!
We suspect a case of localized demodex mites on our dog's snout (on top of the bridge of his nose only). This started approximately 3 weeks ago when I first noticed a black crusted scab followed by an eruption a few days later. Another couple of scabs appeared and then erupted as well.
I was applying a 50/50 solution of ACV and water For the first 3 weeks. The initial sores are healing, but now I see just above the last sore that erupted a spotted line of black spots. I'm assuming these are the tunnels of the mites! I started Ted's mange cure. Since it's on his nose I really can't dip it. I've been doing my best to saturate the area using a cotton swab and doing it 4 or 5 times in one application. I want to be careful not to get it in his mouth or eyes! I decided to do it two days in a row and perhaps daily since I can't fully blown soak it. I would be happy to share pictures ( I've documented with photos almost daily since the onset). Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated! Keep up the good work! Thanks, Mandi
ps: my dog is on a raw dog food diet since he was 3 months old, gets great supplements etc.
Hey Mandi!
Demodex mites do not tunnel under the skin, the stay in the hair follicle. I have seen traumatized skin - a cut or area scraped by a tooth during puppy play - turn into a small patch of demodex, this because the mites were able to take advantage of the damaged skin which allowed their population to over grow. I have seen in the more advanced cases what appear to be black heads. What I have not seen with demodex are crusty scabs followed by eruptions.
I will say that I have used Ted's mange cure many times, and have gotten it splashed into my own eyes and mouth and it did NOT sting my eyes and only tasted salty, and I did not get ill from it, so you can relax about using the remedy on your dog's face.
I would love to see photos of your dog's skin funk -from across my keyboard and reading what you have posted it does not sound like demodex mites.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Thank you Theresa for your reply! My dog ate a few advil pills on a Saturday then this started the following Tuesday. At first I though it was a reaction to the ingestion of toxins.... Our vet said it seemed like a bacterial or yeast infection but it hadn't spread at the time. Today I noticed a new crusty bump appearing on the margin of the last eruption ( which is in the process of healing now) which probably means a new eruption is brewing :( it has not spread beyond his muzzle and my husband and I have not gotten anything and neither has our other dog in three and a half week's time. I will email some pictures as I am not able to post them here. Is there a particular email I should use? Thank you very much! Mandi
EC: Hi Mandi,
Please email your pics to [email protected] and we'll post them in your thread.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Mandi!
What a cyootie patootie! I cannot tell if he is a Siberian or an Alaskan Klee Kai, but I can see for sure he is a beauty!
That does not look like demodex; 'ringworm' comes to mind but it doesn't look like your typical ringworm.
If this were my dog I would: scrub the whole muzzle, not just the affected sores and get any crusty, scabby skin off the sores while working at it. The anti-staph/anti-fungal solution would be a good choice to use after the washing/scrubbing is complete; you want to flood the entire area with the solution and really saturate it down to the skin. I would also consider using an OTC tripple antibiotic ointment on the sores. Try flooding the muzzle with the solution every day for 3 days in a row, and try applying the antibiotic ointment twice a day for the next three days and then report back.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Theresa!
wow you know your dog breeds! Not many recognize an Alaskan Klee Kai :) he's 16 months old, .. Full grown! He is a cutie pie , thank you! Hoping he won't have permanent scarring, where the first sores were they have healed but left a pigmentation mark but that's the least of my concerns ;) I've used the mange cure 3 nights in a row and it seems to be working! He has no open sores anymore and the one I thought was going to erupt seems to have stopped with the cure ( it didn't erupt, turned the skin whitish). I will make the other remedy and apply it tonight instead. I don't think he needs the antibacterial ointment because there's no open sores but I'll get some jic. He gets lots of good supplements, including garlic and Vit C and especially for the skin issue he's getting homeo Sulphur and ledum palustre. I'll report back in after a few days And send a pic. Thank you so much for all your help to us and for helping so many people and animals! May many many blessings return to you all for your service! :) do you all accept donations? I'd like to offer something in exchange for your time/ energy.
Thanks again, Blessings, Mandi & Tiko :)
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Mandi!
Glad your AKK is on the mend!
I don't take donations, but if you ever see a French Bulldog figurine in an antique store, I would be happy to take it off your hands.
Please keep me posted on your boy's muzzle!
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hello Theresa,
hope you're doing well! Thanks again for all your help! I submitted a couple of pictures of Tiko. I added the Epsom salt and MOM as you suggested to the h202 and borax and applied it every night. It has worked beautifully. His fur is growing back in and all that is eft are the pigmentation marks from the sores. I stopped applying it just two nights ago. Do you think that's ok ? Or should I keep it up for another few days just in case?
Blessings, Mandi
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Mandi!
It sounds like it is healing up very nicely! :)
I think you are OK stopping with the treatment now that you have had such good results.
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Borax and Peroxide User Reviews
Hey Mandi!
And - whoa!!! What a turn around! He looks GREAT! :)
Thanks for the update!
