Might It Be Mites?

     Here are the symptoms: intense itching, scabs or crusting, reddening skin and thinning coat.
     Here are (some of) the possibilities:
- Food allergy                   - Fleas
- Environmental allergy   - Mites
- Bacterial infection           - Yeast infection






ALL SIX of the diseases above can produce the symptoms listed and there are many more that could be on this list! This patient was itchy and has crusting on this tail. His thin coat and red skin is evident here on his back legs and tail.    Photo: Animal Dermatology Clinic
       The symptoms of a pet with Scabies mites can be confusing to pet owners. In an effort to resolve the situation quickly and with little cost, many pet owners consult “Dr. Google”. In some fashion, these symptoms can be found on a pet with all of the diseases listed above. How to decide?
      Sarcoptes scabiei and Notoedres cati mites are microscopic parasites that burrow into the skin of dogs and cats respectively, where they deposit eggs that hatch over the course of a week. After hatching, the larvae make their way to the surface of the skin where they feed on the host (the pet). The larvae then grow into a nymph stage. Think of these nymphs as teen-age eating machines.
       The nymph can now travel on the skin to another area on the pet surface continuing to feed as they molt into adults. As adults, they mate and deposit more eggs in the skin, restarting the cycle. This episode is completed in a short three weeks!

      Some pet owners attempting to resolve the symptoms on their own usually try the food allergy route because the popular trend on Dr. Google is that grain or corn is the culprit of an itchy dog (although the protein source is usually the allergen, not the carbohydrate). In truth, if a strict and disciplined food elimination diet is followed, the results will help to eliminate or identify a food allergy. A food trial can go as long as 12 weeks, all the while as many as four generations of multiplying mites are now feeding on the canine buffet of Fido or feline smorgasbord of Fluffy!
      Most flea treatments are ineffective on mites and whatever over-the-counter products purported for allergies are no benefit.
      To prove that mites are the cause, the veterinarian must scrape sample areas on the pet. The skin scrape is performed with the edge of a scalpel and with a fair amount of pressure, so much as to obtain cells from the topmost layer of skin with the goal that mites are captured in the sample. That sample is placed on a glass slide and with the aid of a microscope, the veterinarian looks for evidence of mites. Negative skin scrapes DO NOT eliminate mites as a cause. They are difficult to find in most cases and treatment should be undertaken if suspicion is aroused.
       Treatments will vary depending upon the breed type and circumstances surrounding the case therefore, another concerned pet owner who offers advice of successful treatment of their experience with scabies may not be suitable for another pet.
       Mites are contagious and can affect other dogs and they can also transiently affect humans as well. Other canids (foxes, coyotes and wolfs) can be carriers and your dog can contract mites by frequenting areas where an infected wild animal was present.
      Once mites are identified, the pet owner must thoroughly clean the environment where the pet lives including bedding, harnesses and collars. Veterinary clinics will disinfect and temporarily quarantine the examination room after a pet with mites is seen to prevent other patients from exposure to the parasite, although Scabies mites are obligate parasites, meaning they cannot survive long off the host.
       Remember, mites cannot be seen with the naked eye and although the veterinarian may strongly believe that the mites are present based upon case history and a physical examination, it is possible that a sample containing mites cannot be found. In many cases, the veterinarian will proceed and begin treatment for eradicating the mites.