Sarcoptic mange

[ulbsterx]

Both of my boxers have Sarcoptic mange. I have been doing alot of research because I don't want to treat it with chemicals. Has anyone had luck treating this? They have also given it to me, so the three of us are itching like crazy! Thanks.

[ssleighter]

To my knowledge there is NO holistic remedy for Sarcoptic mange.

Revolution will kill the mites without heavy chemical dips. Use one dose, then redose in 2 weeks. Do a skin scrape in another 2 weeks to determine if you need another dose. Generally 2 doses will do, but if it's really bad it might not. Wash all bedding regularly, with bleach if possible.

On humans, Scabies (sarcoptic mange term for humans) is self limiting. Meaning it will go away as soon as it doesn't have a suitable host, like your dogs. They cannot complete their lifecycle on humans.

All animals in the house should receive Revolution for this to be effective. Also, socks on their feet will keep them from scratching themselves raw.

If you'd like to see how bad it can get, take a look at our rescue baby Madeline http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?act...=0&tmpl=&stat=

She's literally a bloody mess. But she's on the mend now.

Good luck.

[ulbsterx]

Thanks for the comment about Revolution. That was actually one of the first treatment options that I found. Reznor is even allergic to Advantage, so I don't use any chemicals on them. I also cannot use bleach or any heavy detergents to clean their bedding. How can I get rid of the mites in the environment (they have access to every room and piece of furniture in our home!) without the use of heavy chemicals? I am sure that you have alot of experience as you do rescues. I only have three years of Boxer experience, so I really appreciate everyone's help. Thanks

[JulieM]

Here are a few ideas for holistic treatment of sarcoptic mites (the second one is for hedgehogs, but might be usefuly anyway):
http://www.wholisticanimal.com/mange.asp
http://www.webserve.co.uk/bunnell/ttac.html
http://www.moggies.co.uk/html/alt_parasites.html

Also, Halo has an herbal dip that works well on fleas - I'm not sure if it would work on mites, but they'd probably be able to tell you.
http://www.halopet.com

A good article on sarcoptic mange, though not holistic treatment, is here:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/sarcoptic_mange.html

[ulbsterx]

I actually was lucky enough to find someone on Boxerworld in my area that has a natural pet store and grooming. We went there on Friday and got the stuff that we need to treat our dogs. I also did countless hours of research myself and found many, many answers. I am so happy! I knew that chemicals couldn't be the only option because when Reznor was a puppy, he had demodex that we treated naturally. You have NO IDEA how happy I am! It was expensive to buy everything (from the shop and the health food store), but more than worth it. I am actually keeping an exact journal on their current condition (both written and photo) and exactly how we treat them, what we use and what the results are. They look pretty bad right now and are still itchy, but we are working on it. Thanks again for the info!