AboutPatti Expertise To date, I've owned 7 dogs, all of which have lived into old age.
Having cared for them in all stages of life, I feel I can offer sound advice to other pet owners, and people considering getting a dog.
I am knowledgeable about the AKC (American Kennel Club) dog breeds, training and exercise, caring for sick and elderly pets, feeding, as well as many holistic treatments pets can benefit from.
My only request is that you write me using standard English and punctuation.
Experience My life experience in this field is more like "on the job training" rather than an actual degree in animal welfare. You may benefit from my experiences over the past 30 years.
Aside from the dogs I've owned, I'm also involved in "breed rescue" and have fostered several dogs, all of which have been adopted to wonderful "forever homes".
I find helping people who want a dog very rewarding.
Question My dog just played with two other dogs that I am unsure what skin problems they had, but there was hair loss and looked like dandruff in one spot on the pup and other strips of hair loss on the other dog. I looked up mange, but was uncertain if that was it or not. I wiped my dog down with a wet cloth when we got home, but should I do something more?
Answer
Hi Marcella,
It's good you wiped down your dog, but you should continue to watch her for signs of itching and get her to the vet promptly if you think she's scratching or chewing at herself more than she should.
There are 3 different kids of mange mites, Demodectic, Cheyletiella and Sarcoptic. Two of the three varieties of mange mites are microscopic and can't be seen by the naked eye. One variety, Sarcoptic mange is contagious to humans.
You vet will need to do a skin test to see what kind of mange your dog has, to get the correct medication to kill the specific variety of mange your dog has. Sarcoptic mange can sometimes be treated with medicated shampoos alone, so that's something you might want to try as a preventative measure now. Look for a dog shampoo that contains benzoyl peroxide such as DermaPet Benzoyl Peroxide Plus Shampoo. or Vet Solutions BPO 3 Shampoo.
