I was quite hesitant to use this treatment for my dog, it just appeared to be some quack’s idea of treating mange without spending any $$$. How wrong could I have been, this mixture appears to do the most damage to colonies of mites trying to replicate.
The Borax I Used
I turned to this natural remedy when Ivermectin, Advantage Mutli/Advocate, Nustock & the PetsBestRx products failed to work. I never had trusted natural remedies before due to my experience with them being less effective for many ailments in my past.
Apparently this remedy works by mixing the two products the peroxide 1% solution is used as a vehicle to penetrate the skin (The Hydrogen Peroxide usually sold in stores is 3% so it should be diluted with 2 equal parts water.) The borax is used as the mite killer traveling to the areas in the epidermis where these mites harbor themselves. The mixture is a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide with enough borax in it so that it is fully saturated (no longer absorbs the borax usually ( 1 cup borax 48 oz 1% hydrogen peroxide mixed for 10 min).
You are instructed to wash your dog as regular and then while the dog is wet and clean, the solution you put into a bucket is lathered all over the body (mange doesnt always show where it is living.) The dog is then allowed to air dry with the solution never rinsed or toweled off the body. This results in a chalky like feel to the coat with some temporary discoloration. After I applied this solution for the first time it appeared to really disturb the mange, Baron had bumps with soft scabs all over his body. The solution appeared to do more work than anything else I had applied. I recommend to do this 2-4 times to see results. Make sure you have some type of soothing lotion to put on the skin due to the extreme drying nature of this remedy.
The Borax and Hydrogen Peroxide didnt cure my dog yet he has improved on this treatment much more than any synthetic or expensive treatments. I almost forgot: This is a great remedy to try due to how cheap it is to try. About $2.00 to try it!
Since I explained how to use this remedy quite poorly I have enclosed a link to a site that specifically explains how to make and use this treatment as well as providing variations on the remedy and other natural treatments for Sarcoptic and Demodex Mange as well.
Earth Clinic Folk Remedies Site Link
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Thank you for your site. I had gotten the info about the borax and hydrogen peroxide from the same site as you, but had forgotten the ratios. Your explanation is MUCH more clear, so you’ve done people a real service!
Something else you may want to try for the nasty spots is Everyday Solutions Rx Mud Mange Cream. It clears up hotspots very quickly. It’s best if you apply when you can keep an eye on your dog so he/she doesn’t lick it off.
Best of luck to Baron and you! And thanks again for creating what might become a very helpful site!
I forgot the right amount of water, borax and hydrogen peroxide to treat my 2-1/2 yr old 85lbs female German Sheppard. She came with this condition from the litter box since my daughter in law bought her in Houston. She was being treated by a vet as an allergy condition due to the diet she was given. I inherited her approx 1-1/2 year ago and I also tried different vets here in Louisiana with no success. 10 – 12 months ago in desperation I went on line and saw pictures and images that looked exactly the same as what my baby had. I TRIED THE BORAX AND HYDROGEN MIXTURE AND IT WORKED AS A MIRACLE. IT WENT AWAY. Now its back again. I read its parasites under the skin.
borax is toxic if taken internaly. a collar to stop licking is nesesary, until borax is rinsed off. Lime sulfer dip also works but also requires a collar to stop licking. cats are more at risk than dogs. a cat will compleatly lick itsef after bath. the toxisity of borax, is the same as boric acid or salt.
not quite true bikerj, the toxicity of borax is the same as salt, but MUCH less toxic then boric acid. Please no one substitute boric acid for borax in this remedy. Boric Acid is very dangerous and could kill a dog if used in this manner. Borax, while not edible, is as you stated about as toxic as salt.
I am now using this solution on my 4&1/2 month old boxer pup. To boost his immune system, I’m giving him a probiotic and a puppy vitamin. To ease dry skin left behind after using this solution, I am using grapeseed oil (this also discourages those mites) The vet wanted to do the dips on him which are very toxic to the dog and humans(when wet). I rather do natural remedies and not have future illness arise from those toxic dips.
I am using the borax solution now to cure mange on my pitbull pup. I will say after one application I can notice that he had stopped itching. The hairless spots also don’t look as red and blotchy. Thanx.
how often do I need to apply the borax/H2O2/H2O solution on my dog?
It depends on the condition of your animal. I would begin with a single application once a week. If after 2 weeks you believe that your dog could benefit from additional weekly treatments try it. Make sure you rule out a thyroid issue and food allergies as well; their symptoms are strikingly similar to Mange in many ways.
[...] There are about 100 links if you google this, but this looks like a pretty good one here. Borax with Hydrogen Peroxide for Mange A guide for treating a dog with mange all ya do is sponge a borax/peroxide solution on to the affected area and let it dry without [...]
I acquired a little dog – he literally walked into my house one day when I had the door open, he appears to be a chi-shire, not sure. I believe someone dumped this little baby, he’s between 8-9 mos. to 12 mos. He was quite covered in ticks. Because of where I live I cannot keep this little precious, but he’s staying with me until I find the owner or if not, I’ll screen people interested in adopting him. The tic problem is no more, I used home remedy shampoo off the net as I had the ingredients. He has little bumps on him, he scratches, not much, but enough to notice. I’m wondering if he has mange, there is no vet within 65 miles, I don’t have the $$$, but I want to get him healthy. I believe he might have worms. There are places on his belly and other places with not so much hair that have what looks like patches of blackheads. I’m using a hydrocortisone spray on patches that look a little inflamed. He’s a pretty little dog, housebroken, sleeps at the foot of the bed, so he’s used to living inside and part-time outside. Can anyone help me with some suggestions, and some answers to questions? I would so appreciate it, I want him to be healthy and feel good. His appetite is excellent, I give him a daily vitamin which has Omega-3. I feed him IAMS puppy dry food, which he loves, and he eats frequently, thus my deduction that he is still more puppy and not over a year old. Otherwise he’s healthy, content here with me, never barks, and I just want to do everything I can for the little guy. I can’t understand anyone who would take a dog like this far from home and dump him – I’d love to meet them, if this is the case, but they would not enjoy meeting me! He doesn’t care for chew toys, and he doesn’t play. He sleeps alot. Thank you for any and all help! Myra
It sounds like your puppy may have more problems than you can see. Have you taken his temperature? Living in the wild and living on an unhealthy diet can harm the puppy’s immune system. If he’s lethargic and not playing, he may be suffering from tick fever (You said that he previously had ticks). He probably has parasites as well. You can pick up the medicine for round worms and hook worms at Walmar or online, but the tape worm medicine can’t be bought without a prescription. (You can see tape worm pieces wiggling in the puppy’s stool)
If you can’t get to a vet, then please take the puppy’s temperature and if it isn’t between 99.5 and 102.5, then this is an indication that something else is going on. All dogs have the mites that cause mange, but when they begin to have problems it may be an indication of a compromised immune system.
There are several questions that would need to be asked. Are the puppy’s glands swollen? Is the urine output a normal color? Not clear or dark? Is the puppy scooting on the floor?
I am not a vet, but I was in your place. Found a badly abused dog and had been out of work for 7 months due to the wonderful economy. You learn a lot on the internet. Just keep reading and asking questions.
Good luck !!
I know this post is old but for anyone reading this (as I came across it because of the mange issue), this might be some helpful info. instead of worm meds or a chemical dewormer try bentonite clay. I’ve used it for years and have no worm issues whatsoever (my dogs that is). Besides taking care of worms clay also keeps the intestinal tract clean of other parasites and toxins. I use it for so many different things, here are some links for more info on clay.
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/clay.htm
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/bentonite-clay.htm
http://applesanddoctors.com/healing-therapies/healing-clay.html
http://aboutclay.com/
There are many more informative sites out there so do your research like I have done and heal your pet the natural way-don’t make it more miserable with chemicals.
I know money is an issue but there could be a thiroid issue going on which would only be detected taking bloods. It is treatable but costs add up as he would need to be on thiroid meds forever. Maybe the best thing would be to find a home that can afford his treatment as it sounds like he has a few things that need checking and remedying. It could be a reason why the previous owners dumped him as they couldnt afford to bring him to the vets. good luck to both of ye. Lorna.
Would this end up bleaching my black lab since your using such a large amount of hydrogen peroxide?
For my black lab/boxer mix, I substituted apple cider vinegar so it wouldn’t bleach
how long do u leave this stuff on
it might lighten the fur if he is in the sun when the solution is wet.
yes, I used this on my black lab/pitbull and her fur has turned from a very dark black to a more brown color. But the solution has been working very well I use it about 3 times a week but I’m just curious if this will completely heal her mange and when her patches of fur should start coming back in?
It worked wonders on my pup. I have a 13 week old pitbull puppy and he had this first on his face adn it spread like wildfire to his body. I read everything I could find. I came across this article on monday, now he is doing much better. We left it on for 24 hours. His skin is no longer inflamed and red. He looks happier now. I will coat him again in 2 days to make sure we got all those little bugs. We have been using natural aloe plant to soothe his skin as this treatment drys it out severely.
I have another 14 month old female who had patches of this and the stuff the vet gave me didn’t work. It kept coming back, so we kept saturating the patches with aloe sap until it disappeared. And every now and then we coat her with it again.
Thanks a million!
The only thing with the perioxide you might want to monitor is the fact that it bleaches your pets coat. My neighbor’s black dog is blonde in the face now. Since then, I told her to substitute the peroxide with vinegar (brown one). His skin is no longer red and his hair has started to grow back…..black of course.
I discovered this Borax miraculous cure for demodex about a year ago and I will tell you, IT ABSOLUTELY WORKS!! Best home remedy out there and very inexpensive and non-toxic to your pet.
my golden skin change dramaticaly
non bad odor
the skin is shine.
i bathe him first with sulfonex dry wait next day and the dip
is great he wont scratch anymore
I have a beautiful rescue pup that was found by her rescuers with a severe case of demodectic mange. They treated her with the costly dips, and she appeared cured. They then transferred her to a dog rescue, that rescue transferred her to another rescue, and then we adopted her. All of this happened from mid-July until mid-September.
She looked great when we got her, but very soon her mange flared up again. We started by trying Pyoben Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo. It didn’t work. Her mange worsened. Then we switched her foods (gradually of course) from Diamond Brand to Fromms (www.frommfamily.com). Now she is on daily oral Ivermectin. We took almost 2 weeks to gradually get her up to full dose. She’s been on that for 2 days. For the last two weeks her mange has gotten horrible. She has scratched and bit herself until she bled. Then our vet recommended Benedryl. Which has really only made her sleep more. When she is awake she is still itchy.
So today she got her first Borax/Hydrogen Peroxide sponge bath. I’ve also ordered Dinovite (www.dinovite.com) as a supplement. Hopefully that helps.
I plan on bathing her every other day for the first week with the Borax. The only drawback that I can think of with this is that she is terrified of water in the tub. She’s fine eating treats in the tub, and she is fine with water- loves the lake! – but is petrified of water in the tub. I don’t want the stress of frequent baths to aggravate her condition. We smeared peanut butter on the tiles of the wall, and while she had peanut butter to lick she seemed better… we’ll keep trying.
Thank you for all the great advice! I’ll keep you posted on Ruby’s progress!
i love the peanut butter idea great thinking!
I’m going to try the peanut butter today when i bathe Molly, as she is also terrified, she starts shaking once I get her into the bathroom, Thanks hopefully this helps!
I have a Border Collie/Lab Mix that was diagnosed with Demodex mange…I started using the Borax/peroxide remedy .. I did the second treatment today… is there a better way than another for applying the solution.. I gave her a bath first then rinsed her off.. then I just poured the solution over her and massaged it into here fur and skin.. then let her air dry… I really don;t want to have to use the mitaban dip unless I have to. (being it is poison). Some say you should use a sponge to apply it.. I have an Idea to put some in a small spray bottle and between dips spray the solution on the really bad areas.. has anyone tried it this way?
I guess you could do that, but it will take a lot of spraying to get ample amount through the fur onto the skin. I prefer the sponge method because you can just squeeze the liquid out of the sponge onto the dog. This way you have better control of getting it on the dog more than on the floor, which I would think happens when you just pour it on. Another reason I wouldn’t use a spray bottle—–when I pick up a spray bottle, regardless of what it is, all my dogs disappear suddenly.
The Borax/Peroxide mix seems to have left my little one more itchy than before. The (what seems to be) mange spots never itched her and I wouldnt have noticed them had the hair not fallen out. The family I got her from said they were “hot spots” so I have been treating them as such for 3 weeks without any improvement. I noticed what looked like pepper flakes on her skin and have come to the conclusion its mange. I will continue with this solution on her for the next day or so but if the itching does not subside I will try desitin next.
If it’s not itchy it’s not mange. The solution may have just irritated the hot spots more. Could be dermatitis, a yeast infection maybe. Desitin does not heal, it provides a protective layer. With mange it can help smother the kritters.Use something to help heal the skin instead. Neem oil, diluted in a carrier oil (I use olive oil) and aloe vera is what I use. Educate yourself about hot spots
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hotspots.html
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesandconditions/f/FAQ_hotspot.htm
http://www.drrosesremedies.com/treat-hot-spot-dog.shtml
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hot-spots-on-dogs.html
When my dogs start licking or biting at an area, there’s usually little more than a red spot, which will get worse if they continue. I have found that when I sprinkle some bentonite clay powder over the area they will leave it alone. I know from my own experience that the clay relieves itching, cools and soothes the skin, takes away pain. At the same time it will disinfect and promote healing.
Hi, I have now done my first bath with Borax/Peroxide. But as Borax is now so difficult to get in the UK, whilst I waited for my on-line delivery to arrive, I plumbed for Tea Tree oil and Lavendar oil mixed in with some carrier oil and massaged this in daily for a week. I have to say, the lesions on my Yorkie are drying out and the mad itching has stopped. in between rubs I would dab either neat Lavendar oil or Tea Tree oil onto the lesions. For those who need an alternative to Peroxide/Borax, I highly recommend this. Good luck
I tried this for several weeks but it didn’t work for my dog. Now I’m trying the Advantage Multi / Advocate every two weeks as recommended by the vet.
If that doesn’t work, I plan to buy Dr. Ben’s Paws and Claws (a cedar oil spray to kill the mites naturally).
Ivermectin cleared up Pearl’s (my Chinese Crested) first round of mange, but she refused to eat her food when I added it this time around.
Hi all, I am currently treating my dog with the h2o2 and borax solution. Can you please tell me how long it took for the hair on face and body to begin regrowth? thanks
I would say after 2 weeks of sucessfully treating it you should see hair regrowth. Be very careful and put your pet on a limited ingredient diet such as Natural Balance Salmon and Potato to verify that its not a food allergy. Many times the pustules coming from a dogs skin can appear to be mange when in fact your dogs food is whats driving his skin crazy. Good luck!
i change his diet to wellness core gree of graine. mange feed of graine so stop that cheap food make it worst
I have been to the vet 4x and nothing has changed. First they said my lab Cheynne had skin allergies. The next visit they said sher was allergic to Front Line. After that they said she an anxiety problems. My dog wore a lamp shade for 3 months. Every antbiotic, every steriod did not cure my dog. My poor dog has so many hot spots on her that I finally took it into my own hands. The vets want blood work, the vets want skin scapings. The vets in my opinion want to make their money. Taking you dog to the vet is more expensive than taking your child to the doctor.
To make a long story short. My dog has mange which I diagnosed myself. I have tried every over the counter meds and they do not work.
I have searched for a solution. So far the best one is Borax and Periodixe. The minute I put it on her all her hot spots turned black.. To me it means something happened. She has raw spots on her back and all of her legs and belly. She did not cry or even back away.
This solution did not hurt her. She is not lickling or scratching at all. She looks like crap, but thats ok. I am also adding to her food Vanilla Yogurt with probiotics.
The only set back is that I am doing laundry everyday with borax becasue she sleeps with me.
I am spraying my matress and her bed with this solution.
So far so good. Wish me luckl becasue this is the only thing that seems to be working
No grain dog food.
Ive got a 14 month old Dogue DeBordeaux who has mange for the 2nd time now, though its only effecting his stomach and inner thighs. His immune system is not as strong as it should be so Im skeptical of the oral meds my vet wants to give so we just tried the borax mixture tonight.
Any tips on what I can give him to boost immunity?
Your baby might not have the mange-might just be dermatitis. I thought some of my dogs had demodex mange but got wise just recently. Demodex mange usually begins with hair loss around the eyes. I saqw a pic on the web and 2 of my dogs had that but it cleared up on it’s own. The other mange is contageous, so that can’t be it because I have dogs who never have any issues with their skin/hair.. However,some have been ailing with skin problems for a very long time. After more research I have come to the conclusion that they have moist dermatitis. The best way to keep it from spreading is to keep the area dry. For this I use bentonite clay powder. A word about immune system. 2 of my dogs affected with this skin problem have heartworm, so their immune system is definitely compromised. Any over the counter meds or prescription meds will further harm the immune system. I have spent many many many hours searching for natural ways to treat my animals. I don’t search for natural remedies, because all you get is caps, pills, powders liquids and such people try to sell you for a pretty penny. I look for heme remedies and have learned a lot about herbs and other substances I can use myself and for my animals. Astragalus and echinacea are good as immune boosters. Read about Astragalus here http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Astragalus.htm
and here about echinacea http://www.bing.com/health/article/nccam-122235/Echinacea?q=echinacea
Astragalus helps produce more immune cells and echinacea stimulates the immune system.
our cats have mange and nothing has worked yet. we want to try this but is safe on cats. we have surfed the web but cant find any info on this. please help.
Again, this post is old, but noone has made any comment, so for those reading this post and looking for some advise, here goes nothing. It is my understanding that borax is highly toxic for cats, considering that they groom themselves constantly. I personally would not try this remedy for a kitty. Another remedy I would not try is anything containing essential oils, as this is toxic for cats also. Remember that the same thing will affect different creatures differently, as is with us humans, so in those two cases I’d rather not take the chance, especially since you can’t watch over a cat 24/7. I have found some interesting and helpful information regarding mange in cats though
http://www.ehow.com/way_5472948_cat-mange-home-remedy.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_5379634_castor-oil-mange-cats.html
http://www.petwave.com/Cats/Health/Skin/Mange/Overview.aspx
Hi,
I have a inquiry for the webmaster/admin here at dogmange.wordpress.com.
Can I use some of the information from your post right above if I provide a link back to this website?
Thanks,
Thomas
Sure.
.– I am very thankful to this topic because it really gives great information ~,.
I have an 8 year old pit bull. She has red mange or Dermatitis. Seems the older she gets the harder it is to control the problem. She will be fine for a few months then WAMMO she gets bumps mostly on the back or hind area or feet between toes to the point of a bloody slimmy smelly mess in a matter of 48 hours.The mites also like to make a (hive) like area where the skin damage will be 2×2 inch patch of raw bleeding mess and i am helpless to kill these dam things.
I have 100′s in vet bills ivermecton,prednisone,depo-medrol shot’s and on and on. All of these meds worked but only for a short time then the cycle starts all over again.
I tried the Borax / Peroxide and “YES” it is working very well after only 5 days. I looked up MSDS and found Borax (sodium tetraborate) to be way way safer the all the other poisons the vets sell you such as Amitraz dips and so on.
She acts like a big happy puppy now that she is a Borax dog
I LOVE MY DOGS! and BORAX KILLS DERMATITIS MITES DEAD!!!!!!!!
I have a 15-month-old Border Collie mix with Demodectic Mange. He has areas that are very raw, even bloody in places. Can I still use the Borax/Peroxide mixture on him, or do I have to wait until he’s healed a bit? We’re going to have to resort to an E-collar for him, which he totally freaks out over.
Thanks so much for this VERY helpful site and information.
Yes you can use the solution right away. I would give him a regular bath first, then the solution. Air dry and repeat after one week.
I have 3 cats suffering with ringworm and one seems as if he has mange too? Possible or ringworm?
Yes cats do get a mange, the parasite or mite is a different one but the effects are the same. Do a search for home remedies for cat mange and you will find posts on this topic as well.
this mixture of borax and peroxide is incredible. at first i was hesitant but after 10 days this solution has worked wonders
thank you
I dont know if anybody will be able to answer this question but I figured I would toss it out there anyway. I have always thought my dog had hot spots. She never had any signs that anything major was going on just slight skin irritations now and then in spots. Well she just had a litter of pups and its worse then ever. After researching on net I am sure its mange. The pups are a week old now and already showing symptoms! Can anybody give me some advise?
I sure hope your little family is doing well. I know this comes late but surely after the stress of giving birth your mother dog’s immune system is down, causing any other problems to flair up, which also leads me to assume that your dog’s immune system was just barely dealing with the skin issues, having minor outbreaks here and there. The fact that the pups were showing signs leads me to beliebe that your momma dog has the contagous kind of mange. I would definitely treat with the borax solution. Any raw open areas I always treat with bentonite clay. Just sprinkle a little powder over the affected area. This can also be used for the pups as it is non toxic and also recommended for de-worming, so any licking won’t hurt. In my opinion, the most important thing for all ailments is nutrition. Proper nutrition is key for the body to function as intended. The second item on my list is supporting the immune system so it can become stronger and eventually deal better with issues. My third piece of advise is to use herbs or natural products to deal with specific issues. This will require a lot of reserch, and a lot of patience, but will be well worth the effort in the long run.
You are so right about it being safe to use the bentonite clay powder on the pups, and I know that you did not mean that it is ok to use the borax washing powder/peroxide solution on the pups, but just to be clear to those who might misunderstand, do NOT use the solution on pups under 10 lbs in weight or 16 weeks of age. I’ve been a vet tech for over 30 years, and because of the ratios of weight to solution and age and developing immune systems, applying the solution to pups under 4 months old or under 10 lbs in weight is not considered safe by vets. Some breeds don’t even weight 10 lbs as adults, and for those dogs, wait until they are 20 weeks old. This is because of the progress of their developing immune systems when their relative weight won’t support the safe use of the solution. Diluting the solution renders it ineffective, so that is not an option. Also, no one has posted the caveat that increasing the peroxide ratio is UNSAFE. It can cause the breakdown of healthy skin tissue at 2% or 3% solution. This is the reason that peroxide should never be used after a wound starts to heal on a person, nor used under a bandage where the skin is then kept moist.
I plan to try this today with our Lab mix. I’m assuming he has Demodex. It is currently a mild case from my understanding… only around his eyes… Can I just saturate the area without totally bathing this huge creature every time? I can’t wait to report back!
Yes you can do that, but be very careful. If it is just getting started you could also try using olive oil or any carrier oil with a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in. It has helped my dogs.
Wow! What a difference.
1 part hydrogen peroxide (3%) to 2 parts water. Add as much Boraxo to the liquid as it can sustain without falling to the bottom.
For years, my mom’s dog had mange, but the vets would say it was flea allergies or some other type of allergy. It is ashamed to learn how little vets know and how quickly they jump to conclusions to get you out in 20 minutes.
I had to do my own research. At first, I thought it might be fungal, so I tried anti-fungals. Then, I tried this Boraxo/Hydrogen Peroxide solution. Wow!
I apply it after giving a bath. It only needs to be done once a week. After bathing, apply it all over the affected areas and leave it on wet. Do not dry the dog.
After the 4th time (so far), the skin is smooth, the coat has grown back a lot, and the dog is much, much better.
Mange looks like an exposed, crusty, bumpy, scabby, weepy infection. If the dog has any white fur that is affected, the skin will be very pink. It is a shame vets misdiagnose like they do, and when they do diagnose correctly, it costs an arm and a leg, when you can DIY for about $10.00 in laundry detergent and hydrogen peroxide.
Be sure you use Boraxo and NOT BORIC ACID. It is a powdered soap in the laundry section of stores.
I have read from all the comments how to mix and apply, but I did not read anywhere if the solutions has to be rinsed after a period of time or should the solution stay on the skin untill it is reapplied. How many times a week it the solutions has to be applied. I too have spent too much $$ on all kinds of products and non have shown improvements, Thanks for your info.
Apply once a week, let air dry, do not rinse off. Repeat as often as necessary. I bathe my dogs first, then apply the solution. You should see improvement even after the first application. Depending on how bad your dog is, just repeat the process once a week until you are satisfied that the problem is taken care of.
It’s 20 Mule Team Borax. You can buy it at Walmart
Does this work on sarcoptic mange?
http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html
Try this site
Yes it does!!!
I am also trying this solution on my 4lb.chi and need to know if it has to be rinsed off after a certain amount of hours. I am praying it works on her because she is in bad shape at the moment. Vet has her on the ivermectin and antibiotic and gave me the amitraz dip for her but I refuse to use the dip. It smells like gasoline!
No-do not rinse. Bathe again in a week and do the same. After it has dried you can apply some oil to moisturize. I use olive oil with neem oil mixed in. Neem helps to soothe and heal the skin.
I also have a 5 month old Chihuahua who was born with this but did not appear until he was 4 months old. Our Vet first misdiagnosed him. He put him on a medicine that did nothing until we took him back 2 weeks later when he was losing his hair. He looked awful. then the vet put us on Inveticin which caused convulsions we took him off that after first treatment. then the vet put him on interceptor. My other chi was on this once per month the vet wanted us to use this on our 1lb puppy chi 1/2 tablet every day for two months. I was not good with this., I feared to much medicine for him. I finally went and found this site and wow. I was scared to use this seeing that he was totally bald now and looked so bad. but i figured it couldn’t hurt. I put the mixture on him last night and immediately we saw bumps come alive on his little body then go red.. especially feet areas. I was scared but soon the bumps stopped appearing and slowly they got less red. We put veg oil to sooth the skin and he seems great. was concerned about the licking so we put a towel over after it dried. My question is how do you do the face and mouth,. I also have a question he now seems to have changed his skin color to areas of black, is this normal. ? he is on an antibotic for the infection. he doesn’t smell. he eats great and plays. just alittle worried about the black skin areas.
WOW! This is Mary see my last post July 4th. I used as recommended left it on my dog for two days and all the sores and rash were gone. I bathed my dog and re applied the solution. It has made a world of differnce. So much better then the last treatment I used ivermectin which caused my dog tempoary blindness…. I intend to continue to use this solution. Thank you
How much water do i use?? i read a cup of Borax, and twice as much water to the hydrogen peroxide…is it suppose to be pasty?? or more liquid like a shampoo consistancy?? My puppy has been itching for days and the antibiotics are not working…poor baby cries every time he itches. I read this article and went right to walmart and bought all the stuff I needed…just need to know how much water…thanks!
Depending on the size of your dog is how much of the solution you will want to mix. A samll dog 2 cups water, 1 cup peroxide and as much borax as will dissolve in this. A larger dog, maybe double of everything. The amount of borax is only as much as will dissolve . Once the borax starts settling at the bottom of the dish you are using, it is enough. The mix is NOT pasty, more like a thick soapy liquid, but not as thick as liquid soaps. Still more on the watery side.
1 part peroxide to 2 parts water. Load up the borax until it all just sits in the bottom and wont dissolve into the mixture. Use a sponge, a wash cloth, anything that will absorb it and then soak it into the dog, obviously its easiest to sqeeze it onto the top of the dog but get the sides and legs really good too. It will feel slimy and slippery when getting it on you. Use a soaked cloth to dab the head and snout, dont get it in the eyes. Once a week for a good 4 weeks. This does have an effect on the dog…mine gets tired and naps everytime afterwards, it can put them into a kind of sedation from what I’ve seen/been told by a good vet. They also say dont put the dog into any stressful situations for the day after you do it. Also I bought a hair dryer and air dry the dog after it sets for 10 min or so. I found that if I just applied it and stuck her outside, there is gnats, mosquitos, flys, dirt, and she did everything possible to keep shaking to dry herself and that didnt allow for the best set in on the skin so keep them in the tub and blow dry nice and easy. It should feel like a chalk powder coat when done. Give it a few weeks, should see results.
could someone please tell me the peroxide is this the same stuff used in hair dyes ? Also will it bleach my dog ??
It is the 3% Hydrogen peroxide you can buy at any grocery store for desinfecting wounds. This is further diluted down to 1% by mixing 2 parts water to 1 part peroxyde. Yes, it is the bleach, but veeeeery diluted and won’t hurt your dog. It is just a vessel for the borax to be able to penetrate the skin where it will be effective. A paste or mixture with just water will not penetrate and just sit on top of the skin, rendering it useless. Your pet’s coat might lighten a little, but I’m sure he/she won’t mind compared to the relief he/she will have from the itching. Besides, the coat grows back normally. No permanent side effects, only great relief.
Thankyou so much CHris for your response..As I have very expensive dogs (Dogue De Bordeaux’s) I went with the apple cider vinegar and the Borax instead of the peroxide..I am a little scared to add the peroxide incase it does bleach her hair…I just want to ask a question…My dog has slight missing fur on her face and small patches on her tummy..I did have her locked up in an old chook pen that was no longer in use for about 4 weeks as she came on heat and I did not want her mating with my male….I am thinking she got this from the chook pen…Chooks get mites and maybe she picked it up from the pen..I can’t see any crawling on her which the chook type mights you can see…I am wondering if this is from the pen as she was fine before she went in…It is so heart breaking when your pet get sick or hurt
Well, I had to do a little research and found that chook or poultry mites (kind of like fleas) can live for more than 6 months without feeding, They can even lie dormant for years. So it’s a great possibility that this is what has been ailing your baby. Unlike the mange mites though, these only come to feed on the blood and do not burrow under the skin, which is good news. You basically would just have to treat topically to help heal the skin. I personally use neem oil mixed with a carrier oil, which I use extra virgin olive oil. Helps to smooth and soothe the skin, while the neem helps the skin to heal, as well as repells. Besides the hairloss in the areas you described, does she have any red bumps on her anywhere? If not, I would venture to guess that you are indeed not dealing with mange mites. Below I have inserted a couple of links on chook mites. Hope this helps.
http://www.ehow.com/about_6106978_can-humans-dogs-lice-birds_.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2292743_get-rid-chicken-mites.html
Does anyone know what happens when it is ingested? I am afraid that my dog will itch by biting himself and ingest the borax that is on his coat.
In such a diluted form the chances of your dog having any kind of side effects from licking the solution are slim to none. As with anything, there is always that slim chance of an animal being extra sensitive to something or another. I just read a post on another site about how a lady bathed her 2 10 month old kittens in the solution. They vomited (everything points to cats being more sensitive than dogs), and then they were fine. I personally would rather take my chances with something that occurs in nature, rather than use ivermectin, for instance, which is a pesticide, and gets into the animal’s bloodstream. The list of possible side effects is long. Borax is USED IN products, but in itself not a pesticide.
Source: http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=D1002&Show=ExtInfo
“Ingredients: 100% Borax, a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium, boron, oxygen and water. That’s it!
Source: http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/borax.html
Chemical Formula: Na2B4O7
Synonyms
Sodium borate decahydrate,
Sodium tetraborate decahydrate,
Sodium biborate,
Sodium pyroborate
Description White powder.
Uses Borax is used in laundry detergents and bleaches. It releases hydrogen peroxide when it reacts with water. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleach, and this action is aided by the alkaline solution also produced by the reaction.
Borax is a good buffer, helping to keep the acidity or alkalinity of a solution stable.
The boron (along with the oxygen and salt) in a borax solution helps to disinfect by killing bacteria and fungi.
I would, however, advise against spoon feeding the stuff.
My dog is now being treated for this by oral medication through my vet’s instructions..But I did wash my dog in the Borax and I believe my dogs bald spots didn’t get worst or any better so I would say it put the mange on hault and it worked….I wouold highly recomend using the borax and apple cider vinegar mix..I was too scared to use the peroxide incase it bleached my dog….
The treatment for mange is like $65 for 5 weeks anyway so I would advise to get oral treatment and wash your dog with the borax also..
I have used many different and expensive treatments from multiple vets for my pitbull over the last 2 years for her demodex mange. I am going to try this bath very soon but I had some questions I am hoping someone can answer for me. First, we recently moved and for the first time ever, she has fleas. Does anyone know if this will kill the fleas too or if I’m going to have to buy something else to rid her of that? Also, I have oatmeal/flea shampoo and was wondering if I can use that on her after this mixture has dried a few days later to soothe the skin and to get rid of the fleas if in fact, it won’t kill the fleas? Otherwise, what else can I use to soothe her skin after the baths give her irritated skin? I don’t have much money so something cheap is necessary. I just can’t stand to see my beautiful Lily like this anymore!
I always bathe my dogs BEFORE using the solution. So use that shampoo you have. As far as fleas, I use the original formulation (the blue one) of dawn dish detergent. It will kill the fleas on contact, no kidding. I have been using it for a long time and after doing some research (someone had said it was too harsh) learned that it is VERY compatible with a dog’s skin ph in diluted form. How I use it: I use 1/3 water (I let a bar of neem soap dissolve in this water), 1/3 distilled white vinegar, and the last third is dawn and neem oil. What you can do is add about a tablespoon of dawn to the shampoo you have. You definitely want to get them fleas dead before you do anything. But you also need to treat your home indoors and out and the bedding etc. to keep from getting an infestation. Fleas exist topical (on the skin), where’s the mange mites burrow under the skin, which is why they’re so hard to get rid of. You leave the borax solution on and do NOT wash it off until you get ready to treat again. First the bath, then the solution. What the solution (primarily the borax, which is a naturally occurring mineral composed of sodium (salt), boron, oxygen and water) does is dehydrate the mites. The peroxide is used as a carrier for the borax to be able to penetrate the skin and get to them. The borax alone can not get under the skin. The water just dilutes everything to make the whole thing safe. I have some fish, and there I have also learned that using epsom salt baths will dehydrate fungus and bacteria and fall right offf the fish. Yes it is somewhat stressfull, but the fish recovers and the pest is gone. I can literally see the stuff flaking off them. Hmmmm, wonder how epsom salt could be applied here (if at all), but that’s more research. Now for combating the drying skin effect, I use a mixture of olive oil, aloe vera and neem oil to rub my babies down 2 or 3 days after the treatment. Even just oil is fine. The oil also helps to smother the mites, but will make the dog feel more comfy, the skin feel softer. Hope this helps and I wish you an Lily all the best and a speedy recovery.
On the topic of using Dawn Liquid for dogs / cats – IT IS SAFE FOR CATS! I’ve bred Mains Coon Cats for years and I can tell you the secret to getting the coats of these long haired cats CLEAN for a show is DAWN – original, non-concentrated, blue Dawn.
Most cat breeders use it to strip the oils and build up from the coat. I use it on all my animals and it’s a dream.
Dawn kills any fleas on contact and you will have VERY clean babies.
Just be sure to rinse it completely. If you think you’ve rinsed enough, do it one more time. The dog or cat’s coat really should squeak when you run your hands down it.
If the pet has sensitive skin I’d use a conditioner after or a leave in spray before you dry them as it can over dry the skin – it strips the oils out.
borax and h2o2 almost killed my pitbul. I would strongly oppose this treatment.
Since there was no reply to Laura’s post I suspect that treatment most likely was not done properly. You don’t just throw something like that out there and leave it hanging like that. A lot of people make up their own thing, use it once, don’t get any results (duh) and than hollor it don’t work, or use something incorrectly and then hollor it nearly killed my pet. Ayesha said “borax and h2o2 almost killed my pitbul”. Well if she just used those 2, she might have made a paste of peroxide and borax, maybe thinking more is better. And the dog might have licked that paste, in which case I wouldn’t be surprised if the dog indeed got very ill. Our bodies need sun to be healthy, but we all know what happens if we overdo it. Tell us your story Ayesha!!!
Ayesha, what exactly happened to your dog? What were her/his symptoms? I have bee a vet tech for over 30 years and NEVER heard of such a thing when used properly according to the correct formula. I do know that is a dog has a heavy mite load, they will sometimes become very agitated and appear to be trying to jump out of their skin – this is due to the mites migrating as they are dying off. In that event, we always give the dogs Tramadol to sedate them until the agitation wears off, which is usually in 24 hours. I am very interested in hearing what happened to your dog because I am always concerned for our clients’ beloved furry friends and that the treatments we recommend are not harmful.
Ok after my pug had puppies she started loosing hair. The vet said it was hormones from having the puppies. But it got worse. Terrible as a matter of fact. She didnt have much hair left. I took her to the vet 2 different times and they did 3 different skin scrappings and said they couldnt see anything. And told me to wait it out. Well it didnt get better so we took her again they said it’s probably an allergy but I INSISTED that wasnt it because she has been eating the same food for years and now is suddenly having problems. So they told me they’d give me treatment for mange to see if it helped. Ivermectin and 2 oral pills. It cleared it up and her hair grew back in. But less than a month later it showed again I took her and got MORE meds. Again it cleared it up but about 2 weeks later she started scabbing and loosing hair again. So I started seaching the internet for help as not only am I not rich to afford all the vet bills but I know that much medication cant be good for her. I found this site applied it last week and again today. I also foiund something that said to bathe them in Selsun Blue shampoo as there is something in it that helps kill the mites. So hopefully with the selsun blue and the Borax solution it will cure it and she wont need to continue possibly harmful medications. I noticed she is not itching as much now but havent seen any hair growth. I have high hopes. My question is how long do I keep this up? Every week for the rest of her life?
Just do it regularly once a week. Just like us humans, every dog reacts differently, and it also depends on how bad the infestation is. I rub my babies down with a mix of olive oil (you can even use baby oil), aloe vera and neem oil after a couple of days to relieve the drying effect. Neem oil also helps with the critters. Don’t give up, in time it will help.
When mixing the Borax, Water, and Hydrogen peroxide how much of each, without percentages. Can you give me Ounce or Cup measurements for each. I need to know if it should be a paste or water based? Any additional information would be greatly appreciated and needed ASAP! Thanks so much
You use twice the amount of water as peroxide. 1 cup peroxide-2 cups water, 2 cps peroxide, 4 cups water etc. Depending how large a dog you have. This is to dilute the usually 3% peroxide you buy at the store. Into that you add borax, first 1 tablespoon, mix it until it’s all dissolved. Then add another, and so on, until you can see that the borax settles in the bottom of the water peroxide solution and does not dissolve anymore. That means the liquid portion is saturated, meaning it can no longer dissolve any more borax, it just falls to the bottom of the bowl. This is how you want to use it. It’s not a paste at all but still very liquid. And it’s not an exact science, so don’t worry, as long as it is still liquid you’re ok.
I’m going to try this tomorrow. Can’t wait!
So is the measurement 1 cup of Borax and add 48 OZes of hydrogen-peroxide to the borax in a cup then bath your dog with it without drying him off? I’m confused on how much of each to use per bath. Thanks!
P.S. my dog is small about 50lbs. Is there 1% peroxide out there?
That is the reason you have to dilute the peroxide with water. And you don’t bathe the dog in this, you bathe before applying the solution. If your dog is small it can’t be 50 lbs. Did you mean to say 5? In any case. Here it is one more time:
Whatever amount of peroxide you use, the water you mix it with is always double. Then you add borax by the tablespoon, one at a time and make sure to let it dissolve each time. When it no longer dissolves (settles at the bottom), you have added enough borax. This solution should be still watery, not pasty. Use a sponge or a rag to apply this on your dog’s body. Be very careful around the face. Let air dry and do not rinse or wash off until you get ready to re-apply about a week later if necessary.
No, I meant 50lbs-so medium size. We just weighed him at the vet. He’s a black lab mix. So how much peroxide etc for a 50 lbs dog. This is him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6lAO1LEI6c
He’s very puppy like still. Less than a year old but muscular and fast.
How precious. Very nice video. He’s just a bit less than my dogs, so for one treatment I would suggest mixing 2 cups water, 1 cup peroxide, and then of course the borax. This should be enough. You should always prepare the solution fresh when you need it. If you find you need more or less, just adjust the amount next time, but always keeping the ratio 1 part peroxide-2 parts water, and as much peroxide as the liquid will dissolve. May also suggest doing some research into nutritional needs and how to boost your dog’s immune system. The best treatment in my opinion is always prevention. The better the dog’s immune system, the better he can deal with not only mange but other situations. Take care!!!
Thanks so much. Well we just got back from the vet and they say he doesn’t have skin mites or scabies so he may have a food allergy. They shaved a little part of his butt so he’s not happy
Thanks for all your help–Glad you liked the video
Guess we’ll get him something for his hotspots.
E.
You are quite welcome. But please heed my suggestion about nutrition and your dog’s immune system. Hot spots can become very serious. Do your homework, educate yourself. Your dog is too young to be getting started with this already. Wishing you both well!!!
Hi Miss Chris.
You’ve been so helpful here.
I have a question for you. Do you know of any good websites that explain good nutrition for dogs? I have all my pets eating Iams. Is this good? Where do you buy your herbs for your dogs?
Thank you so much
Hi Randy-I apologize for my tardiness, but have been rather busy as of late. As to your questions, I have this pdf file downloaded that gives very good basic info on what to feed your pets. You can access this file on my website at I don’t know if html code is allowed and if this works, but if it doesn’, here is the link again plain http://www.misschris.biz. Personally I believe that any processed pet foods lack in proper nutrition that our animals need. To me, kibble to a pet is like junk food to me. Yes, we get full, and yes we suffer in the long run. That goes hand in hand since all processed foods lose the good stuff we all need in the processing. So, be it a so called better brand or a cheapo, the end result is the same, since they all have to be subjected to intense heat. Anywho
, Look at the ingredients, and what you see first on the list, is what the kibble contains most. The 2nd item on the list will be the next lower amount of ingredient, and so on. The first thing you will see about meat will most likely be meat by products. Just google this and find out what that actually means (yuck). Hence, any kind of kibble to me is a no no.
On my site you will also find a couple of links to the site where I puchase my herbs (More Than Alive). The folks running the site are a christian couple. They offer lots of info, not just products. They are very helpful, and last but definitely not least, I have found them to be on the lower end of pricing, even compared with so called bulk stores, and I periodically do price comparisons. I suspect they do get a lot of repeat business, since they also have very good ratings from customers. I have been purchasing from them for over 2 years now.
Of course there are many websites out there (and blogs) talking about home made pet food, and some controversy as well. You will have to use your common sense, good judgement, and of course your computer to do a lot of research. I know this is a bit off topic, but does tie into why our pets ail to begin with. If you have more questions, please feel free to email me via my website.
A lot of people mention using Neem Oil to treat your dogs. How much should I use?
And what should I mix it with… aloe vera, baby oil, olive oil?
It would really help me out if anyone has a recipe or rule of thumb to apply this stuff. I’m completely unfamiliar with it.
Thank you.
Neem oil needs to be mixed with a carrier oil, any oil will do. I personally use virgin olive oil, and aloe vera gel when I have some. I also add it to the homemade shampoo I use for my dogs, as well as my own shampoo (fixin to go no poo here shortly though). As far as ratio, it’s not an exact science, but to give you and idea, I would say about a tablespoon full to a 16oz bottle. I apply this a day or 2 after treatment with the borax solution. If any of my dogs have a small spot (2 of them tend to get dry areas on the chest and under the neck) I apply this as well. I have also applied it pure to a small hot spot. If you do this, watch for signs of irritation, every dog will react differently. Mine have never reacted adversely, but I don’t do this as a general rule. When they start biting on a particular area but nothing is there, I apply neem oil pure just to that area and that usually settles the matter (onset of a hot spot). Below I have provided a link for you to get started learning about neem oil. Happy reading!!!
http://www.discoverneem.com/
About 1-2 months ago, my 3 yr old Chinese Shar-Pei had a spot in the middle of his side, that looked like a welt, about the size of a nickel. At first I thought it was probably from a sting or insect bite. Eventually the hair fell out so he had a small round bald spot. The spot began to enlarge though so I thought maybe it was ringworm and treated it with a diluted bleach solution. But the spot keeps growing and is no longer round. The hair is growning back in on the original bald but he keeps getting slightly crusty areas around the perimeter and more hair falls out. My microscope is packed away where I don’t have access to it at the moment but I’m wondering if he may have sarcoptic mange? I’ve tried some anti fungal creams which seem to help slightly, but don’t really cure the problem. The spot is now more square in shape and is about 4″X4″. He doesn’t have any other skin issues anywhere else on his body and our other dog doesn’t seem to be affected by the samde condition so not real sure on it being mange. The area does seem to itch slightly, but not to the point that it is really bothering him 99% of the time. I’m thinking of getting some borax today and trying it to see if it clears it up. We had a rescue St. Bernard last year that had severe mange and the borax treatments did wonderful on him. Any input on my Shar-Pei’s condition and possible treatment would be appreciated. Thanks! Peiable
Sounds to me to be a so called hot spot, which is acute moist dermatitis. “Hotspots can be caused by an allergy, usually to fleabites. Other causes of hot spots include arthritis, poor grooming, mange, ear infections, anal gland problems, and burrs or seeds becoming embedded in the fur. Hot spots can quickly grow in size. Most of the injury is from the dog licking. The more the dog licks, the bigger the affected area becomes”.
Read more: What Is a Hot Spot on a Dog? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_4882054_what-hot-spot-dog.html#ixzz1b41bmtcy
Since the dog licking and biting the spot will cause it to get worse, my logical mind tells me to relieve the irritation first, so they won’t bother the spot and allow it to heal. The borax solution may do the trick since it helps to dry the area and also provides relief from itching. I treat my dogs with bentonite clay and neem oil. Since the area is usually moist, I sprinkle some bentonite clay powder over it, which soaks up the moisture. Since the clay becomes active when moist, this will also start the healing process. The itch relief is almost instant, which I have experienced myself. It will also relief pain associated with their licking and biting the spot. If the area is dry, a patch of hydrated clay will also help to heal the spot and keep it from getting worse. The area covered should be larger than the spot itself. If the spot is small I also apply pure neem oil, which usually does the trick. For larger areas I use a carrier oil (usually olive oil) to mix with the neem oil and apply. Neem has many healing properties and it also helps to keep the skin hydrated if borax is used.
I personally stay away from any kind of drugs, as these will only treat the symptoms and further compromise an immune system that is already not able to cope with whatever underlying cause there is for the hot spot. There may be dietary issues. Anything you can do to boost yout pet’s immune system will help it to combat underlying issues and be healthier in the long run. The topical treatments will offer relief and speed external healing.
Yes I use neem oil for small areas and neem mixed with a carrier oil for larger areas. I also add a few drops of tea tree oil when I have some. Also very good to re-moisturize the skin after the borax treatment.
Hi,
however with her getting very agitated and wanting to get out of the bathtub I just put the patsy mixture on her anyway, immediately I have noticed that she has stopped itching. So my question is will this still work? If I leave it on her for a week and then mix the solution the right way next time, Also I read somewhere that adding 1/8 of a teaspoon to her drinking water will kill mange from the inside out but I have not done that yet because I’m not sure it would be safe. We got her from my husbands best friend who was deployed to Iraq and had no where else for her to go, I have grown very fond of her and it upsets me that she has to go through this. She is shedding badly but still has a pretty thick coat but I did notice that she has a few spots the back of her neck that seem to be bleeding (they look like sores) Could this be dog scabies and if so will this treatment work and is my family safe to be around her?
I came across this site and decided to do the treatment on my Chocolate lab. When I mixed the solution it was more pasty than watery so apparently I mixed it wrong
Dog Scabies is the sarcoptic mange. This is the kind that can transfer to other animals. The other mange (demotectic) will not transfer. These mites cannot live on a human skin, so even if someone catches one they might get a little bump at best. Since you used more like a paste the first time, you may want to give a bath and re-treat sooner than 1 week. Being pasty will prohibit good absorbtion into the skin. So wait 3 or 4 days, then do it again. You may also want to apply some oil after another couple days to re-moisturize the skin. Is the dog scratching the sores, or do they seem to bother her? If her hair is coming out it most likely is mange. The sores and bleeding usually occur from excessive licking, biting and scratching, so to provide relief is very important.
Well I hate to say it but if the 2 sores are itching her then she cant reach them to scratch as they are on the back of her neck. I am going to repeat this bath in a couple of days but I must say she looks alot better today. I’ll keep you posted on the end results! Thanks so much for all you do on these forums being a pet owner is like being a mother, I have children and she worries me as much as they do!
You are quite right penny, our pets are like our children and if you think about it, they depend on us as much as our children. These creatures cannot help themselves and rely totally on us to keep them healthy. Wishing you much success and all the best to your family!!
I have given Maggie two treatments and her rash has gone down considerably. I am treating her every four days.
I am cleaning her bedding and the area she stays in. I expect most of the mange to be gone with the next two treatments.
This has worked very well since Maggie is a Border Collie.
The best, safe non toxic way to cure mange or scabies is the alcapulko leaves it sooths to the skin and kill mites it also mosturize the skin. Crash the leaves directly to the affected skin.
For more information about alcapulko leaves search it on google. It is proven effective.
The correct name is akapulko or acapulco leaves. I found this very interesting article about it
http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/articles/akapulko1.htm
Aquiring this herb seems to be an issue though. There are products containing it, but i have not as yet found anywhere to purchase just the herb. If anyone knows of a source please let us all know.
Took my dog to the vet since she had been scratching & biting. The web of her paws very red, some tiny red spots on her tummy. She is a 9 pound miniature poodle. The vet said a 7 year old dog would be very rare if it were mites & said it was a food allergy. He gave a shot of antibiotics, pills for 10 days & a bill of $150.
I changed her food & the problem is worse now.
After reading the many posts here, I am convinced it is demodex mites. This is the first time she has ever had anything like this. Lots of dogs & cats on all sides plus an open green belt going down a steep hill behind us. I bathe her in dr bronner liquid peppermint soap. That seems to soothe her skin, within a day or two she is back to scratching and biting. I spray her 3 times a day with a mixture of water & tea tree oil, that has helped the redness on her tummy.
I spray her bedding with windex as ammonia will kill them. I do this 3 times a day & the last application 3 hours before she goes to bed.
I am going to try the borax/hydrogen peroxide/water this weekend as I cannot afford another vet bill. I called them, they want another office visit, a skin scrapping, and more medications at $165. I cannot afford that & I do not want to take the chance of her dropping mites off in my car & finding their way onto myself. A friend of mine said she had a problem a few yeas back & used a diluted 50/50 spray of water & plain listerine as the mites hate menthol. She also had mites on herself & would feel the mites jump off her after she sprayed herself in the shower & would leave on for 15 minutes especially on her scalp. It does burn after awhile, she would use a magazine to fan her face to let up on the burn. She would then rinse off. She would do this at bedtime so she could get a good night’s sleep as these mites seem to come alive at nighttime.
I will report back after I try borax.
Thanks
A quite typical story. What really gets me is that your vet said that it woulld be unlikely to be mange because of your dog’s age. Hello…Don’t we all get more vulnerable and frail with age?
That said, I found a very interesting article about treating scabies with tea tree oil (among other things), and why it works
http://www.livestrong.com/article/174327-natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-scabies/
Thank you so much, Miss Chriss. The diet seems expensive and alot of work, but very doable, and seems very healthy for my pets. Thanks again.
You are quite welcome Randy. It is healthy, and a bit more work than just filling a bowl with kibble. As far as the expense, I have never really tried to figure out if I’m spending so much more than what I spent on kibble and supplements, but over all I don’t think I spent so much more than before, because supplements for 7 60lbs+ dogs can really run into some huge money. Time spent is well worth it, and while I prepare they all sit and watch and wait in anticipation. I spend about 1 hour each day on their “veggie meal” at noon, and about 20 minutes at night after work to pass out their meat meal. For just one or two dogs, and especially for smaller dogs, a lot can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. I felt overwhelmed at the endeavor at first, but now we have a routine down and it’s just part of everyday life. Thanks for the interest and I wish you and yours all the best.
We’ll My dog was a rescue pup we got him about 9 months ago. He seemed very healthy, no skin issues About 3 months after we got him his skin seemed to be darkening, but in blotches kinda like a cow’s spots…now this was on his belly and legs, areas were there was little fur…but it was spreading…had him to the vet and he said it was normal pigmentation… didn’t seem like it but he was the expert. So after 3 more months he developed a lump on his leg…doc said it was a wart? So I asked him please look at his skin its now black and he has lost a considerable amount of fur on his legs and neck and ears…..he says…he has mange…must have gotten it from a fox…we live in a almost city area and in a very populated neighborhood…..so as for a fox I think its pretty rare. So he proceeds to treat for mange, and retreat and retreat…he never once tells me what the injections are, but after the first treatment he seems to be itching less it lasts about 2 weeks and then his skin starts to flare up bright red and he’s itching like crazy….He has bright red blotches all over. I have tried this remedy once so far and have not seen much difference, actually he has more red blotches beginning on his feet and his ears are really inflamed. He is starting to get the cow blotches again on his belly area. Does this indeed seem to be mange.
Now the vet never told me how/if I am to treat my home….I initially washed all my family’s bed clothes (yes he sleeps with all of us at some point in the night doing his bed rounds) I washed all of our couch cushion covers and also the carpeting….is this something I need to do each week? I’m not sure if he just is getting reinfectected after the bath.
I am going to try another Perx./Borax treatment today…my 60lb lab/pit mix hates water and its a effort to lift him into the bathtub and keep him there. He is miserable and is itching constantly.
Can someone one offer advice on if I’m reinfecting him?
Oh, I should mention, he has been on a diet of Blue buffalo basic since when all the skin discolorations began, we were told it may be some kind of food allergy at the pet store we use… didn’t seem to make much difference though…he has been on same food for 6 months now.
I don’t think you are re-infecting your dog. What may be happening is that the mites become VERY active after the treatment, trying to get away, so it may seem worse at first, but it WILL get better. Considering that your poor baby has been pumped full of crap by the vet which did nothing ultimately except intensify the problem by compromising the immune system, making it even harder for your dog to deal with the infestation. Be consistent with your treatments and make sure to apply something to help soothe the skin, which becomes very dry after the treatment. I would suggest getting some bentonite clay and giving it your your dogto help get all the chemicals out of his system. I would also supplement with herbs as natural antibiotics for secondary infections and to help re-build the immune system. If you don’t want to use herbs directly, there are good natural pre-mixed supplements you can puchase, but they will not be cheap. Just don’t give up and don’t reach for that pill just because it’s easier. Chemical meds suppress symptoms. When it ears off, the symptoms, how else could it be, return, because this is the natural process for the body to signal that something is wrong. And they usually seem to come back with a vengeance. Why? Well, you actually have done nothing to treat the problem, just the sysmptoms, so the problem has had all this time, while the symptoms were gone, and you thought things were getting better, to actually get worse. It’s a devil’s circle. So give it some time, and help your pet heal naturally.
Thanks Chris! I have bathed him once per week with the borax perox mix. His hair seems to be comming back on his hind legs but his ears are still bald…poor thing looks like dobey from Hairt Potter. His skin is still black and blotchy on his belly and inner thighs and he is itching. I do have an appointment with another vet just to check on his sores it is so strange they seem to just come and go all in a matter of hours. I do know the treatment is working as his ears were almost completly black on the inside they are a nice healthy pink inside. He’s still itching but slow and steady wins the race I’m hopeing!
Since the peroxide will bleach the fur how much vinegar should i use? one whole bottle and equal part water or the same at peraxide should i use 2 equal parts water?
i have a boxer/mix puppy probably about 2 months old. and he has it very bad on his forehead/head area and he keeps scratching at it so its bleeding and everything now. im desperatley trying to figure out how to do this without bleaching his fur because i really dont want to do that.
any help would be great!
I wouldn’t worry so much about bleaching the dogs hair, since your pup seems to have this really bad. I’d be more concerned with healing him. Go with the peroxide, because peroxide is what makes the borax penetrate into the pores and skin. I think you should look up ivermectin and use that on your pup, once every 5 to 7 days for about 6 weeks. the dosage is 200 micrograms per kilogram of body weight, or 1 cc for every 100 pounds for body weight. or a half of cc for a 50 pound dog. ivermectin is like a miracle drug when killing mites. works on both demodex and sarcoptic mange mites. if you are not familiar with ivermectin, speak with your vet about it. i ordered mine from jeffers livestock, the one made by merial. Even though it is an injectible drug, it can be given to the pet orally. Farmers know about this med, as it is used in killing many parasites on animals. parasites can become expensive to treat and if you learn how to use the ivermectin, you can affect a cure in your pet.
i’m not sure about the vinegar, but with the peroxide, it is one part peroxide and 2 parts water, so, i would go with one part vinegar and 2 parts water.
some dogs, like collies, cannot use ivermectin because of a genetic defect where the med crosses the blood brain barrier, and cannot escape. You can always have the vet do a test to determine if your dog is one of these breeds. Most pets do fine on ivermection, you just have to ensure that the dosage is correct.
I have to agree. Who cares about bleached hair when the itch goes away. But ivermectin for a 2 month old pup????? He barely has an immune system to speak of and you want to go and destroy what little he has develped in his short life? That is probably the reason he has the problem to begin with because his little immune system souldn’t deal with it. Please Please Please!!! DO NOT go that route. Do your research on the toxicity and side effects of this drug.
http://petsbestrx.com/pet-health/pet-mange/ivermectin-can-cause-brain-damage/
Miss Chris, the website that you linked to is full of advertisements and links not even associated to dog health. The article that you referred to quotes no outside goernmental or university research regarding this. Ivermectin does not cause brain damage. In some breeds, there is a possibility of toxicity issues, due to the dog’s genetic defect, and not being able to tolerate ivermectin. But, most dogs can and do tolerate ivermectin. But, yes, you are correct, I didn’t even see where the poster stated that the dog was “about” 8 weeks old. Also, I would have to question putting a borax solution on a puppy, too, due to toxicity issues, also. But, once the pup gains pounds and weight, I don’t see a problem with administering ivermectin at the dosage and time periods I quoted. First and foremost, the pup should be looked at by a caring and qualified vet and then determine what route to go. I honestly don’t think a vet will go with the hydrogen peroxide borax route; but, if asked, may go with the ivermectin route. Much better than toxic Amitraz dipping, right? yes, building the puppies immunity is very important here, but I would have to question both of these treatments on a pup. Why not bath the pup in warm water with a benzyl peroxide shampoo and looking into building the dog’s immunity?
What do you do for a Border Collie if you cannot use ivermectin?
I have been usimg borax with peroxide and is has helped but just does not get rid of the mites completely.
She still has the bad smell so I need to use something else in addition.
Any recommendations?
I have a 1 y.o. Border/Aussie with demodectic mange. Due to the MDR1 mutation found in herding dogs mine is not a candidate for Ivermectin either. You can get info on having your dog tested for it here: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcpl/
Our vet prescribed antibiotics because he says the danger is from a secondary infection, and Mitaban/Amitraz dip. Which is smelly, toxic (don’t touch it or breathe it but by all means soak your dog in it!), expensive($45 per dip), and it was recommended to do 2 dips, 2 weeks apart, get a new scraping done, repeating estimated at 7 or 8 dips with scrapings($30) every 2 dips. Which is why I am opting for the Borax & peroxide – today was the first treatment. If that doesn’t work I will be joining Vince in buying the last of the Promeris on Amazon!. I have also heard it is quite effective for mange. I will repost results.
Maybe you just haven’t been at it long enough. How many treatments have you given your dog? How often do you treat? What else are you using for the skin? What do you use for bathing? All these things need to be considered.
in regards to the bad smell you are referring to…it’s like a secondary skin infection so maybe worthwhile taking your pup to the vet. Typically, in cases of demodectic mange, the mites live inside the follicles…and when they die and\or give off waste, it can give rise to a skin infection. If it’s mild, cleaning the area with a hydrogen peroxide solution can help until it resolves itself…but if it’s more pronounce, antibiotics are needed.
BTW — sometimes lemon juice and witchhazel are good for spot treating. (fair warning, if the skin smells from an infection…it’ll smell even worse while went with lemon juice). The idea is to keep the skin dry…in which case, it’s not as favorable of a condition for the mites. It has worked in the past for my rottie… just takes a while and can be labor intensive depending on how many spots you need to treat. Hope this helps.
Regarding the bad smell, it is usually a yeast infection, accompanied by moisture/oozing. I keep bentonite clay powder in an old spice shaker and use that to sprinkle on them to dry the skin. Also when they lick or chew, here I come with my little shaker and cover the spot. The effect is almost instantaneous. They stop chewing and licking (which wouldn’t be bad because the clay is good for them) and seem to be much more peaceful after. I did that when I had eczema so bad on my arms the skin was constantly oozing. The clay REALLY helped.
My 14 year-old rottie has had reoccurring mange outbreak for years; so I have become an somewhat of an expert in the topic (even have a microscope to do skin scrapings)…so thought I would share what I have come across.
Ivermectin used to work but as my pup has gotten older, it started to given him neurological symptoms so we stopped using it. Luckily, there is a new topical medication now available — it’s called Promeris. It’s primarily a flea\tick treatment that also is effective on demodex mites (cause of mange). After about 3 dosages (once per month), the problem goes away. As a preventative, we continue giving him promeris as his month flea treatment. (You can find this on Amazon, if your vet doesn’t carry it).
As a fair warning — it has a really strong herbaceous odor for a few days when applied. Best to do it outside the home and let it dry before letting your pup back into the house. (the smell is a really strong fennel \ lemongrass meets eucalyptus kinda odor). Hope this helps.
Sorry folks — please disregard my earlier post. Just as I was about to order another supply, I found out the manufacturer is pulling the drug.
now, I need to find another solution myself.
Thank you for your reply. I am taking my border collie to the vet this morning as it seems her condition is miserable to say the least.
I will post back what the vet says and does to help her.
I will immediately grasp your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please permit me understand so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
When you write a post there are 2 blocks at the bottom of the window where you type, to the left of the “Post Comment” button. All you have to do is check the desired one or both. There is also an option given in any email, in case you received one after you made your post. The home page also offers the rss choice. Don’t know if it works but you can certainly try.
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This is hardly the place to ask this kind of question. Try to find a contact link on the home page
Will Anything Happend If I Put Any Of These Decisions
The Mange Seems Too Be Around His Fadce Only
Under His Lips & Forhead Also A Llittle Down His Neck ?
Please Respond !:(
What will happen is that it will dry the skin, making it inhabitable for the mites. Just dab the solution on the affected areas-be VERY careful around the eyes.
It?s really a cool and helpful piece of info. I?m glad that you just shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Update,
I am still spraying ammonia on the bedding of my miniature poodle.
bought some shampoo off the net that supposedly kills demodex. It does provide immediate relief as it takes away the biting scratching, chewing for a couple days. Have to keep on doing it as they lay so many eggs. Her ears look a lot better. She never lost any hair. Icannot shave her as it is too cold at night. The web of her paws are still red, not crusty like before, her tummy still has red spots. I make a diluted mixture with this new shampoo with warm water, spray her tummy & allow it to absorb and air dry.
My poodle likes garlic cloves. I slice up perhaps 2 or 3 garlic cloves per day like thin wafers & she eats them all. I hear mites do not like the taste of garlic, apple cider vinegar or MSM powder to name a few things. I appreciate all the support and sharing on here
Thanks
Well, for many,many years my lab/retriever mix has had itchy skin w/ hot spots……as she has gotten older it has worsened. What started as a bare spot on hind quarter has evolved into hardly any fur on her behind, legs, chest and so on…. Recently started around eyes, now bare there…..so I started searching and found you site…as yet another trip to the vet would mean no groceries for my kids this month! Economy stinks!!!!! Used the borax/peroxide solution just as you described and what a change…..she is not licking, itching or scratching. Seems infected skin after two days is sluffing off and I see hope for fresh new healthy skin….dog greeted us at the door after school yesterday and my kids were so happy. She has not done this for sometime as she was so stressed with itching….. Doing treatment every two days now, then will switch to once weekly. Then once every two weeks, then once a month until cured!!!! Patiently waiting for our new fur to begin growing… Thank you for your recipe as I fear we would have lost our best friend.
are there any side effects? i have a 4&1/2 mth old blue amstaff he has sarcoptic mange we have just done the borax/peroxide bath the itching seems to have almost diminished in 2 hours but he seems really lethargic is this ok?? we have mopped the whole house with the mixture and bought him a new bed we have confined him to the living / dining area with us and have kept close watch he hasnt been licking or anything but like i said seems very dopey
Maybe he’s just enjoying the relief, finally being able to rest. One of my dogs licks every and anything I put on him. The worst side effect has been him vomiting (which is a good thing) twice after a lengthy licking session. You would only have to worry if the vomiting persits. As was in Charlie’s case, he vomited twice, had it out of his system and all’s good.
CAN I USE THIS ON MY CAT WHO IS 3 YEARS OLD?
Not in the proportions used for dogs, since cats constantly groom thenselves. Here is a link with several possibilities of trrating cat mange, including a recipe with borax.
http://www.ehow.com/way_5472948_cat-mange-home-remedy.html
I have 2 staffys. of which only one has demodectic mange (the pure bred and has from birth) we cannot believe how successful the borax and hydrogen peroxide mix has been – hair growing back, the mite hives gone or shrinking, Ted from Bangkok you are a hero!
I have began treatment today
I will keep a detailed account of the process
Susan
Could someone tell me the measurements in cups/tablespoons?? I have 3% peroxide solution so how many cups of water & peroxide and how many tablespoons of borax?
The measurements are given time and time again along this post-read from the top to get all the info you need.
Hi, first question is, is this treatment safe for a 6 wk old pup? Next, can dogs be carriers of mange without ever getting it, or can it live in,your home dormant for months? We brought home 3 different pups on the same day about 4 months ago. 2 were from the same litter. My littlest was a heeler mix (she was from a litter of 13) and very tiny, the other 2 are fiestmix sisters. we fought withwhat appeared to be mange after she was with us about a wk. we did borax treatments twice weekly for about 2 wks. She appeared better, but still died. The sisters had a few scaly spots and got weak, but then bounced right back! At the same time, 2 of my daughters and my husband (all of which wld sleep wth her) wound up with rash like itchy bumps on their belly and side where she had slept.
Penny-I have tried time and time again to post this, but it never shows. So i am going to try again in several smaller parts. Here goes nothing:
I would say yes, you can treat your 6 week old pup, but I would put less borax in the solution because of the drying effect and the tender skin of such a young pup.
When I took them to the dr, they of course tested them for scabies…. It was negative and they said it didnt look or spread like scabies. After Moxie died, everyone cleared up. My fiest had a pup 6 wks ago and the pup now is starting to get those same bumps. My oldest daughter has some again too…..any ideas?
The first part is still not showing so here goes the other half-maybe it will show up later————————————-
“Mange mites are difficult to confirm even with a skin scraping. Mites show up in only about fifty percent of the skin scrape tests”
Read more: How Often Should You Skin Scrape for Mange? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5770592_should-skin-scrape-mange_.html#ixzz1mvAq87fP
Considering the 50/50 hit and miss of skin scraping, I feel pretty certain that you are dealing with sarcoptic mange and should begin treatment right away before it spreads. As I mentioned above, make the solution weaker (less borax than prescribed), and I would take a rag, dip in the solution, then gently massage into the pup’s skin. After the solution dries, rub some olive oil on the pup. If you have some tea tree oil or neem oil, add a few drops of either to the olive oil. I would repeat this every 3-4 days initially. Hope things clear up fast for all of you.
Humans can get the sarcoptic mites on them causing the rash, whereas the demodectic mite will not affect humans.
ivermectin is the key to this. check out the ivermectin thread. both pets and humans can take ivermectin. it has cured many of this plague. it is a tenacious form of sarcoptic mange.
Food Grade DE is having an impact on the mites affecting my miniature poodle & also myself, I apply it all over her at bedtime……rarely see her scratch or bite anymore. It takes a good 72 hours to see results. You can also give it to your dog internally in her food. I searched for it at 6 stores including Home Depot, Lowe’s , Walmart, Armstrong Nursery, Ace Hardware & Petco & none of them carried it. Then on my 7th store, I found it.
The dosage depends on the weight of the dog. Humans can also take it. It looks like flour. You can add it to tomato juice, orange juice or water. I started it a week ago & am finding dead mites in my bed.
All of my mite bites have been on my legs, arms and rear end. They are also in my anus & seem to love biting me at bedtime….send a shock wave of pain through my whole body. With latex gloves on, I insert vaseline into my anus to smother the critters, then add lavender oil & diluted tea tree oil, this stops them in their tracks so I can sleep at night.
ACV is also helpful. However, man oh man does it burn the anus opening. Mites hate ACV & menthol.
I no longer feel them crawling on my scalp as I dust the base of my pillow every night.
I will keep you posted on my progress.
That is quite interesting Mark. I keep DE and use it for internal parasites as well as external, but I didn’t think that it would have any effect on the mites since they are microscopic and burrow INTO the skin. If you can see them, maybe it’s not mites you are dealing with. (?)
By the way-I forgot to mentioln I get my DE at a local feed store. It is food grade as well.
How do you know if the Borax and peroxide is working? Will the spots get dry and flaky?
The best way to tell that it is working is if your dog won’t bite and scratch anymore.Yes the skin will get dry and flaky. Nothing a little olive oil won’t remedy.
Thank you very much! How long should it take for his hair to grow back?
So Today My Sister Said My puppy Might Have Mange. I Feel So Terrible Cause I See My puppy Scratching Under His Arms And His Ears And At The Same Time He Cries. I feel We Should Take Him To The Vet But My Mom Says Its Alot Of Money. I Want My Little Puppy To Be Healthy. I Dont Understand Mange Cause Im ONLY twelve And Ive Created This Unbreakable Bond With My 5Month Old Puppy. I Dont Know How I would Feel Without Him Cause Hes The Excitement To My Life. I Want To Use ThIs Home Remedy But Does It Truly Work. I Dont Want To Put My Puppy IN danger.
When a dog scratches a lot that doesn’t always mean he has mange mites. He could have fleas. Have you checked for that? You can see them (little dark specks crawling on your dog’s skin). This treatment really does work and is not dangerous for your pup. But try giving him a bath and if he doesn’t scratch for a while he probaqbly has fleas. Then you will have to treat for that, otherwise you get them everywhere in your house.
I will try to explain to you about mites. They are tiny little bugs (so tiny you can’t see them unless you put them under a microscope) that dig a tunnel in the skin, kinda like a gopher digs a tunnel in the ground, where they live. That’s also where they eat, so they bite in the skin, and when they do that, they spit on where they bite so it turns to liquid. And that spit is what makes the dog itch. Then when the dog scratches he hurts the skin even more and it can get infected, sometimes real bad. So the only thing you can do is try to kill the mites and that is what the borax solution does.
Maybe you can understand it better now, but you should still try to find out for sure if it is mites or fleas.
So are you saying to use 1 cup of borax a bottle of peroxide and 2 cups of water????
“A small dog 2 cups water, 1 cup peroxide
and as much borax as will dissolve in this. A larger dog, maybe double of everything. The amount of borax is only as much as will dissolve . Once the borax starts settling at the bottom of the dish you are using, it is enough. The mix is NOT pasty, more like a thick soap. Still more on the watery side.”
After researching, I believe our new rescue dog has sarcoptic mites. We have 3 other dogs, one of which has just started itching. I have developed a rash as of 4 days ago.
Questions please:
1. I plan to treat our rescue dog tomorrow with the borax wash. Is it prudent to simply bathe our other dogs with a tea tree wash or do we need to borax them as well? Again, just the one started itching a wee bit 2 days ago.
2. What is the best way to cleanse the home? Borax spray? Ammonia? Cycle Block?
THANK YOU!
Sarcoptic mange is highly contageous, and the rash you have is probably the mites as well, since they can be transferred to humans. I would only treat the one dog in the areas where he is scratching (for now). Tee trea will help as a repellant if the wash is strong enough. I don’t know what cyclke block is. I would never use ammonia around my animals. Borax spray leaves residue. If you have carpet, sprinkle some diatomaceous earth (DE) into the carpet, let sit a couple of days then vacuum thoroughly, and often. I use white distilled vinegar afterwards, which all critters hate and it will freshen your carpet at the same time. Mop bare floors with hot water and vinegar. Change out bedding at least once a week and wash in hot water. I also add the vinegar to the wash. Spray upholstery, carpet, pet bedding, and your own bed with the vinegar daily (mixed half and half with water).. The mites have a 3 to 4 week life cycle. They lay eggs and die. The eggs develp into mites in 3 weeks, lay eggs, then die. So it is important not to wait too long in between treatments to catch all the live ones and not give them a chance to lay more eggs. Wishing you well…
I am SO optimistic after reading these posts. We have a new little baby who has demodectic mites (confirmed via a scraping at the vet). She has the prettiest little blue eyes, white face, etc and it quickly became apparent that something was wrong because her skin was so pink around her muzzle on one side, and there were spots about the size of a pencil eraser where there was no fur and which were very red on her chin and throat from itching. I’ve been really discouraged because it really seems to me like this essentially cannot be cured but rather just sort of staved off over and over again. I suspect that this little girl has a suppressed immune system which might plague us for life with her. She ended up in the doggie e/r a week after we adopted her and turned out she had pneumonia and I recall now (after doing all this research on these darned mites) that the vet found it interesting that her white count was not elevated. He said that means that she either cannot fight the infection or has used up her white blood cells trying to fight it. I now suspect that the first of these is/was probably the case and it’s probably why she is unable to keep these mites at bay. I didn’t think anything of that observation until I learned that these mites plague dogs with suppressed immune systems. She is now 8 months old and other than these mites very happy and healthy appearing. I just tried some of this mixture on the affected area. I was pleasantly surprised at how pain free the process was. She didn’t mind it at all and isn’t scratching or carrying on or anything. I put a dab on my own face first to see what she could expect. Just a little tingling and a little tightness. No big deal. So – I’m going to be trying this, and we’re also looking into some supplements and herbal means of boosting her little immune system. I’m so hopeful that it works because I have this terrible fear of ending up with this miserable, hairless, sore covered girl who we will end up putting down in 6 months or a year, and we will be devastated and heart broken. The articles about this condition are not uplifting at all, and the methods for treating it are not optimal for us as she is a herding breed mix (e.g. no Ivermectin !) and the dips seem not only toxic but not terribly effective…AND they are costly. The vet doesn’t really want to do anything about it until or unless it gets “much worse” because she feels that she will get this under control herself. Well I’m not waiting for that to happen. I want this fixed…now, before she opens up sores and we have a real problem. I will post back with the results keeping in mind that we are also incorporating vitamins and immune boosting supps.
Glad to hear you’re taking your baby’s care into your own hands. The reason chemicals don’t work is because the critters have the amazing ability to adjust and form new strains. That’s mother nature for ya. On the other hand, I recently learned that the reason these pests can’t do the same with natural treatments is, because the active ingredients in any natural product vary from batch to batch, so it is never exactly the same, unlike in the chemical crap (scuse my french but I get angry when I think about this endless money making and killing machine), that does little more than make a sick animal sicker for the most part. Everything chemical we give them destroys their immune system a bit more each time. The de-wormer, the vaccines, the monthly preventative, we shove it down their throat on a regular basis and then we wonder why they get sick. The mange is really not a disease that needs to be cured. But when they find a host with a weak immune system, they thrive and get out of hand. So it is imperative to keep a dog healthy, support the immune system, feed a PROPER diet. And yes, the supplements are a very good idea to help get the gut back in order. In the mean time, the borax treatment will help keep the critters from spreading. Certain Essential oils are also helpful in killing the mites, their eggs and larvae (as I recently learned), and I plan to start a new thread about it, because it has made a world of difference for my affected dogs. Combined with a carrier oil (I use extra virgin olive oil), it also helps re-moisturize the dry skin and repell mites and other critters. Never let it get out of control because it can get real ugly. One of mine has had it so bad he was skin and bones for a while. But Sammie is a fighter and we are on the road to recovery. I hope to be able to get that other thread started on essential oils, so please look for it. Best wishes for you and your baby!!!