Dog Itch and Family Itch, What Can It Be?

by Cindy
(New York)

After the hot spell we had at the beginning of summer my dog became itchy. Scratching dragging bottom and going in circles. Biting himself. I noticed a red sore on chest first that looked bloody.

The dog hair is thinning, with bald spots and the loss of hair on the legs and an almost bald tail.

I took him to the veterinarian and he said he may be allergic to grass. The veterinarian gave him a shot for itching that would only last for a couple of weeks and a cream to put on the sore.

It didn't work. We went again to the vet where they gave me an antibiotic and oil to put in the food.

It seemed to help but now he has started back the same as before. Ive given him medicated baths and also applied sulfadene in the red spots and hair loss spots. His skin is dry and flakey too and still itching.

I'm at my wits end.

So I will be going back to the veterinarian for the 3rd time. Could he have mange or mites? I am also itching all over and my hubby broke out with a red rash with little bumps that are very small.

I have scrubbed DOWN everything, vacuumed, pulled bedding apart and washed everything in hot water with arm and hammer dermatologist with no perfumes.

My hubby got a cream for his problem and is doing weLL now. I used the cream too but I am still itchy. I had blood work done on me for allergies which is pending. Doc said I don't or hubby have scabies.

I am going crazy with this. My other dog is now itchy and I have seen 3 red spots. He has a sore red ear and is shaking his head, but I have drops for that from veterinarian. He is prone to ear infections but i am wondering if he has mites.

Our one dog sleeps at the foot of our bed. Our Doctor doesn't think we caught anything from him, but not sure. Would you have any advice to help our itchy family. Itching gets worse at night for me.

Help!

The Itchy Family

Editor Suggestions, Does My Dog Have Mange?

Dear “Itchy Family,”

Aack! It sounds like everyone in your house is itchy and miserable. I hope I can give you some information to help.

It certainly seems like there is something “contagious” in your household with two dogs and two people having similar symptoms. Sarcoptic mange, or scabies as it is known in people, is certainly a possibility.

Was it your vet or a medical doctor that ruled out scabies?

I can’t speak for the human side of things, but sarcoptic mange can be very difficult to diagnose in dogs. It takes only a few mites to elicit a severe reaction and there is a good chance that a skin scraping (a common test for mange) will miss the mites. Many times when I suspect sarcoptic mange, I simply go ahead and treat for it.

Revolution is an excellent product for treating sarcoptic mange. You would need to apply two doses two weeks apart on each dog.

Talk to your vet about whether he or she can provide you with this medication or write you a prescription.

Another possibility is ringworm. To diagnose this disease, your vet will need to pluck some hairs from your dogs’ coats and try to grow the fungus in a special jar. Unfortunately, it can take two weeks or more for the fungus to start to grow, so this test won’t give you a quick answer.

You might also want to consider a trip to a veterinary dermatologist. These specialists can sometimes get to the bottom of complicated skin cases faster than a veterinarian in general practice can.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM