Vet Blog
10/30/09
 Dr. Barchas,
One of my Pit Bull rescues has patchy bald spots on his face. The vet has tested several spots on two separate occasions and consistently show negative for mange. Any ideas what else could be causing this?
Thank you!
Paoline
Atlanta, GA
You don’t mention how old your dog is. If he is less than two years old, I am guessing that puppy mange is causing the bald spots.
Yes, I know, your dog twice tested negative for mange. But the test for puppy mange (which is caused by a mite called Demodex) occasionally yields false negatives. The test involves scraping the skin with a scalpel blade. This process harvests skin (and any parasites contained within the skin) from the affected area. The harvested sample is scanned under a microscope. If Demodex organisms are seen, the diagnosis is clear. If none are seen, then one of two things could be going on: either puppy mange isn’t causing the spots, or no Demodex organisms happened to be present in the area that was scraped.
Puppy mange most commonly causes patchy baldness without skin irritation (the spots generally aren’t red or itchy). The spots most commonly occur on the face. In my experience Pit Bulls are extremely susceptible to the syndrome.
If your dog’s spots aren’t bothering him and they aren’t coalescing to take over his face, I recommend that you try to wait it out. Almost every dog outgrows the problem by two years of age.
For more information on the syndrome, go to my website:
http://drbarchas.com/demodex
Photo: no sign of puppy mange on Tank.
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05/15/09
Puppy mange, also known as demodectic mange, is a common and frustrating problem. Mild cases of puppy mange cause small patches of hair loss. Severe cases can cause serious baldness and skin infections.
Treating puppy mange can be frustrating. However, the April, 2009 NAVC Clinician’s Brief reported that ProMeris, which was previously labeled for flea and tick treatment in dogs, now also is labeled to “control demodectic mange mites”.
ProMeris rarely causes adverse reactions. It is easy to use, and it is generally safer than some of the puppy mange treatments that are common today (it especially appears to be safer than a product called Mitaban).
No treatment or medicine is ever 100% effective or safe. But I am glad to have an additional weapon to use against a very frustrating problem.
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12/15/08
 I have a one-year-old Yorkie female, unfixed, who is
losing the hair around her eyes.
Last month I put her on Comfortis for fleas.
I have not changed her food.
What can be causing this and what can I do ?
Jude
Union Springs
I suspect that your dog is suffering from demodicosis, or puppy mange. You can find out all about it on my new website.
http://drbarchas.com/demodex
What can be causing my dog to constantly lick her
paws and backside?
Jessica
Woodbridge, NJ
Excessive licking usually is caused by itching. What you ask, causes itching in pets? That information is available on my new website. Check it out!
http://drbarchas.com/itching
My nine-year-old mixed breed dog Panda has for the
last couple of years developed a sort of facial
tic – her lower jaw will jerk up and down as if
she was cold and chattering her teeth. She does it
more and more frequently and I’ve even noticed
her doing it in her sleep. Should I be concerned?
Terry
Chattanooga, TN
I don’t think you should be concerned. Jaw chattering usually is a form of trembling. Read all about it on my new website.
http://drbarchas.com/trembling
Dear Dr. Barchas,
I have two miniature Dachshunds. They are mates,
and they are both 10 years old. They are obese.
The male, George, weighs 20 pounds, and the
female, Gracie, weighs 19 pounds. They are both
trained to relieve themselves outside. They very
rarely ever make a mess inside the house unless
we have to leave them home alone for some reason,
although we always try to take them with us when
we go somewhere as much as possible. I have
noticed in the last couple of weeks that Gracie
has begun to urinate in the house, and in our
vehicle. She has NEVER done this before! Both
George and Gracie sleep with us at night, in our
bed. I have had to wash our sheets about four times
in the last two weeks because she has urinated on
our sheets and covers. Do you know what would be
making her do this? Should I be alarmed and take
her to her vet, or is it just because she is
getting older? Thank you so very much!
Sincerely,
Sherry
Louisville, Tenn.
Do I even need to say it? Read about inappropriate canine urination here:
http://drbarchas.com/canine_housesoiling
And read about canine obesity here:
http://drbarchas.com/canine_obesity
Please always feel welcome to search my website for answers to your pet-related questions. It’s completely free! Everyone is also welcome to enjoy the photo galleries, and to submit photos of your own to
petpeoplephotos@yahoo.com
for publication on the site. By submitting photos you grant me the right to publish them.
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Categorized Vet Question and Answer.Tagged allergies, askavet, balding, cats, dachshunds, demodex, dogs, fleas, housesoiling, itching, obesity, puppymange, trembling, YorkshireTerriers.
07/14/08
 My eight-month-old female English Mastiff has spots of
hair loss on several places on her body. Our vet
tested her for mites. She doesn’t have any.
Tested her thyroid, it’s normal. He thinks it
might be a food allergy to chicken and corn, so he
changed her food from [a major commercial brand
to a hypoallergenic formula]. I add a little
canned food to her dry food and also use the
canned food to make her treats. She doesn’t
scratch herself excessively. Do you think we’re
on the right track to resolve this problem? I
would appreciate any advice you can give us.
Thank you,
Betty
TX
Based on your description of the spots (multiple spots, not itchy or inflamed), my first guess would have been puppy mange (also known as demodectic mange) is to blame. I wrote a somewhat extensive article on the topic a while back. You can read it by clicking here.
The test for puppy mange (called skin scraping) is pretty reliable. Nonetheless, in rare instances the test does fail to detect the mites involved in the syndrome. So one thing I recommend is that you keep puppy mange in the back of your mind as a possibility.
Certainly allergies (to food, pollen, fleas, or other environmental stimuli) can cause hair loss. But they usually cause itching and red skin as well. Thyroid problems can cause hair loss, but they are extremely rare in young dogs.
In my opinion, you have a couple of choices. The most aggressive tactic would be to perform biopsies of the affected areas. Samples of affected skin can be removed and sent to a laboratory for analysis. Biopsies are highly likely to lead to a diagnosis.
However, I’m not sure it’s necessary to go that far. If the bald spots are small and aren’t causing any irritation, it may be reasonable to take a wait-and-see approach.
Consider your dog’s age. An eight-month-old Mastiff is roughly equivalent to a 13-year-old person. Many 13-year-olds have acne. The blemishes associated with acne occur because the immune system is not fully matured. At this age, the immune system has a habit of over-reacting to some problems and under-reacting to others. The result is acne.
Your dog does not have acne per se. However, there is a very good chance that her patchy baldness is related to her immature immune system. If you wait a few months, the problem may resolve as her immune system matures.
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05/10/08
I have an eight-month-old Boxer and since she’s been
about two months, she’s had severe recurring mange.
It’s a cycle: she starts losing fur, we take her
in, get her diagnosed, she gets a mange bath,
antibiotics, she takes the meds for three weeks and is
fine! Her fur grows back, the meds stop then
another two or three weeks will go by and she gets it
again! We feed her high quality food, exercise her
regularly and keep her kennel very clean. Any
suggestions on how I can help take care of this
myself? The vet bills are mounting!
Katherine
Moreno Valley, CA
I am sorry to hear that you and your dog are going through such a frustrating ordeal. Based on your description of the problem and your dog’s age, it sounds like your dog is suffering from infestation with Demodex, also known as puppy mange.
Demodex is ubiquitous. It is a type of mite that is present in the hair follicles of virtually every dog. Most dogs suppress the mite with their immune systems. However, some dogs’ immune systems can’t keep the parasite completely under control. This happens most often in dogs less than 18 months of age–hence the name puppy mange.
In these dogs, hair may fall out in small patches, or it may fall out over large portions of the body. In either case, the problem can be persistent and frustrating.
The good news is that the vast majority of dogs outgrow the problem by the time they are two years old. The syndrome resolves as the immune system matures.
If your dog is losing only small amounts of hair and her skin is comfortable, you may not need to treat her at all. Many people simply monitor the spots and wait for the problem to resolve.
However, if your dog is losing large amounts of hair, she needs to be treated to prevent skin infections and secondary problems. Your best bet will be to have regular mange baths performed for a period of at least six to eight weeks. The most effective form of mange bath can only be performed at a veterinarian’s office, because the active ingredient in the shampoo is potentially toxic. I realize that this option is expensive, but in the long run you will save money if you tackle the problem aggressively.
Either way, take heart in one fact: your dog will almost certainly outgrow this problem eventually.
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Dr. Barchas,
You have questions. 