Hi
has anyone got first hand experience with demodex in frenchie pups, dont know where to turn, and internet info is confusing me!
Hugo was diagnosed with demodex at 3 months (no scrapping taken by vet though) they didnt want to put him through that just yet, have been treating him for 2 months with advocate and hoping immune system would strenghthen and would clear up on its own, which it did around his eyes , however now loosing fur on face, head and chin although not completely bald yet!,and his skin on his face gets crusty i clean it once a day with saline soloution (reccomended by vet), back to the vet this week and now have been prescribed Aludex baths once a week, although i have read that this can cause secondry skin infections because it makes them so itchy and sore?
at the moment it does not seem to bother him, rubs his face on the floor first thing in the morning when he wakes up, but does not appear to be scratching all the time.
Does the aludex cause them even more irritation, have we got a tough time ahead using this?
Is there anything i can do to help strengthen immune system, a vitamin supplement?
Would you reccomend changing food, he is on Purina beta puppy lamb and rice for his meals and cooked chicken breast and wainwrights treats for training
thanks in advance for your help xx

I don't know what's in Purina puppy but I seem to recall the adult food not being the greatest, I would try james wellbeloved fish and rice puppy as it's single ingredient and no artifical additives, as these can sometimes cause bad skin too.

You can also try feeding him garlic, oily fish if he'll eat it and some pro biotic yogurt. This will help the skin.

Have you spoken to your breeder about this, as it's likely the mange was passed from the Mum, doesn't look good on them does it?

I really would advise the skin scrape, as without it you can't be sure what parasite it is. Surprised they still haven't done one.

I love frenchies, hope you get it sorted.

__________________
Use your brain, not a choke chain.

I've had DDB with it. Aludex is potent stuff but will kill the mites after a few washes. The hair will take a few months to grow back though. You could try this Garlic & Fenugreek tablets - Dorwest

Hi - i would be insisting on skin scrapes being done - otherwise how can your vet treat for demodex without actually having diagnosed it!
It can take a while to get rid of - and is most common in pups and dogs with poor immune systems and also if they have an underlying medical condition (more so in adult dogs).Its highly likely its been passed on from mum when pup was feeding and then the stress of going into new home etc has tipped him over the edge.Ironically all dogs have a very small number of demodex living on them but it only poses a problem when the immune system fails or in periods of stress.
The Aludex baths need to be used at the correct dilutions, equally advocate can be used - but not sure of the regime off the top of my head - i have a funny feeling it may need to be used more frequently than just monthly- cant remember!

Hi folks
many thanks for all the advice

Hi there I have seen your comment re the demodex problems and I wanted to tell you whats happened with my cocker spaniel charlie who is now 18 moths old and the prefect picture of health after suffering for nearly a whole year - he has now had the all clear from demodicidosis so here there story goes:

Charlie started off scratching and attacking his back left paw around April 2009 so badly I noticed blood on the floor (this was within a day) so with him being booked in for the snip the next day I decided to wait till then to see the vet Charlie at this point was 8 months old - they took skin scrapings and after a few days I received the results - sarcoptic mites and demodex mites (demodicidosis) I was given advocate to use and also antibiotics for the infection he had with it! I used the first advocate treatment and was advised it was so strong (charlie being 12 kilos) I was only allowed to use one a month - basically this did nothing if anything he got worse so after the second treatment gradually charlies fur had fallen out and he was red raw he was in a terrible state but you listen to the 'expert' (the vet advised he would get worse before better) I went back to the vet who advised aldulex baths - so from around June 2008 he started on them which was one a week to begin with and carried on with the antibiotics! in time his fur started to grow back (I also changed his food to pedigree dog food and biscuits and also gave him dog vitamins and gave him oily fish every other day) By christmas 2009 charlie was down to a bath every three weeks he had two scrapes at the vets both 'negative' apparently so it seemed his condition was getting better and I was praying for the day I could take the busta collar off him that he had lived in for the year (minus walks) but they couldnt stop the constant redness and soreness of the back paw - so my vet advised dramatic that the only option she could recommend was to remove his paw - immediatly I left the vet heartbroken - this is a playful pup with so much energy the thought of having to keep him in doors and the busta on for further recovery of the paw removal was horrendous!

so my mum who had had to take her dog to a specialist advised me to get referred to the small animal teaching hospital in Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital - SMALL ANIMAL TEACHING HOSPITAL - University of Liverpool
Why I didnt take her advise to begin with still niggles away at me!

Charlie after three visits has been discharged and is clear of demodox mites (apparently no sarcopitc mites were present) - they did full scrapings they had him in all day on the first visit - there was demodox mites still present which is why he was itching so much - I was given milbemax (a cat treatment which isnt classified as yet for dogs but clears demodex) charlie a much healthier weight at 13kilos had to have one tablet a day which I think was for a 2-4 kilo cat and specialised antibiotics twice a day and I was given a steroid spray for his paw!

The results no busta collar again for my boy, 4 paws and no more treatments he is like a different dog he is sooooo happy again!

If you struggle with this condition SATH arer fantastic they specialise in this, VETS DONT SPECIALISE in everything so please if you are insured or have the money ask your vet to refer you (you HAVE to be referred) its expensive my first visit was around £750 but I am insured!

Do it or risk having the year of hell like I have had!!!

If you want to ask me anything my email us tbar999@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading and I really hope you get thi sorted as its a horrible condition I feel like charlie lost a year of his life getting this sorted :-(

My dog is springer cross. She has been diagnosed with mange almost 3 weeks ago, with a skin scrape. Her treatment is weekly injections (dont remember the name) and advocate. Our next skin scrape is on Saturday and fingers crossed we will get the all clear.

I was never told I could have the injections so thats why I didnt I read about them - its a problem that can be cleared very quickly if its dealt with correctly to begin with I have had the worst year with all this but thankfully the specialist sorted him out within a month I am going to keep a close on him now and if he starts with anything again straight off to Liverpool again!
hope you get this sorted as its a really horrible thing for a dog to have !! good luck

According to the specialist they have to have at least three negative scrapes and they should also be plucking hairs to check for the mite - it can hide away

good luck

The mites live in the hair follicles - they dont hide away there thats why deep skin scrapes and hair plucks should always be done when testing for this mite-they dont live on the surface like fleas do.