Pet Me! Magazine™ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
tems become stronger, they are usually able to fight off the disease on their own with little or no medical intervention. It is possible for older dogs (those four years of age or older) to develop canine demodicosis, but for them, the disease is much more serious. The infestation can be localized to a few areas of the body, or generalized, meaning that the mites are all over the body. Generalized demodicosis can indicate that the dog has a serious underlying disease or is on certain medications that are weakening the immune system, thereby making the dog susceptible to overgrowth of the Demodex mites. There are two types of demodicosis: localized, meaning confined to a few specific areas of the skin, and generalized, in which the mites have spread all over the body. Each type has a different set of signs or symptoms. Localized demodicosis occurs most often in young puppies six months old or younger and usually only involves the front legs and face. The effects of their presence will be fairly mild. Hair loss with red and scaly skin is the most common symptom, and the condition may or may not be itchy. Most cases heal without treatment and do not progress to generalized demodicosis. Generalized demodicosis is far more severe than the localized form, especially when it starts when the dog is an adult of four or five years of age. Clinical signs begin with multiple areas of hair loss, scaling, and redness. These small areas get larger and progress to affect the entire body, causing severe
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Left: Example of Demodectic pododermatitis (demodex affecting the paws). Right: 4 weeks after starting treatment. irritation of the skin. Secondarily, severe bacterial infections commonly occur as a result of the demodicosis. After a few months, the skin may become covered with infected, pusfilled, crusty, bloody sores. In dogs less than 2 years of age, this is considered to be juvenile onset generalized demodicosis and is considered to be an inherited disorder. Dogs with juvenile
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