Mange: What it is and How to Treat It

Goodwinol Products’ flagship product, Goodwinol Ointment, was originally designed as a treatment for demodectic mange and fills a niche for those pet owners who want to relieve and treat mange without subjecting their dog to other treatments made from harsh chemicals. It soothes the skin and fosters healing in dogs with demodectic mange, providing near-instant relief to affected areas and helping your pup quickly recover.

But what is mange, what different types of mange exist, and how should you treat them?

What Is Mange?

Mange is basically an infection of parasitic mites. These mites can burrow into the skin and hair follicles of an animal and cause everything from discomfort to hair loss and scabs, and can be incredibly tricky to properly treat. Thankfully, once the mange is fully gone, it’s normally gone for good. While chronic cases of mange can happen, there may be an underlying problem with your dog’s immune system that is leaving them unable to fight off further infestations.

Mange is specific to mammals, and while the variants that affect your dogs are specific to your furry friend, some other animals can be affected by types of mange that can infect a variety of different species. At worst, when treating mange on your dog, you may experience a bit of an itch that will go away on its own, as canine-specific mites won’t be able to survive on human skin for long.

Types of Mange

The two main types of mange that affect dogs, Sarcoptic and Demodectic, are very similar in terms of the symptoms they present. Common symptoms include:

• Extreme itchiness

• Hair loss

• Rashes/redness, noticeable early on around areas with less hair such as the ears and belly

• Yellow, crusted patches of skin

Because both types of mange can result in very similar systems, it is important to get your dog to a vet to tell which type your dog suffers from. Unfortunately, it can be incredibly difficult to get an assessment of which type of mange your dog has, as it can take multiple scrapings before getting a definitive answer.

Sarcoptic Mange

Sarcoptic mange, or dog scabies, is caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei, and is typified by rashes, scabs, hair loss, and intense itchiness in dogs. This is the type of mange that you need to be most careful of, as it is incredibly contagious and can easily bounce from dog to dog, causing you a massive headache. Sarcoptic mange can be indicated by a skin scraping done at your vet’s office.

The reason it’s so important to get your pet to a veterinarian to ensure that your dog doesn’t have sarcoptic mange is both because of how contagious it can be, but also because of the fact that it’s incredibly difficult to treat and can require an intensive medical regiment to ensure that it goes away and stays away.

Demodectic Mange

This type of mange can be easily treated in most dogs by a care plan that incorporates Goodwinol Products’ Goodwinol Ointment!

Demodectic mange is caused by the Demodex mite, which resides harmlessly in small numbers on most dogs. Infections occur when Demodex mites overwhelm the dog’s immune system, normally when it is already compromised. It is most common in young and geriatric dogs whose immune systems are not incredibly strong.

Treating Mange

The key to treating mange is to figure out which type of mange your dog is dealing with and go from there.

Sarcoptic mange requires more intense treatment regimes, and so your veterinarian may have specific products in mind to treat it that you cannot acquire over-the-counter. With persistent treatments and a bit of luck, it should be gone in no time at all!

Demodectic mange can be treated with a variety of over-the-counter products. It would be a good idea to consult with your veterinarian before beginning a regiment, and use a product they would feel comfortable endorsing — like Goodwinol Ointment!

Struggling With Mange?

If you’re struggling with demodectic mange and are looking for a gentle, effective cure without the harsh chemical compositions of many treatments on the market, shop Goodwinol! Our time-tested formula can eliminate or alleviate many of the problematic symptoms mange entails and can get your furry friend feeling their best in no time at all!