canine care guide demodectic mange preview edition
TRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2012 Simon Tong
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work, in whole or in part, in any form.
LEGAL NOTICES: The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the
date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right
to alter and update his opinion based on the new conditions. The book is for informational purposes
only. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided in this report, neither
the author nor his affiliates/partners assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.
Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. If advice concerning medical or other
professional matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should be sought. This
book is not intended for use as a source of medical advice. Any reference to any person or business
whether living or dead is purely coincidental.
Contents
Foreword 1
Introduction 2
How to Treat Demodectic Mange
Chapter One: Preparation 6
Chapter Two: Cleanliness and Hygiene 9
Chapter Three: Parasite Repellents 12
Chapter Four: Diet 16
Chapter Five: Health Supplements 21
Chapter Six: Stress 26
The Big Picture 30
A Word on Defective Breeds 31
Recommendations 32
Photo Credits 34
1
Foreword
Demodectic mange is an irritating condition, as I’m sure you’re aware. It never seems to go away,
and it’s been affecting your dog for quite a while. Luckily for you, you’re about to learn just how to
solve this tiresome problem, and make your dog look healthy again.
This book is the product of many hours of research, and it contains a list of remedies that have been
confirmed to work by many people around the world. This means that you’re not going to use a
nonsensical treatment method somebody thought of once (have you heard the one about motor
oil?). You have had enough of the useless solutions, so let’s get you on the right path.
I sincerely hope that you’ll find the information useful for your purposes.
Simon Tong
2
Introduction
This book covers the topic of demodectic mange in dogs, and how it can be
treated with remedies that are both safe and effective. It is designed to be
followed in a linear sequence for new readers, because every step of the
treatment plan should be taken in a particular order. However, if you have
already understood the basics of what to do, feel free to flip to the relevant
page for the information you need.
Before We Begin: What You Need To Know
Before we do anything about curing your dog’s demodectic mange, it is very important that learn a
few basic things about the skin problem before we start tackling it. Therefore, we’ll first start with
learning about the important facts of demodectic mange that we need to focus on, including the
root problem that we need to solve so that the mange does not reappear. Only after we’ve gone
though that can we begin the treatment proper. It’s not a very long read though, so don’t worry
about spending too much time on it.
How Demodectic Mange Happens
Demodectic mange is a skin problem caused by the demodex mite. There are many different types
of them as well, including one that has adapted to solely living off human skin. They’re invisible to
the naked eye, but put them under a microscope and you’ll see some cigar-shaped organisms with
six little legs crawling about.
The dog version of the demodex mite prefers to make its home in the hair
follicles, feeding itself with oil and dirt on the dog’s body. Their main aim in
life is to reproduce and increase their numbers before they die.
Usually, the mite population is kept in check by the dog’s immune system. A
small population of demodex mites will always be present as it’s considered
part and parcel of a normal dog’s skin, but once they get too many the
immune system starts killing off the excess population in order to prevent
them from becoming a real danger.
3
Therefore, it’s logical to assume that when the immune system gets weak, bad things start to
happen. It will no longer be able to keep up with the multiplying mites. The bugs will reproduce at an
accelerated rate and will exceed the numbers that the dog’s body can tolerate.
The mite overpopulation starts affecting the immune system directly due to their constant activities
on the skin. Given enough time, the immune system will shut down entirely, granting the mites
complete freedom to cause skin damage to the dog, as well as the ability to spread to other parts of
the body.
The skin condition we call ‘demodectic mange’ therefore describes a range of symptoms caused by
the mite overpopulation. Because of their preference for living in the hair follicles, the mites will
irritate the area within, causing the loss of hair, some itchiness and skin inflammation. The condition
will continue to worsen until something is done to remove the excess mites.
Localized and Generalized: What does it mean?
There are two levels of demodectic mange recognised in dogs: Localized and Generalized. Both
terms are used to describe the severity of the skin problem. As a general rule of thumb, a localized
case will show very mild symptoms, whereas a generalized case denotes a more severe one.
Here’s a better description of the differences between each state:
Localized: Your dog has no more than five spots of damaged skin. These usually appear as ‘balding’
spots, commonly appearing on the head. In some cases, the spots may appear on the leg as well.
Generalized: If you’re seeing large patches of bald
skin, reddish and inflamed or just has a damaged look
in general, it most probably means that your dog has
generalized mange. In some of the worst cases, entire
parts of the body may seem like a sore red wound. At
that point, something must be done immediately, or
secondary infections will occur and cause more health
problems.
In some cases, localized mange can actually disappear
without any help. This happens most often in puppies
with demodectic mange, because their immune
systems aren’t mature enough to handle the mites yet.
However, there is also a chance that it might develop into a generalized case. If your dog’s skin
condition reaches that state, it is necessary to take an active role in its treatment.
4
The Problem with Treatment
Demodectic mange is an irritating problem to solve because for many people, it just never seems to
go away no matter what they do. They hear about medicines like Ivermectin, Mitaban or Interceptor
all the time and they try them out without any success. Sometimes they work, but the problem
comes back after a month or so. Sometimes they even end up worsening your dog’s health.
Eventually some people start trying out the more ‘iffy’ suggestions
that have no scientific proof, backed up only with hope. Some
eventually declare that it’s an untreatable condition and abandon
their dogs. A few may even consider putting them to sleep, which is
a terrible mistake!
However, the truth is that demodectic mange can be treated
successfully. The reason why people fail in doing so is that they’re
focusing on the wrong thing: Treating the symptom while ignoring
the problem.
If you’ve read the part about how demodectic mange happens, you
already know where the problem is (if you haven’t, I suggest going
to the previous section to read it again): None of the treatments
improve the immune system in any way. What’s the point of removing the mites and healing the
wounds when nothing is done to prevent them from repeating the process?
This is the reason why the treatment method used in this book is so fundamentally different from
the rest: It tackles the symptoms and the root problem all at once.
Treatment Plan Outline
Our method of treatment comes in six stages:
1.) Preparation
2.) Hygiene
3.) Repellent
4.) Diet
5.) Supplement
6.) Stress-reduction
These stages are meant to be done in chronological order, because we want to make sure a solid
foundation is built before we move on to tackle other parts of the problem. As you will come to
discover later, there is no point to doing stage six first when stage two has yet to be completed.
Following this plan will provide three things:
5
1.) The removal of the mites causing the mange
2.) Healing the skin and fur
3.) A healthier dog with no side-effects
Each part of this treatment method is designed to ensure that you will never unwittingly expose
your dog to any health risks by using it, while still being an effective means to getting rid of
demodectic mange for good.
When you’re ready to start helping your dog with his problem, flip the page and read on.
6
How to Treat Demodectic
Mange
Chapter One: Preparation
Before we start the treatment process, we first have to make sure that your dog is not currently
under another form of treatment, especially with chemical-based drugs.
It is quite possible that you have seen a vet about your dog’s mange at some point, and he will most
likely have given you some medicine for it. Most vets usually choose from a range of three products:
Ivermectin (Ivomec), Amitraz (Mitaban) or (Milbemycin Oxime) Interceptor. Each drug has its own
method of usage, but what they all have in common is their purpose; they are designed to kill any
parasites infecting your dog.
The reason why I would recommend stopping any treatment using these drugs before our own
version begins is because they might interfere with what we’re doing. In addition to that, these
drugs do have some side effects attached to them, and in my opinion, are serious enough to
influence my personal choice to never use them on my dog.
The following section explains the potential effects these drugs have on your dog, should you use it.
Chemical-based drugs
The first thing you should know about these three
substances is that they are all chemically based;
they’re completely artificial and have no natural
ingredients in them whatsoever. You may think
that it’s not a huge deal, because everyone has
taken an aspirin before and they absolutely work.
However, the point that I’m making is not that
they’re useless, but they may not be the healthiest
choice for your dog.
Ivermectin
Ivermectin is sold as a ‘topical treatment’, which is applied to the surface of a skin, or given as a
consumable medicine to dogs. Once it’s been administered, it disables the mites’ nervous systems
and paralyses them, then grants the white blood cells in the dog’s body the opportunity to kill them
while they’re vulnerable.
7
However, there are a few problems with this approach. Firstly, it only works on adult mites with a
developed nervous system; this means that any unhatched mites still in their eggs will not be
affected, and will mature without any problems.
The second and far more serious issue is that the dog’s body may come to rely solely on Ivermectin
for controlling the mites, because it has already proven itself by taking over the ‘defence systems’,
so to speak.
Let’s assume that after a long period of not having any mange problems, you finally take your dog
off the drug. What happens then?
Yes, the mange will be back, and they will get much worse, much faster this time around. This is
because the Ivermectin has been acting as a crutch all this time, protecting your dog from the mites
while the immune system remains weak. Once it disappears, there is nothing else to prevent the
mites from swarming back.
Ivermectin is largely considered safe by vets, but some dog owners have reported several negative
side effects from its usage.
Amitraz
Amitraz is more commonly known as the product Mitaban. Their purpose is pretty much the same as
Ivermectin; it’s just the delivery methods that are different.
Mitaban is produced in liquid form, and is poured over the affected dog, ‘coating’ the body with it.
Mitaban is a pure pesticide; it disables and then kills the mites by poisoning them.
Some people swear by the Mitaban dip, but others would stay away from it if they had a choice. This
is because Amitraz is incredibly toxic.
It’s no secret that apart from the demodex mites, even dogs can be susceptible to the chemical. A
large dose of it can cause some negative side effects like lethargy and loss of appetite; in severe
cases, it may also prove to be fatal. That’s not even mentioning the fact that several dog breeds,
including Border Collies, are particularly allergic to Mitaban; a normal dose for another breed may
literally be enough to kill them.
Milbemycin Oxime
This is more commonly known as the product called Interceptor. It’s normally used for getting rid of
heartworm and other deworming practices, but somewhere along the way it was discovered that
they work against mites as well.
The method they use to kill the mites is also similar to Ivermectin and Amitraz. The good news is that
so far, there are no reports of negative side effects due to the use of the drug. However, Interceptor
is extremely expensive, and is therefore simply not worth depending on in the long run. Given that it
takes quite a while to ensure the demodectic mange is gone for good, anyone using Interceptor as
their primary tool will need to be prepared for unnecessarily high expenses.
8
But the worst thing about Interceptor is this: even though it’s a pricey alternative, it still doesn’t
ensure that the mange will return.
Chapter Summary
Chemically based drugs are used solely to kill the existing mites responsible for the mange, but it’s
important to note that they don’t do a thing in regards to the prevention of the mites. That, in
addition to the possible negative side effects that may arise, is the reason why their use should be
discontinued.
Here’s what you have to do for this chapter:
1.) Stop all current doses of chemical-
based medicines. Using them could
interfere with what we’re going to do
in the subsequent chapters. This guide
is designed to give a complete
treatment plan that addresses every
side of the issue, so they won’t be
needed.
This sample ebook grants you
a helpful understanding of
demodectic mange, and the
basics of how to cure it
properly. However, it's just a
sneak preview of what's
available in the retail version.
When you purchase the ebook, you will learn how to:
- Cure demodectic mange easily with a few simple techinques,
- Remove the cause of the mange,
- Treat the damaged skin and fur, and
- Prevent another outbreak from happening.
The information contained within this ebook is so helpful that it can very easily be sold for a
much higher price, but I'm a dog owner myself and I know the heartache that comes from
seeing your dog with severely damaged skin. For this reason, I'm pricing this at an
affordable $9.99. That's about the price of a meal or two, a worthwhile investment for your
dog's health.
It’s time to stop worrying and start curing that mange, once and for all.