are-dog-mites-contagious

Pets are part of human life, animals like dogs, cats, horses, etc., are raised by people in their homes or farms. Despite many contagious health conditions that also affect humans caused by Mites, humans opt to pet an animal because of their unconditional love and affection, hard to find in a human today.

 

How it all started?

Human started hunting to survive. Gradually learned that two is a more significant number and eventually increases the strength and possibilities of a successful hunt. That is when friendship came into the picture, most animals like dogs (wolf back then) back in the early stages of the human uprising were strong and ferocious.

Hunting animals down was not that simple like in today’s world; grab a gun, shoot the hunt. Human needed allies to confront dangerous hunts to stay alive. Wolf always stay with the pack to survive therefore wolf packs were a significant threat to human life. In search of food and long life, human started feeding wolfs eventually wolfs begun helping human’s in hunting and indicating about coming endangers.

Harnessing the friendship through millions of years consequently transformed a significant number of the wolfs in dogs. The dog is known to be human’s best and most trusted friend, well it’s a long journey.

 

Companionship with a threat

Dogs are considered an intelligent genus of Canis, intellectual enough to recognize the one they love and brave enough to save their loved ones. They can be trained; their sniffing sense is highly advanced than humans.

They perform various tasks for humans: A hunting dog is like hounds, dachshunds and gun dogs help and hunt for humans. Police and Military dogs are trained for securing a high-level security area like in airports using their sniffing sense to identify the smell of drugs and other illegal things.

Eventually, dogs have achieved the sobriquet “man’s best friend” by their influence on the human society. Most of the dogs living with a human family have the freedom same as humans in the place. Being a living organism, dogs have their own set of health issues and are home for an infestation of parasites. Parasites like mites which cause disease in dogs both contagious and non-contagious to humans and other animals.

Hence, being human’s best friend, humans have found out ways to save their friendly dog and themselves from contagious diseases caused by mites. There are several hospitals and facilities configured by humans to help all the living organism on the planet.

Life is a living truth, and it is required to be preserved. Prevention and cure are the answers to all the health issues in the world, be it for humans, dogs or other existing life on Earth. Diseases caused by mites in dogs can also be prevented and cured. Currently, there are many ways to prevent mites and diseases caused by mites. Consequently, prevention is possible through injecting the medicine, applying for the medicine on the body via shampoo or in the form of a medical paste.

 

The Curse of Mites

 

What is Mite?

The mite is four-legged arachnid parasite found in soil and many animals. These microscopic crabbed like parasites make their shelter inside the pores of the skin, on the surface, hair follicles and on the fur or dogs and other animals. They have a semi-transparent and transparent microscopic body. Yet, their damage is not tiny, and a condition known as Mange is quite an evidence of that.

Mites are both hereditary and contagious. Some are transmitted to puppies from their mother during their first few days life and are ordinarily found on all dogs. Eventually, when dogs’ roll in the grass outside or in the dog park or merely meeting other animals with these parasites, exposing themselves to all sorts of matter where mite can come in their contact and breed.

Four common species of mites can be highly contagious from dog to dog and as well as from dogs to human. Some specific mites only affect dogs and not humans though.

 

What is Mange?

Mange is a skin disease caused by mites causing severe itching, hair loss and skin infection and is both highly contagious and non-contagious for other animals and humans.

There are several kinds of parasitic mites (commonly known as ticks) and two types of disease a dog can acquire through mites, Sarcoptic mange, and Demodectic mange.

Sarcoptic Mange is a highly contagious disease caused by Sarcoptes Scabiei mites. It’s not only in dogs but many other animals like cats, pigs, horses and even human. Sarcoptic mange is caused by ugly little female mites, which dig a tunnel through the skin to lay eggs which cause severe itching and hair loss.

Demodex mites are natural inhabitants of a dog’s skin and can cause demodectic mange in the dog. In excellent conditions, these mites live in harmony with dogs throughout their whole life. However, in dogs with lack of immune system, these mites can cause itching, infection and make a dog’s life miserable. Demodectic Mange is considered non-contagious, and it poses no effect on dogs with the healthy immune system.

 

Demodectic Mange is of three types;

  • Localized mange covers a small number of areas on the body. It is generally caused on the face.
  • Generalized mange covers the complete body of the dog.
  • Demodectic pododermatitis mange covers the feet and between the toe of the dog.

 

How to cure Sarcoptic and Demodectic Mange?

First of all, isolate your dog from infecting other pets and family members. Therefore, change and clean the place where your dog sleeps also alter the collar. Sarcoptic mange mites can even survive without a host body for two to six days. Mopping and sweeping hard floors and vacuum cleaning of the house is recommended. To prevent sarcoptic mange mites from infesting your pet again.

Traditional treatment for both Sarcoptic and Demodectic mange is washing your pet’s entire body. Using chemical powerful enough to kill all the mites. Unfortunately, there are some side effects of the treatment. Restlessness, vomiting, decrease in body temperature, loss of appetite and Diarrhea.

As soon as one detects the symptom of mites in their dog. They must get in touch with a Vet (Veterinarian Physician). A piece of advice from a medical professional can cure your best friend.

The vet will identify the symptoms in no time and will ask questions like when it began. Since when the dog is showing discomfort and have you tried anything at home to determine the age of disease and its severity.

Then various skin test like biopsy and skin scrapping are performed to identify the type of mite causing mange.

After all the test and laboratory testing of the sample. Medical professional will be able to provide the best medical treatment to cure your pet of disease caused by mites.

 

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