Mange in dogs: what it looks like and how to treat it

Mange is a skin disease caused by microscopic mites living in or on a dog's skin. It shows up as hair loss, red or scaly skin and, in one of its two forms, itching so fierce the dog cannot settle. Both forms are treatable with prescription medicine from a vet, and most dogs do well with treatment.

There are two kinds, and they behave very differently. Sarcoptic mange, also called canine scabies, is intensely itchy and spreads easily between dogs. Demodectic mange is caused by a mite that almost every dog already carries, is not catching in normal life, and appears when the dog's immune system is not keeping the mites under control.

The two kinds of mange

What does mange look like when it first starts?

This site has no photographs, so here is what to look and feel for. A vet visit is still needed, because allergies, fleas, ringworm and skin infections can look the same.

Early sarcoptic mange

The itch usually comes first and is out of proportion to what you can see. The dog scratches, chews, rubs along furniture and wakes at night to scratch.

The first skin changes are on thinly haired places: the edges of the ear flaps, the elbows, the hocks (the back-leg ankle joints), the chest and the belly. Look for small red bumps like a rash, then patchy thinning of the hair. The ear edges often feel gritty or crusty, like fine sand stuck to the rim. Many dogs kick a back leg in a scratching motion when you rub the ear edge between your fingers.

Early demodectic mange

The first sign is one or a few small bald patches, most often around the eyes, at the corners of the mouth or on the front legs. The skin in the patch may be a little pink, gray or scaly, and the hair around it looks thin and moth-eaten. A dog with thinning rings around both eyes can look as if it is wearing spectacles. It is usually not itchy at this stage, and the dog seems well.

What serious mange looks like

• Sarcoptic. Thick yellow-gray crusts on the ears, elbows and hocks; large bald areas; skin that is thickened, darkened and wrinkled; raw, bleeding patches from scratching; weight loss and exhaustion from lack of sleep.
• Demodectic. Hair loss spreading across the face, legs and trunk; skin that turns red, then gray-blue and thickened; pimples, oozing sores and crusts from bacterial infection; a strong sour smell; swollen, painful feet; enlarged lymph nodes; a dog who is dull, feverish or off food.

Widespread demodectic mange with infected skin is a serious illness and needs a vet promptly.

Is mange contagious?

Sarcoptic mange is. It passes by direct contact with an infested dog and through shared bedding, brushes and grooming or boarding spaces. Foxes and coyotes carry it too, so dogs can pick it up outdoors. Signs can appear anywhere from about ten days to two months after contact. If one dog in the house has it, vets generally treat every dog in the house.

Demodectic mange is not considered contagious. Puppies get their mites from their mother in the first days of life, and healthy adult dogs do not develop the disease from meeting an affected dog.

Can people get mange?

People can be bitten by sarcoptic mites from a dog. It causes itchy red bumps, usually on the forearms, waist, chest or wherever the dog is held. The dog mite cannot complete its life cycle on human skin, so the rash generally fades once the dog is treated. See your own doctor if you are itchy, and tell them your dog has scabies. Demodectic mites from dogs do not cause disease in people.

Mange in an older dog

Demodectic mange appearing for the first time in a middle-aged or senior dog is a warning sign in its own right. The mites have been there all along. Often something has weakened the immune system that was holding them back.

Vets look for an underlying cause, including Cushing's disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes, cancer, and medicines that suppress immunity such as long-term steroids or chemotherapy. Expect the vet to suggest blood and urine tests and perhaps imaging, not just a skin treatment. A cause is not always found, but when there is one, treating the mites without it often leads to relapse.

Sarcoptic mange can hit an old dog harder as well, because thin skin breaks down faster and heals more slowly. Tell the vet about every medicine and supplement your dog takes, so the mange treatment can be chosen to fit.

How a vet confirms mange

• Skin scrapings. The vet scrapes the surface of the skin with a blade and looks at the material under a microscope.
• Hair plucks and tape samples. Used on sore areas such as feet and around the eyes.
• Skin tests for infection. To check for bacteria and yeast on top of the mites.
• Biopsy. Occasionally, for thickened skin or feet where scrapes are unhelpful.

Demodectic mites are usually easy to find. Sarcoptic mites are not: a dog can be covered in bites from very few mites, and scrapings often come back clean. For that reason vets commonly treat for scabies on suspicion and treat the response as the answer.

Mange treatment

Both kinds are treated with prescription mite-killing medicine. Today that is most often a tablet, chew or spot-on from the same families of drugs used for flea and tick control. Medicated dips and washes are older options that some vets still use. The product, the dose and how long treatment runs depend on your dog's weight, age, breed, liver and other medicines, and only the prescribing vet can set them.

Around that, the vet may add:

• Antibiotics or medicated shampoo for infected skin
• Short-term itch relief so the dog can sleep and the skin can heal
• Treatment for every dog in contact, in sarcoptic mange
• Repeat skin scrapings in demodectic mange, with treatment continued until the vet is satisfied the mites are gone
• Tests and treatment for an underlying disease in an adult or senior dog

With sarcoptic mange the itch often starts to ease within the first few weeks of treatment, and the coat grows back over the weeks to months after that. Widespread demodectic mange is slower, can take several months, and sometimes comes back. Your vet can tell you what to expect for your dog. Small patches of demodectic mange in a young dog often clear without mite treatment, but that is for the vet to judge.

How to treat mange at home

Mange cannot be reliably cleared with home remedies, and several popular ones are dangerous. Used motor oil is poisonous and burns the skin. Tea tree oil is toxic to dogs. Borax, bleach, kerosene and peroxide mixtures damage skin that is already broken, and dogs lick them off. Vinegar and cooking oils do not kill the mites.

Do not use livestock wormers or mite products bought from a farm store. Some herding breeds and their crosses carry a gene that makes certain of these drugs cause severe nerve poisoning, and the strength of farm products makes overdose easy. Do not give human anti-itch medicines or creams either, unless the vet has confirmed the exact product and amount. Steroid creams and tablets can make demodectic mange worse.

What does help at home, alongside the prescription:

• Give the full course exactly as directed, even after the skin looks better
• Wash bedding, blankets, soft toys and harnesses on a hot cycle, and vacuum where the dog sleeps
• With sarcoptic mange, keep the dog away from other dogs until the vet says otherwise
• Use a cone or a soft shirt if the dog is tearing its skin open
• Wash your hands after handling the dog, and keep it off your bed for now

If you are unsure whether the problem is mange at all, our pages on why an old dog scratches so much and hair loss in old dogs cover the other common causes.

Call the vet today if

• The skin is raw, bleeding, oozing or smells bad
• Hair loss or crusting is spreading fast or covers large areas
• Your dog is dull, feverish, not eating or losing weight
• The feet are swollen or your dog is limping
• The itching is so bad your dog cannot sleep or is injuring itself
• People in the house have developed an itchy rash
• An older dog develops bald, scaly patches for the first time
• Your dog is wobbly, drooling, trembling or has wide pupils after any mite or worm treatment. This is an emergency.

This article is general educational information about mange in dogs and is not veterinary advice. Hair loss and itching have many causes, and mange can only be confirmed and treated by a veterinarian. Do not use home remedies, farm products or human medicines on your dog's skin without your veterinarian's direction. Decisions about your dog's treatment should be made with them.