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| Mange is caused by borrowing mites. |
Kids, don't try this at home
After noodling around the internet and seeing what was available at local stores, I ended up "compounding" 0.1% ivermectin topical creme by thoroughly mixing 0.21 ounces of 1.87% horse ivermectin horse wormer with four ounces of Crisco shortening.
Topical 0.01% ivermectin in oil (Acarexx) has been reported to be effective in humans, and all mite infections in many types of animals (especially in ear mite infections where the animal cannot lick the treated area), and is so poorly absorbed that systemic toxicity is less likely in these sites. Nevertheless, topical ivermectin has not been well enough tested to be approved for this use in dogs, and is theoretically much more dangerous in zones where the animal can potentially lick the treated area.
Caution: This is 10X the strength of Acarexx!!!
The creme was applied very sparingly to, and around, the affected area and was massaged into the skin. The excess was then wiped off with a paper towel.
Six hours after treatment, Zeus is showing no ill effects. We will treat the patch every week for a month and if it shows no improvement I will bite the bullet and we will take Zeus to the vet.
Nutrition
Apparently the mites that cause mange are a common part of the biota that dogs carry around on their hides. Stresses compromise the dog's immune system and allow the population of mites to bloom and mange results.
Drugs can beat the mange down but it will come back unless the owner figures out and addresses the underlying stresses that compromised the dog's immune system.
I think we will switch to a more expensive dog food for a while and feed him a bit more.
Any advice about vitamins for dogs will be much appreciated.
I'm not much help with vitamin recommendations for dogs, but I researched the daylights out of the topic of quality food for my dogs. I think that a good raw diet is probably the best, but requires a lot of effort that I just can't manage right now. Using what I learned from researching raw diets made understanding the crazy marketing driven world of dry dog foods. I ended up deciding to feed a brand called Acana. A great free reference site on dog foods is www.dogfoodadvisor.com. Changing to a high quality food has made a big difference for my 14 yr old Border Collie and the Chinook pup is going to be eating the good stuff for his entire life. Good luck with Zeus!
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