compromised immune system

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Texrab
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compromised immune system

Post by Texrab » Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:36 pm

As a follow up to the Demodex deal how common is a compromised immune system? If a pup can get demodectic mange what else could he get as a result of the compromised immune system? You hear all the time people talking hips, eyes, health defects, etc. Why does no one talk about demodex? I realize some dogs could get demodectic mange from stress, but if multiple pups from a litter get it would you consider it a health defect?

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snips
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Post by snips » Fri Aug 04, 2006 2:46 pm

Yes I would. It is hereditary, and if it shows up in multiple pups I would not be breeding the bitch again, and should not breed the pups.
brenda

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kninebirddog
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Post by kninebirddog » Fri Aug 04, 2006 3:20 pm

more the past about demodectic mange is the immune part being heritary

many pups will have a slight bout of the D mange and owners never even realize it as it is a small Localized spot which never gets out of hand goes away never to been really known or seen

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_de ... mange.html
this is from Mar Vista Vets i pasted the first part there is more to this

Demodectic mange is caused by a microscopic mite called Demodex canis. All dogs raised normally by their mothers possess this mite as mites are transferred from mother to pup via cuddling during the first few days of life. (After the pup is older it is unable to pick up demodex mites. Puppies raised by hand, do not ever get demodex mites.) For some reason, conditions change in certain dogs to allow demodex mites to "gain the upper hand;" the mites proliferate and can cause serious skin disease.

Mites are not transmitted to people or other dogs except from mother dog to pup as described. Demodectic mange (unlike Sarcoptic mange) is not contagious.

Mites live inside hair follicles -- a difficult place for miticides (chemicals that kill mites) to reach.

Mites are a normal residents of dog skin; it is only in some individual dogs that mites cause problems.



DEMODICOSIS -- THE DISEASE ITSELF

Demodectic mange -- also called "demodicosis"-- has three forms:


FORM #1: LOCALIZED

Usually a red, scaly, well-circumscribed lesion on the face or forelegs is present. It generally goes away on its own. Goodwinol ointment, an insecticide, may be used daily to control localized demodicosis. Hair regrowth should be evident after about a month of treatment; however, some localized cases appear "destined" to become generalized and no treatment will prevent this from occurring.

When ointment is used, rubbing the medication on the area may break off the weaker hairs at the margin of the lesion. The lesion may thus appear to get larger at first. Antibacterial gels are also used against localized demodicosis and associated skin infections. Often it is best not to treat this condition and to simply allow it to resolve on its own.





Enlarged lymph nodes are a bad sign -- often foretelling generalized mange.

CAN THE PUP BE BRED LATER?

Sometimes the puppy with localized demodicosis was obtained for breeding purposes. The current recommendation is not to treat these puppies so that we can determine if the condition will stay localized and resolve or if it will generalize. If it stays localized and eventually resolves without treatment, the animal is still a candidate for breeding. If the condition generalizes to cover the entire body, the animal should be sterilized. If the condition receives treatment and resolves, we will never know how the disease would have gone in its natural state and will not know whether the pup is carrying the genetic predisposition for demodectic mange. In this case, it is best to be conservative and not take the chance of passing on genetic predisposition for this disease.

Localized demodicosis is almost exclusively a "puppyhood" disease. When a puppy develops localized demodicosis the chance of the condition resolving is 90% unless there is a family history of demodicosis in related dogs. In this case, chance of spontaneous resolution drops to 50%.
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