Subcutaneous tick in a dog: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Demodicosis in dogs

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The subcutaneous tick in dogs, or demodicosis, is a fairly serious disease. As a rule, such a pathology develops due to the genetic predisposition of the animal. Intradermal parasites require special attention, as they can provoke various complications, as a result of which your animal will suffer. It is worth noting that the causative agent of the disease is present in the body of any dog, however, it can cause the development of a pathological process only if the pet has a weakened immune system and is influenced from the outside.

Please note that the waste products excreted by the subcutaneous mite in dogs are strong allergens that cause severe itching, painful sores and hair loss. As a rule, the animal can get sick from May to September, as the disease is seasonal. Most often, demodicosis occurs in dogs aged from six months to two years. Provoke the development of pathologysick animals, and the tick is transmitted at the moment of direct contact with them through the eyes, ears, muzzle and hygiene items. Small puppies often become infected from the mother. In addition, demodicosis in a dog can be detected due to malnutrition of the animal, surgery, or past infectious diseases. Prolonged antibiotic therapy, the presence of worms and even rickets can contribute to the activation of the tick.

Forms of the disease. Which breeds are more prone to infection

There are two types of demodicosis: localized and generalized. Parasites that provoke the development of the disease live in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. When they get on a dog, their cycle of life is a maximum of an hour, but the subsequent effect on the body can last for a whole month. The localized form of the disease in 90% of cases is diagnosed in animals under 2 years of age and develops in one part of the body. In this case, the pathology is benign and affects only a limited area. At the same time, reddening of the skin and deterioration of the coat condition are observed in the dog. Most often, English and German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Boxers, Collies, Pugs and some other breeds are exposed to this form of demodicosis.

Generalized subcutaneous mite in dogs occurs after 2 years of age and accounts for 10% of all cases of infection. In this case, characteristic symptoms are observed in several parts of the body, including the limbs. The disease usually affects breeds such aspit bull, dachshund, bulldog, beagle and some others. Generalized demodicosis is more severe than localized, and its development depends on such factors as the presence of endocrine diseases, weakened immunity and genetic predisposition.

Symptoms of the disease

The owner of the animal can detect demodicosis only at the second stage of its development, since it is difficult to diagnose the primary signs of a subcutaneous tick in dogs because of their ambiguity. So, the main symptoms of the disease that can be seen:

• dog's unwillingness to communicate with the owner, her irritability;
• poor appetite;
• the dog itches badly and tears the skin to the blood;
• there is baldness of certain parts of the body, redness appears, the affected areas are covered with pityriasis scales;
• the dog is shaking with chills as it is disturbed by the process of thermoregulation;
• abscesses appear, which subsequently burst and smell bad;
• if appropriate measures are not taken in time, a fungal or bacterial infection may join demodicosis, as a result of which the dog will lose weight and may die from blood poisoning or exhaustion.

Diagnosis of disease

Only a veterinarian can detect a subcutaneous tick in a dog. To understand when to seek professional help, you need to carefully monitor your pet. The initial stage of demodicosis, as a rule, resembles a common skin dermatitis, so it is worth paying attention to how your dog smells. If from himthere is a fetid smell, it is worth sounding the alarm.

Diagnosis of the disease is not difficult. First of all, an analysis is carried out for demodicosis, which is a microscopic examination of pustules taken from the affected area. If there is an infection, the result will show it clearly. In order to properly analyze for demodicosis, it is necessary to take the material for research from the deep skin layers by scraping with a special tool. For these purposes, hair follicles from lesions are also suitable. To exclude the presence of other diseases, blood is taken from the dog for examination, since demodicosis most often manifests itself as a secondary pathology. In 50% of cases, a subcutaneous tick is the first sign of a weakening of the protective functions of the animal's body.

Treatment of disease

If your pet has been bitten by a subcutaneous tick, then it is unacceptable to treat the animal without contacting a veterinarian. Please note that collars and drops that should be applied locally will not be effective in such cases. A disease such as demodicosis must be treated comprehensively. As a rule, veterinarians use etiotropic therapy for this - injection of antiparasitic components of biological origin. In this way, entire colonies of subcutaneous mites that live in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles are destroyed. In parallel with this, antiseptic treatment of the skin with a solution of fucorcin or salicylic acid should be carried out. For this you can also useaversectin ointment or any other drug prescribed by the veterinarian.

However, only drug treatment for demodicosis is not enough. It should be done to strengthen the dog's immune system, as well as to eliminate skin atony and hormonal abnormalities. To do this, you can use not only medical products, but also homemade recipes that will help supply the animal's body with the necessary vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is important to properly care for your pet and carry out hygiene procedures.

Note that some medications for ticks in dogs can cause adverse reactions because they are toxic. Therefore, it is necessary to give the pet other medicines at the same time, the action of which is aimed at protecting the liver and restoring the strength of the animal. These include drugs such as Heptral, Karsil and LIV-52. The main treatment involves the elimination of the causative agent of demodicosis and the consequences of its vital activity. The ultimate goal is to restore the integrity of the dog's skin, its immunity and the normalization of hormonal levels. The course of therapy, as a rule, takes a long time - about 2-3 months.

Medicines for demodicosis

Symptoms and treatment of subcutaneous ticks in dogs are interrelated. The more severe the disease is, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. One of the effective modern drugs for demodicosis is "Immunoparasitan". It is a suspension with a protein-lipopolysaccharide complex. This medication is used for injections against subcutaneous ticks in dogs, which must be carried out for 6 weeks every 5 days. If the animal is diagnosed with a severe stage of the disease, then after treatment with Immunoparasitic, the veterinarian may prescribe drugs such as Ivomek or Amitrazine, which should be injected intravenously.

Drops "Stronghold" or "Lawyer" can be applied to the lesions. In order to reduce the staphylococcal effect on the dog's body, antibiotics are often prescribed, and to strengthen the hair follicles, it is recommended to give the pet preparations containing sulfur. And their liniments, such as "Cyclone" and "Amitraz", are recommended to be rubbed into the skin affected by demodicosis. If the animal has reduced immunity and an increased amount of corticosteroids, a couple of drops of iodine solution (5%) should be added to the feed, as well as Chloditan.

To eliminate itching and redness, veterinarians advise lubricating the lesions with sea buckthorn oil with vitamin A or Pihtoin. Be sure to brush your dog regularly as bits of the affected skin will die off and flake off during treatment. You should also carry out antiseptic treatment of the dog's body every day with a solution of salicylic acid or "Fukortsin". If the dog is expecting puppies, then before the appearance of the offspring (about a week before), it is necessary to carry out prophylaxis with the Ivomek drug to prevent infection of the babies.

Medical Shampoo

To eliminate seborrhea, dermatitis and subcutaneous mites, veterinarians often advise washing your pet with special products. One of these products is "Doctor" - shampoo for demodicosis. The dog after using this product will itch less and smell good. Under the influence of the active components of the shampoo, the pathological secret and the remnants of damaged skin are removed. In addition, after washing, the effectiveness of antimicrobial and antiparasitic drugs increases significantly.

Shampoo "Doctor" has antipruritic, deodorizing and anti-seborrheic properties. It quickly relieves inflammation, prevents the formation of acne, saturates tissues with oxygen, normalizes the production of subcutaneous fat, and also has an antifungal and antimicrobial effect against yeast-like fungi and staphylococci.

Shampoo "Doctor" is very easy to use. It should be used one hour before applying medication to the affected areas. Rub the shampoo until a rich foam is formed, then rinse with running water and repeat the procedure again. After 10 minutes after repeated application, the foam must be thoroughly washed off. Depending on the rate of secretion of skin secretion, it is recommended to use the shampoo at intervals of two to three days.

If you use this product for a long time, the dog's skin may begin to peel off. In this case, the animal should be shown to the veterinarian. Contraindication of the drug is hypersensitivitypet to its components.

Traditional medicine for pet he alth

Don't know how to remove a subcutaneous tick from a dog? Perhaps folk recipes will help you. However, before using them, you must definitely consult a veterinarian and get his approval. So, what can be done to save the animal from suffering:

• You can prepare a healing decoction of wormwood and honey, which should be given to the animal as a drink 1/2 cup every two hours.
• An ointment made from celandine roots shows a good result. Raw materials should be poured with refined vegetable oil, simmered over low heat for several hours and carefully filtered. It is recommended to add a little sour cream to the composition, after which you can rub it into the affected areas of the skin, and also bury it in your ears.
• Masks made from pureed juniper, elecampane roots or sour apples will be useful.

Do not forget that folk remedies are not as effective as drug treatment, although they are more gentle. In any case, the veterinarian must of course have the last word.

Are sick dogs dangerous to humans?

Many are interested in the question of whether it is possible to get a subcutaneous tick from a dog. This disease, of course, is contagious, but it only poses a danger to other animals. And if your pet is sick, then you have nothing to fear, since the dog subcutaneous tick is harmless to you. Despite the fact that it can penetrate your body, the parasite cannot live on it. However, there were times whena person still contracted demodicosis from a dog, but this is possible only with very weak immunity, which is incompatible with life.

So are dogs: a person cannot infect them, because they have different types of demodectic mites. However, in any case, close contact with a sick animal should be avoided, because, as they say, God protects the safe.

Disease prevention

The subcutaneous tick in a dog, the symptoms and treatment of which we examined in the framework of our article, is a rather serious problem that can even lead to the death of the animal. In order to avoid the development of pathology, it is necessary to take good care of your pet, constantly strengthen its he alth and prevent the possibility of infection with demodicosis from other dogs. To wash the animal, use products that are specially designed for this. So you can strengthen the hair follicles and prevent the tick from getting under the skin. Veterinarians advise rubbing sulfur-containing ointments into the dog's body, as well as adding a little iodine solution to drinking water.

So that your pet can safely walk, put on a special collar against parasites. Also for these purposes, you can use various sprays and drops. Change the old collar to a new one in a timely manner so that its action does not stop, and apply the drops in the dosage that is right for your pet.

Conclusion

Spring is a wonderful time to walk your dog in the park or forest. However, so that such a walk is not overshadowed by a bitetick, you need to know how to protect your dog from this trouble. Take care of your four-legged friend and visit the veterinarian regularly. Let your furry pet feel free and run wherever he wants.