In most cases, the dog’s body will fight off the attack. About 10% of the time, a dog will not be able to fight the mite’s attack and mange will set in.
Symptoms
90%
of the time, the dog will simply have the localized form of this. The only symptoms will be:
- Small areas on the skin that are not itchy. These patches of what looks like a rash can be seen on the head, neck and usually the front legs of the Boxer dog.
- Thinning fur around the eyes or mouth of the dog – this is not always present
10%
of the time, when a Boxer dog has a high allergic reaction to the mites, the dog’s skin condition will worsen. This is called Generalized Demodex. Demodicosis , Demodectic Mange or Red Mange and this is the serious form.
The symptoms will be:
- Fur loss
- Redness on the Boxer dog’s face, around the eyes and/or on the corners of the dog’s mouth
- Sores that ooze out a clear fluid
- Dry, scaly skin with a red tone
- In rare cases of this serious health condition, a dog’s whole body can become enveloped with redness
- Decreased appetite
- Fever
- Itching – can be quite severe – a dog will rub their body against anything that they can find
Prevention
The best prevention is for Boxer owners to have their dog’s spayed or neutered, if not planning on breeding. The mites are always passed from dam to
puppy.
Diagnosing
Because the symptoms of this can look a lot like an allergic reaction on a dog’s skin, it is important for testing to be done to determine if it is indeed Demodectic Mange. If you think that your dog may have
allergies which are causing skin irritation, it is vitally important for a vet to rule out Red Mange.
A veterinarian must perform a skin scraping. This must then be looked at under a microscope. If this is detected, the vet will give a diagnosis of either Juvenile onset (if your dog is under 2 years old) or Adult onset (if your dog is over 2 years old).
Treatment
In the 90% of cases where this is just the localized form, it may clear up almost spontaneously. However, it is always recommended to bathe your Boxer with antibacterial dog shampoo and apply a soothing lotion to the dog’s skin. Skin scrapings must be done every other week to make sure that the condition has not progressed into the Generalized Demodicosis (Demodectic Mange or Red Mange)
Treatment for Red Mange / Demodectic Mange for a Boxer dog will include:
- Mediation to rid the dog of the mites
- this will usually be an Amitraz-based solution. This is done by dipping the dog's body into the medication and must be done by a veterinarian. Negative side effects can occur such as sedation, tremors or even coma. If this does happen, other medications will be used to reverse the side effect.
- A secondary mediation, in oral form, will be given to the dog for 12 weeks
- Antibiotics will be given for a period of 4 to 10 weeks
Keep in mind that most dogs do recover from this canine skin disease, although an owner must be patient as this does take time.