the maybe mange

   So Isis has this skin-thing going on that started after her albuterol-amp snack experience, and I kind of think it's just a touch of the mange.

   God dammit!

   I guess it's not really surprising, since the vet did warn us that any extreme physical or even emotional stress/suffering could trigger a relapse, and Isis was about as sick as a dog can possibly get and not die. That one night I was sure she'd be gone before morning with the way she was breathing. But she's still here and now seems totally healthy except for some thinning of her fur.

   Since it's obviously out of the question to embark on a course of Ivermectin and Mitaban dips right now, with finances being what they are, and Isis doesn't seem miserable (she's scratching behind her ears a little more than usual, but not chewing herself to death or going completely bald like she did the last time this was an issue), we've kind of been watching and waiting. Today I decided to read up on demodicosis and see if there were any natural home-remedy type things we could try, and here is what we ended up doing.

   Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, this does not constitute legitimate veterinary advice, everything I am about to tell you is the result of consulting with Dr. Google, DVM and I don't have any idea whether it will even actually help at all. 

   First, I gave Isis a good scrubby bath, then applied the monthly spot-treatment we use to prevent fleas, ticks, and lice (the one that also claims to repel mosquitoes) and gave her a dose of monthly heartworm preventative (which does contain Ivermectin). I then emptied several echinacea capsules into a little water and heated that up on the stove in a small saucepan. When it reached a simmer I added a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil (which is a natural antimicrobial) as a carrier oil, the contents of several vitamin E gelcaps (that stuff is great for skin), a few drops of tea tree oil (ditto), a drop of citronella (which insects hate, so I figure mites might, too), a drop of clove bud oil (a natural antimicrobial and topical anesthetic), and a few shakes of lavender oil (which was recommended on several sites for use in discouraging mange--dunno if it works but it smells good). I then stirred in a handful of organic, food-grade diatomaceous earth, which is non-toxic and kills some types of insect (dunno if it'll bother mites at all, but I figured it couldn't hurt) and about a half a tablespoon of organic emulsifying wax, and poured the resulting olive-drab mixture into a four-ounce Mason jar to cool.

   When the mixture was cool, it had the consistency of putty (I think maybe I used a bit much emulsifying wax, or else possibly the diatomaceous earth thickened it further), but softened when I rubbed it between my hands. I massaged that into all of Isis's fur-free skin (belly, undersides of ear-flaps, etc.) and all of the areas where her fur is thinning (mostly her haunches, behind her ears, and the insides of her legs/between her toes). I'm kind of dubious as to whether this will help with the mange, but if nothing else it should provide some topical relief from the itching and discourage infection.

   The other thing I'm going to try is some dietary modification. Isis is already on a raw, grain-free diet, but in my reading several sources insisted that it was important to feed meat and bones ONLY while trying to help a dog through a bout of demodicosis, and avoid all forms of yeast (including Brewer's, which we usually give our dogs in their food). Small amounts of leafy greens are supposedly okay. Apples, carrots, potatoes, etc. are not. Antioxidant supplements are recommended, however, as is echinacea (to boost the immune system). Both our dogs get a daily Pet Tabs Plus already, but I'm thinking I'll add extra Vitamin E and a bit of echinacea for Isis, as well as extra fish oil (Isis already gets this for her skin and coat, but it's supposed to help so I'm going to double her dose).

   Hopefully this will work, or at least help keep things from getting any worse until we're in a position to afford some Western medicine for the situation. It'd be nice if we could avoid that, though, as the Mitaban in particular seemed really hard on Isis (she would retain a lot of water, swell up, get unusually thirsty, pee in the house, and act generally drunk and out of it for about twenty-four hours after each treatment). I'll keep y'all posted.

Comments

[Michele]

DOnt forget that faboo stuff you made that I bought a jar of. That totally helped her when she was a pup right?

[Darlene]

I had a lab that I was on the brink of having to put down because the vets couldn't fix his skin/hair issue.

I doused him with corn starch for a week (he looked a little funny and it snowed when he walked...)and it cleared it up within two weeks.

Couldn't hurt to try.

[Krlr]

Fancy! Hopefully mom's talc will do the trick