If this is your pet’s first mange infection, symptoms may not appear for four to six weeks. This is called the incubation period, and pets are still very contagious. Keeping your pet quarantined as soon as mange is recognized is a good idea. Recognizing the symptoms to diagnose pet mange is essential, so the proper treatment is applied.
The first noticeable symptom is intense scratching. An animal with mange will scratch so much that it will cause bleeding and open wounds. This itchiness is an allergic reaction to the mites causing the mange. These mites burrow into the animal’s skin and lay their eggs at the end of the burrow. The result is a lot of little tunnels with eggs and feces, along with mites moving around on the skin and in the tunnels. Once the body recognizes what is happening, it will launch an allergic reaction to eradicate the mites.
The following symptom will be a skin rash. The irritation from the mites, along with the constant scratching by your pet, will cause the skin to turn red. This symptom may be a little harder to see, but if you look in the area where your pet is scratching the most, you should be able to see the rash. Typically, pet mange starts in regions with dry, wrinkly skin, such as the elbows and behind the ears. You can also sometimes find it at the base of the tail, underbelly, or inside the back legs.
Once your pet has itched so much that it has broken the skin, these wounds will begin to scab over. This will cause crusty lesions in the affected area. By this time, your pet may also start to lose hair. This is partially due to the mites and partially due to the intense scratching. This hair loss, also known as alopecia, will start at the location of the mite infestation and begin to spread as the mites spread. Because the mites are so contagious, they can be distributed by touching one area and then touching another area of the pet.
If you have determined that your pet has pet mange, it is crucial to start treating it immediately. Before a complete diagnosis of pet mange can be made, rule out food allergies (by switching your pet’s diet and monitoring any changes in the rash) and fleas (by checking for flea dirt and fleas on the pet’s skin). You can also take your pet to the veterinarian to confirm the diagnosis.
Start your pet’s treatment immediately to avoid any complications, such as bacterial infections in the open wounds.