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Dr. Butterfield's Case of the Day: MORE Creepy Crawlies
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We're on a roll with the "fun" parasite cases these last few weeks. Here's another fun one. Meet this Big Ol' Momma! She's a sarcoptic mite, responsible for causing sarcoptic mange, aka the dreaded SCABIES, and she's a real nuisance!
This case presented in an adult, spayed female Pomeranian, who after several weeks of different therapies and treatments at home, was not responding, and was itching like crazy, keeping the owner up at all hours of the night. When she presented today, she exhibited the classic signs of scabies, severe itching that was non-responsive to over the counter antihistamines, prescription antibiotics, shampoos and steroid therapy, and exhibited loss of hair on the sides of the back legs, and crusts and hair loss along the edges of her ears. Classic signs for this disease. I simple test, called a skin scraping, was performed, and under the microscope I saw NOT ONE, but dozens of these little buggers.
Sarcoptic mange causes intense prutitis (that's Doctor speak for itching) and hair loss. In about 80% of the cases, simply rubbing the base of the ear of an infected animal causes intense itching and "kicking and digging" of the back feet, called a "pinnal-pedal reflex". As previously mentioned, these cases rarely respond to typical therapies used to treat allergic dogs, so infected dogs just keep right on digging and scratching, some even to the point of making themselves raw and bloody. In these cases, finding these critters with a skin scrape is diagnostic for sarcoptic mange and treatment can be implemented.
Sarcoptes mites are spread via close contact with other animals (or bedding of other animals) who are infected. Outbreaks can be seen in boarding kennels, grooming facilities and other such places where opportunity for close contact occurs. Th
Having a rough day? Here's a daily dose of "Awww" to brighten your spirits. 🐱❤
