The Causes of Mange in Dogs
It is believed that all dogs may have parasites on their skin. However, the dogs that are given
good hygiene and are kept in a healthy community tend to develop a better immune system that can
handle parasite infestations.
As such, the mites that cause mange will not thrive in a well-kept dog's body at all. If ever
they invade the skin, the dog's antibodies will activate, and hunt them down. Therefore, they
can't proliferate as much as they will in the body of dogs with a low immune response.
The main cause of dog mange is the unhealthy environment
the dogs live in. Mites are always on the prowl, waiting to strike dogs that are not given baths
regularly. Most mites are contagious. This means that the mere association of your pet with other
dogs in the park that have the disease may make your dog susceptible to the disease.
Immunodeficiency is one of the causes of proliferation of dog mange. The dogs that are prone to
mites are the dogs whose body defenses are not very well-developed.
However, puppies and older-aged dogs can acquire the disease as well.
Further research about mange in dogs has also revealed that the disease could be hereditary.
As such, dogs that have a family or breed history of exposure to mange are most likely to develop
this condition.
This means that if the mother of your puppies has acquired the disease once in her lifetime, proper
precautions should be taken to make sure that the puppies will not be affected by mange.
Mange in dogs gets very severe because female mites lay eggs several times when they burrow. Each
time a mite lays eggs, a new set of larvae surfaces. Depending on the conditions, mites can live
up to 22 days.
They reproduce faster than their lifespan and that is the main reason why most dogs tend to suffer
so much before finally recovering or succumbing to the disease. It is only during the colder seasons
that mites have a shorter life span. They can live anywhere from two to six days, which is up
to eleven times shorter than normal.
Some types of mites can live away from the host for a certain period of time. This explains
why your pet may suddenly get affected by mange even if they don't associate with other dogs.
This is especially true in areas where stray dogs are frequent.