Petville

Sarcoptic Mange Mites

Microscopic sarcoptic mange mites cause sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies. Sarcoptic mange mites affect dogs of all ages, during any time of the year. Sarcoptic mange mites are highly contagious to other dogs and may be passed by close contact with infested animals, bedding, or grooming tools.

Risks and Consequences
Sarcoptic mange mites burrow through the top layer of the dog's skin and cause intense itching. Clinical signs include generalized hair loss, a skin rash, and crusting. Skin infections may develop secondary to the intense irritation. People who come in close contact with an affected dog may develop a rash and should see their physician.

Treatment and Control
Dogs with sarcoptic mange require medication to kill the mites and additional treatment to soothe the skin and resolve related infections. Cleaning and treatment of the dog's environment can be beneficial.

A service of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Demodectic Mange Mites

Mite Basics
Demodectic mange caused by demodectic mange mites is mainly a problem in dogs. Demodectic mange mites are microscopic, cigar-shaped, and not highly contagious. However, a dam may pass the mites to her puppies.

Risks and Consequences
Localized demodectic mange tends to appear in young dogs as patches of scaliness and redness around the eyes and mouth and, perhaps, the legs and trunk. Unlike other types of mange, demodectic mange may signal an underlying medical condition, and your pet's overall health should be carefully evaluated. Less commonly, young and old dogs experience a generalized form of demodectic mange and can exhibit widespread patches of redness, hair loss, and scaliness.

Treatment and Control
Your veterinarian will discuss treatment options with you. Treatment of dogs with localized demodectic mange generally results in favorable outcome. Generalized demodectic mange, however, may be difficult to treat, and treatment may only control the condition, rather than cure it.

A service of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Pet Grooming: Become a Professional!

Pet groomers, more than any other group of pet health care professionals, fill a very unique niche in enhancing pet health. Your profession requires certain attributes not required by veterinarians, trainers, breeders, pet shop owners, kennel operators and pet food retail salespeople.

To be a successful pet grooming professional you must have hands on contact with your subjects, you will be required to carefully observe each subject while grooming, and you will be doing this while patiently controlling the pet. Your job requires you to spend time with the pet in such a manner that you will be able to judge the pet' s physical and mental attitude. No other pet health care professional is required to fulfill all of these conditions in the execution of their job... the professional groomer holds a unique and vital position in pet health care delivery.

Of course there's a huge responsibility you must bear not only to be the best groomer you can be but also to be a healthcare advocate on behalf of the pets with whom you work. With your hands-on contact and acute observational skills you should be prepared to relate to a veterinarian or to the pet's owner any deviations from normal that you detect in the pet.

Every day in my small animal practice the groomer (she happened to be an independent contractor, not my employee, so I refrained from calling her "my" groomer!) would call me in to the grooming room to point out something on the pet that needed attention. Often she had discovered some subtle health problem that had evolved since the last time I saw the pet. In addition, because many veterinarians are pressed for time due to a busy schedule, their observation of the pet may be hurried. The average office call lasts about twelve minutes. So here's where the groomer really has an advantage because you are forced to concentrate on this one subject while you pick at it, scrub it, pluck it and shave it with that old faithful clippers that sounds like a lawn-mower... then you blast a tornado of warm air over it until it's dry so you can then scissor, shape and brush it and then confine it and hope it doesn't urinate in the cage and soil itself before the owner shows up three hours late! Did I forget the bows?

Dremel tool on nails? Ouch?!

Do you love how your dog's freshly cut nails scratch across your bare feet when he walks by, or better yet, your newly finished wood floors... well has anyone ever used the dremel tool on their dog's nails? (it's the hand sander tool with a little round tip). I just got my wood floors re-done and
after I use the clipper on my greyhound's nails, they're sharp sharp sharp! So I figured the sander
may work - he HATES emory boards since it takes me too long. I figure this way may be quick and painless...