3rd Dose of S/C Doramectin

Monday, October 27, 2008

Given 3rd dose of Dora yesterday.

Ever since we started s/c Dora, I noticed that Twistie is getting more and more timid and requires someone to be with him 24/7. It becomes a problem for us as we do need to leave a house at time, for a 2 hours lunch and of course, approx. 8 hours when both of us need to work during the weekdays. Twistie becomes nervous easily and he drools a lot as well, not when we are at home but whenever we come home in the evening, his paws are wet and his body temperature goes up. I then need to hold him for quite a while before he settles down.

Maybe this has got nothing to do with the medication, Ben suggested that I should really stay home after my 4 months assignments. Maybe he is right, I'll probably rest a while before I take up other assignments.

Okay, let's know a little bit more about mites : (extract from
bigpawsonly)
Mites in dogs is known generally as Mange and cause severe irritation in dogs with symptoms of inflammation, itching and hair loss. Mites cause their damage by tunneling into the skin via the hair follicles and oil glands of the epidermal layer. Once the dog begins scratching the pruritus, soreness and redness begin to develop leading to crusty skin and scabs. Mites normally live freely in dogs and cats, even humans without ever bothering their host; it is only when the immune system of the host suffers because of any number of circumstances do the mite begin their process of infestation – sometimes causing life-threatening conditions.

The most frequent types of Mites are as follows:
Sarcoptic Mange or Mites
Demodectic Mange or Mites --> Twistie got this.
Cheyletiella Mange also called “Walking Dandruff” – (literally crawling under your skin)


This is exactly what I saw at Mt.Pleasant Clinic after skin scrap.

Demodex Mites & Mange
Demodectic or Demodex Mange is the most common form of canine mange and are similar to that of a Sarcoptic mite in the way they burrow, feed and reproduce. This parasite is actually part of the normal skin fauna and is usually present in small numbers in health animals. The term Mange actually only characterizes the HIGH number of mites that cause more damage and usually signify an underlying immunodeficiency.

Symptoms of a Mite Infestation
When eruption of mites occurs on a host, several symptoms will manifest. Severe irritation caused by burrowing and moving beneath the skin will develop and pruritus (the intense scratching that occurs to alleviate the discomfort) can become self-mutilation. Alopecia (generalized hair loss) results from the loosening of the hair follicles the oversized population of mites do. Cracking and scabs will also develop in the worst conditions. Blood serum can sometimes be seen bleeding from the lesions and fissures. If the case has become this serious the animal is looking at secondary infections from bacteria’s from insects and the environment. If mange goes untreated, animals will die or be forced to be euthanized.


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