Desperately Need Help for Sarcoptic Mange and Ted's Mange Cure
Hi Theresa and all you lovely people,
I have read through most of the post on treating mange with borax and food grade 3%h202. I have 2 dogs both 6 years Old. One is a German shepherd and the other Chocolate Labrador. To cut a long story short they both were misdiagnosed with allergies for nearly two years and being treated by different vets(holistic, conventional and integrated) for bacterial infections as a result of these so-called allergies. With seeing my dogs suffer and no resolution in sight I took things in my own hands and started investigating as to how to dogs of two different breeds suddenly developed an itch that progressively got worse and to a stage of self mutilation. I started to get red bumps and rashes on my legs, wrists, armpits and ankles in the third year. I concluded that it was sarcoptic mites as both me and my partner have bites on contact with them. The vet agreed as the symptoms and bites on me all tallied up. Since the vets have failed in diagnosing them and their approach to treatment, it has put me off vets completely. Here on started a journey to treat it naturally with Neem oil, Kleen Green Enzymes etc. All these remedies managed the mange but did not eliminate it. I moved home twice to see if this would make a difference but due to a series of events they picked up fleas as well which I treated with DE and was successfully eliminated. Finally, after a year of natural treatment, Moving home, I succumbed to Revolution known as Stronghold in the UK. It did have some effect and I applied it bi-weekly for 4 months with some difference but no elimination. I was then moved to Privonox which is the same as Advantage. This did not do it either.
In these two years I have left my job and work from home to ensure I am with them all the time as leaving them on their own has led to self-mutilation and subsequently pyoderma and bacterial infections. I feed them raw and sometimes cook meals when the bacterial infections are bad but I am managing all the bacterial infection by making a paste with DE and Cold pressed organic coconut oil. This seems to keep them in check. They are supplemented with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Turmeric and Milk thistle tincture, transfer factor plus, probiotics m kefir, and digestive enzymes. I think this regime has kept their health stable despite this nightmarish ordeal. They have a healthy weight and are energetic. I do rotate between Chia seeds, flax seeds, mushroom supplements, etc.
Now, I moved home again 2 months ago. In the rush of moving, I accidentally applied a vial of stronghold and privonox on the dog. The quantity was right just the vials got swapped as one dog was on Stronghold the other on privonox. This seem to have worked and I got very little bites in the next 10 days. I trialled this for the next 1.5 months every 12 days and they seemed better until I felt my shepherd started to have a reaction. They were doing really well on it and although not my chosen option, I was hoping to see an end as in the past two years, not only has my health detiroated but I have been house bound due to them for 2 years now. This led to me getting really depressed and losing friends but these two boys mean the world to me. My relationship with my partner is at a flux but thankfully we are still together. So please don't think I have taken the easy way out by giving them a mix of medication (which I discovered Accidentally) that is not safe. The vets were describing Bravecto and Ivermectin which I am determined not to use. I have stopped the spot on after my shepherd had a reaction and I have now decided to go down the Borax route. The bites are now back after I stopped the spot on treatments. My only problem in the past and now is that my dogs are large dogs and will not go in a bath. They both way 44kgs each. The UK weather doesn't work for bathing them every three days either or regularly for most of the year. So my question is- Can I spray the borax solution on them till they are soaked and let them sit in it for 30 minutes with no towel drying? They seem to have the most itches around their face, arms pits, ears, neck, paws and abdomen?
I am sorry for the lengthy message but I will be grateful for your advise. I am at my wits end but I cannot give up the fight. I want my boys back. Thank you for your time in advance. A worried and exhausted mum of Simba (gsd) and Skye (Labrador). Shilpa xx
Mpls., Mn
08/27/2018
Hello Silpa,
I commend you for your dedication to your boys! In your shoes I would make up gallons of Ted's Mange Remedy. I think spraying would give you tennis elbow :-) Perhaps fill a 5 gallon bucket or tub. And if the boys won't go into the bath then have them stand in the tub - or get one end into the tub and then rotate around so that each gets saturated with the solution. Since they have thick coats I would try to soak them for at least 15 minutes, and then hope their coats would cause them to remain wet [solution working] for another 15 minutes. Use a sponge to sop up the solution and reapply while you watch the clock. Count on getting wet and wear old clothes as hydrogen peroxide will bleach clothes. I would try the DE in the house- on the human furniture. Anything you can wash, do so. I would wash rugs and then store them having only bare minimum floor rugs down so the boys don't slip on slick floors. Wash all human bedding, and even consider having two sets so one can be in the wash and one on the bed and swap daily. I think using DE on the boys may help as well - once they are dry work it into their coats. Just to be certain, I would use a few floor lamp flea traps. And then I would look at nutritional supplements to help with the itching - Yucca intensive is one, also Quercetin; these may take some time for effect - 6 weeks. Vitamin C for everyone in the house! Please report back!
UK
08/29/2018
Thank you so much for your prompt response, Theresa. This is much appreciated. Thank you for acknowledging my dedication and I cannot tell you how difficult this journey has been and continues to be. I hope the borax helps.Since my original post. I have started spraying them and leave them soaked for over an hour. They do itch but less compared to what they were itching. I have sprinkled DE in the entire yard in readiness for the next treatment today. However, the increased bites that I am getting are making me nervous that this will never go away!
Thank you for the advise re the tub but my Labrador is a nightmare and won't go in a tub. He is very skittish when it comes to a bath although he won't think twice before jumping in mud or a lake . Go figure! 🤪The spraying is actually easier as it takes about an hour. After they are covered in the solution, I keep re spraying in the areas they have the maximum itch. I then work it in their skin with my hands. They are are used to it so don't put up resistance or shake it off.(I used to spray Kleen green enzyme daily twice for 6 months so my elbows have adjusted. It's my back that's a killer! ) They are soaked with the solution and drip but I make them sit for 30 minutes without any towel in the utility. I sit with them. Then I allow them to dry naturally. I hope this is okay to continue? I think I will shave the areas that have extra fluff to get closer to the skin. I also notice that I am not wasting the solution as most of it stays on them apart from some dripping that cannot be avoided if I am trying to drown them In it😂
I have six further questions-;
1. Is it okay to use ‘Food' Grade Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (diluted to1%)?
2. Do the mites get more active one day after the application as I am getting more bites and my GSD itches more the following day?
3. Should I use distilled water and vinegar to make the mix more effective and potent?
4. Would it be worth trying a mix of one part distilled water, one part Kleen Green Enzymes and borax with 3 parts of Hydrogen peroxide.?( this is to manage the bacterial infections)
5. Should I include DE as a supplement to attack the mites internally?
6. Do I do the alternate day application for 1 week or should I increase that to 2 weeks bearing in mind the length they have been ailing from this mange.
Thank you for the advice re the DE. In the new Home for the last 10 days. I have put DE in My Sofas, under the sofas. All sofas are sprayed and cleaned several times a day with the enzyme cleaner. Hoovering is done once a day. All throws used are tumble dried on high heat for 40 minutes daily. We sleep in the lounge-if we start using other rooms the mites will spread and hard to keep on top off.so no bedding no rugs. Just throws and pillows. Bare minimum. We are using only one part of the house which has tiled flooring and I spray this every day with Kleen green Enzymes spray and then steam clean it. Kleen Green is a great contact killer. I will definitely look into Yucca and get that. I have used Quercetin before so have that in stock. They get Vitamin C everyday 1000mg now. Was 500 mg before, we will start taking it as well. Thank you.🤗I have done the flea test suggested by you before, will do it again to be certain.😊
Once again thank you so much for your help with this and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your time and advice.xxx
Mpls., Mn
08/30/2018
Hey Shilpa,
- Is it okay to use ‘Food' Grade Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (diluted to1%)? A) It won't hurt but is a needless expense if you are using it topically.
- Do the mites get more active one day after the application as I am getting more bites and my GSD itches more the following day? A) NO- they should be dying. The mites die under the skin, and their decomposing bodies is what causes the itching. So the appearance of more bites after a treatment would make sense – but you are not getting bitten, but the rapid die off would make it seem so.
- Should I use distilled water and vinegar to make the mix more effective and potent? A) NO. You will be making peracetic acid which is really harsh and can really screw up your dogs skin if you add vinegar to the mix.
- Would it be worth trying a mix of one part distilled water, one part Kleen Green Enzymes and borax with 3 parts of Hydrogen peroxide.?( this is to manage the bacterial infections) A) The follwing recipe was created after reading through EC's pages paying particular attention to Ted's advice for skin issues in dogs. The basic recipe consists of hydrogen peroxide, borax, Epsom salt, and Milk of Magnesia.
Take one 16oz bottle of 3% drugstore hydrogen peroxide and dilute it with 32 oz of water to get a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide.
To this add 1 cup each of the borax, Epsom salt and Milk of Magnesia.
It helps to use HOT water to mix up the borax to get it to dissolve.
I see no reason why you would not add the Kleen Green Enzymes to this mix if you have had good results with them before.
- Should I include DE as a supplement to attack the mites internally? A) Ingesting it will not affect the mites, but it may provide beneficial results anyway, so go for it!
- Do I do the alternate day application for 1 week or should I increase that to 2 weeks bearing in mind the length they have been ailing from this mange. A) The mites can lay eggs/infest your dog within two hours of it hitching a ride. The eggs hatch in 2 to 4 days. They take about 15 days to mature to start the cycle all over again. So you might treat/dip every other day for 2 weeks to make sure you have gotten all the adults. I would part the hair and spray directly on the skin, not spray the hair and work it in with your hands. You have to get the skin saturated or the treatment will not be effective. And you have to get the entire dog. After the first two weeks you can reduce to every 4 days. Ideally you would treat for 12 weeks.
Please report back!
A
09/07/2018
Thank you so much Theresa for all your time and sound advise. Apologies for the late reply but I had a bad case of the viral flu. I had to stop the treatment for 4 days because I was really poorly and the dogs started to itch again. This broke the alternate day cycle and I started to experience bites on my face and hands from the third day onwards -after stopping the treatment. So this definitely confirms that when I was doing the treatment (only 4 applications on alternate days before it was stopped) it was working. During the treatment, I experienced very little activity and the boys were itchy but you could tell it was a healing itch. I am now better and have resumed the treatment and I will update everyone in 2 weeks time to give a progress report. At this stage My sable shepherd has got a red tinge to his coat and my chocolate Labrador has turned golden🤣😂
Cancun, Mexico
08/09/2023
My two rescue dogs are terrified of the tub, the sink and the hose. My 1st rescue would walk around puddles, till one day she wanted to be picked up to go over a puddle, so I did pick her up but put her down in the middle and pointed out that she was still alive. Since then she will walk thru them, but she will have no part (yet) of bathing. My 2nd rescue is the same. I had tried the mange recipe on #2 first, but really only got 1cup or 2 over his back. I had thought it wouldn't work on him, or #1 either.
One morning they were scratching alot, and crying out while doing so. When they started crying, so did I!! It hurt me to be failing them so badly. There are so many positive reviews of this remedy, that I had to try again. They needed, and I needed, to figure out how to get them bathed in this solution.
I watched some videos on how to bathe terrified dogs, but the 5 I watched all started with perfectly calm dogs, in a tub; not scared ones! The only thing I took away from those videos was "calm" dogs will do better. So I put on the "Happy" song by Pharrell W, and was dancing around. I picked up #1 and cradling her close, I started to sponge bathe her, while still dancing and singing. After I was done with her, I picked up the more skittish #2, who I fully expected to be hiding behind the couch and would have to coax him out - but no, due to mama's goofy dancing and worse singing, he was still laying there and didn't appear nervous at all. I sponged him all over. Even in sunny cancun, it still took awhile for them to dry.
Lo and behold, neither itched but once for the rest of the day! I could see improvement in their sores and fur right away. What a relief! So a helpful solution for scared or nervous dogs is to distract them. My next song will be "the book of love" and other upbeat songs. Another bonus, both are napping close to me where before they had moved away for a week or two. Happiness is back in our home. Thank you Ted and E.C.!!!
Sing, dance and be well, everyone!!
