Scabies in dogs is caused by a mite infestation.
These mites are very contagious.
They will readily infest other animals and even humans.
These parasitic mites live survive by feeding on material on the skin.
They usually burrow just below the surface of the skin, but can sometimes be found crawling around on the surface.
Symptoms If your dog is affected by scabies, he will experience severe itching.
The affected area will itch so badly that your dog will bite and scratch at it constantly.
This can lead to hair loss and crusting.
It can also increase the risk of secondary skin infections.
Diagnosis Scabies in dogs is normally diagnosed by on visual symptoms.
A skin scraping can also be useful.
It will be analyzed microscopically to determine if mites are present on the skin.
However, these mites are naturally found on dogs, so this can be an inaccurate method of diagnosis.
Treatment The main method of treatment for dog scabies is medicated shampoo.
This medicated shampoo will need to be used every week for a month.
Some dogs require treatment beyond this, so you may need to take him back to see the veterinarian.
He will determine if the condition is successfully treated.
Prevention As you know by now, scabies in dogs is very contagious.
If there are additional dogs in your home, you should have them checked for the mites.
It is also important to thoroughly clean all bedding and carpeting that your dog was around.
These objects can harbor the mites so they can affect your dog again sometime in the future.