Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

128 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
amount of flaky skin in the hair coat. The condition is also called walking
dandruff because when you look at these skin flakes, you may see them moving.
The movement is actually caused by the mites moving around under the
scales of skin.
Suspect this condition if you find heavy dandruff over the neck and back of
a recently acquired puppy or kitten. Itching may be intense or completely
absent.
The diagnosis is made by finding mites or eggs in dandruff scrapings collected
with a flea comb or sticky tape. In some cases the mites or eggs cannot
be seen, and the diagnosis depends on the animal’s response to therapy.
Cheyletiella mites can infect humans, producing an itchy papular rash
(small red pumps with areas of central necrosis) found most often on the arms,
trunk, and buttocks. This rash, like that of scabies, should disappear when the
pet is successfully treated.
Treatment: All animals who have been in contact with the affected dog
must be treated to eliminate mites from the kennel and household. Pyrethrin
shampoos and 2 percent lime-sulfur dips (LymDyp) are effective in killing
cheyletiella mites. Follow the directions on the label (see Using Insecticides,
page 131). Treat weekly for six to eight weeks. If the mites are resistant, seek
veterinary consultation; other treatments are available.
Clean and spray the dog’s quarters with a residual insecticide appropriate
for killing adult fleas. Repeat every two weeks during the treatment period.
CHIGGERS (TROMBICULID MITES)
Louse Mite
Chiggers, also called harvest mites or red bugs, live as adults in decaying vegetation.
Only their larval forms are parasitic. Dogs acquire the infestation
while prowling in forest grasslands and fields in late summer and fall, when
chiggers are reproducing.
Chigger larvae appear as red, yellow, or orange specks, barely visible to the
naked eye but easily seen with a magnifying glass. They tend to clump in areas