Scabies

In my last post I mentioned that I had dry itchy skin and that I thought it was hives. Well, its not. It is animal-transmitted scabies!

• Animal-transmitted scabies is most commonly spread by dogs that have sarcoptic mange. This type of scabies also may be spread by the mites of other domestic animals.


• The mites are transferred to people who have contact with the infested animal. The mites spread to areas on the body that are exposed to the animal, especially the arms, thighs, and abdomen.


• Dog mites cannot live on human skin for more than a few days. They cannot reproduce on human skin, so the infestation usually goes away within a week and does not spread or require treatment. This type of scabies is not contagious between people and usually is not spread from humans to animals.


• If a person continues to be exposed to an infested animal, his or her symptoms may last weeks or months.


• An infested pet should be treated by a veterinarian.

Ick! I was going to take the puppies down tomorrow to find a new home, but I can't give away dogs that have mange. I called the vet this morning before I knew about the scabies, and the lady on the phone told me there was nothing wrong with the puppies, and that I should just shampoo them with an oatmeal based shampoo. Well, she was wrong. She didn't even let me finish explaining their condition. Turns out the family that owns the rest of the litter and Mama Dog have scabies and it came from the dogs. Even though it is only temporary, I took the infested pups back to the family. I can't afford to treat the dogs, and I can't afford to get my children sick. The dogs will get treated, however!

The family doesn't know that this condition is temporary, as long as they stay away from the animals. The treatment they got was unnecessary, and won't clear it up; only treating the dogs will! I get to chat with them tomorrow about it, and make a treatment plan for the pups. They are cute little suckers, and I will miss them. I am going to make sure that they get the care that they need, but just not from my house!