sarcoptic mange - Page 1

i have a 13 yr old GSD and it appears he has sarcoptic mange(hair loss, itching, yellow crusty sores). I ruled out walking dandruff because the flakes dont move. its locallized but headed to being generalized. I have read that heartgard can be used as an off label treatment for this condition. Is it safe to give to shepherds at the one pill a week for 4 weeks which is from my understanding the dosage need to rid him of these little pests.

IVERMECTIN can be used to treat mange....but in much larger doses than is in Heartgard. 

i understand that but you give the heartgard once a week for a month instead of the once a month for heartworms.

Is it safe for GSD?

Its better to use Revolution and do it again in two weeks - works very well.  If you read the insert or check the website it tells you this, you can verify with your vet.  Be sure to check the weight of your dog and buy the right dosages.  Do not give any other heartworm preventative,  this takes care of the heart worms also.  So not start this treatment until two weeks have passed from the last time you gave heartworm preventative.

If your dog has not been on heartworm preventative, have it tested first before administering any heartworm preventative because if you start treatment and there are even larvae, as they are killed, they can clog up the heart and kill your dog.  Check with your vet first.

revolution would be nice but its a matter of paying for a vet or paying for the meds. If he did have heartworms as old as he is i doubt he would survive the treatmeant for heartworms. its my understanding that in cases of old dogs they dont treat the adult worms they just give them heartgard and treat for the young.

Is there some reason you think it is Saracoptic and not Demodex mange?
Kim Gash it right.
If you haven't had your dog on Heartworm prevention and you start anything that might kill the Microfilaria it could also kill the adults in the heart and really cause more damage.
If you can't get dog tested, you might just find a good Dip and go that route. Heartgard once a week for 4 weeks could also kill the adult heartworms if there are any, and that wouldn't be any good either.
In any case, try to do what is in the best interest of your old dog.

i think its sarcoptic because of the itching, yellow crust sores and thanks to my sons mini pincher i am scratching almost as much as the dogs.

The dip requires the dog to be wet and its getting cold. hes an outside dog. he does have the unheated basement to stay in but getting him wet would be a bad thing considering the dog doesnt like coming in the house. he likes outside.

i know because of his age he doesnt have much longer to live. so i am trying to make him comfortable in his old age. he deserves it. hes stopped people from stealing off me three times and after i ran my sons mother off he wouldnt let her come back into the yard. he is by far the smartest dog i have ever had and i didnt have to teach him a thing.

I agree with everyone on the point of having the dog tested for heartworm before administering anything. Ivermectin injections are  usually given to treat Sarcoptic Mange, but Revolution is the first choice of Dermatology specialist. Again, it does contain heartworm meds, so the dog should be tested first. If you are unable to do the dip, you could use a pre-mixed, ready to use product called Lym-dyp. It is available as a dip as well, but the ready to use comes as a spray can be purchased from Revival Animal Health for $12.99. Be sure not to let the dog lick it until it is dry, and it has an awful sulphur smell, like rotten eggs.

The link is:    revivalanimal.com

Go to the top and click on the "Dogs" link, scroll down to "Skin Care", and click on the "Mange" bar, the products will come up. This product is the same one used to dip the dogs for mange. You should at least try to get to the vet to do a skin scrape if nothing else, to determine if it is Sarcoptic or Demodex. Given that you are itching as well you might want to be certain, as Sarcoptic Mange can be transmitted to humans. Hope this helps, good luck!

Please get a skin scraping at your vet to make sure you have mange. Then treat after diag.
Always,
Cee

To treat a 13 year old dog without knowing what the hell one is dealing with,  what medication is appropriate, and what dosage to use, is NUTS. Treating so old a dog, even if one is correct about the condition and one knows the appropriate medication name, could be very dangerous. Old dogs, just like old humans, do not metabolize medications as they did when they were younger. If you care about this dog you will stop screwing around here and take the dog to a vet and let the vet decide what is going on and how to treat it. All too often the dosages given on the internet are incorrect anyway. Take the dog to a vet and make sure you know what you are dealing with.