Can mange go away on its own?

[MicheleBell]

Hello, I have a squirrel with something that looks like mange on her ears and above her eye but no where else. Do I treat or should I wait to see if it will go away? She has made a different nest in another tree, maybe the nest was infested.
My fear is I don't want to fry her liver with Ivermectin if it could possible go away on its own.
I have a picture of her sores, they are small with some hair loss behind her ears.
I'll try to post them but I am new to this board and I am not sure I can do that.

[UDoWhat]

I have read that it will not go away on it's own and can become deadly in dogs and cats. Not really sure about rodents. With so many cases in the wild it seems like we would have far fewer squirrels if every squirrel that got mange died as a result of the infestation. I have a couple of wilds I started treating today for mange.

Marty

[astra]

it depends on many factors:
stress level (and for a wild it can be so many things), how strong their immune system is, how well is their nutrition etc etc etc.

Mange is usually the result of the weakened immune system due to stress. Mites are often naturally found on squirrels (humans have something similar, too), but it is when their immune system weakens that mites begin to infest and overpower them.
So, in captive squirrels removing stressors, improving nutrition etc often helps.

But with wilds it is hard if almost impossible to control their environment. Wild life is stressful by nature.
You suppose, you could try and feed them well.

During winter I'd treat wilds, because winter is stressful in itself, when it's cold, damp, food is scarce etc, it's more difficult for their immune system to restore itself fast enough to reverse mange.
When mange goes too far, it starts a host of other problems that all together can become too much for their immune system to fight off. E.g, mange can start anemia that can bring out the end quickly as it affects all organs. Mange itself puts so much stress on their immune system that they become susceptible to secondary infections, illnesses and such.

If you dose ivermectin correctly, it won't do damage to their liver.
But you do need to dose carefully because overdose can be fatal.

[Scooterzmom]

Can you take pics? I'm asking because if it's around the eyes and ears there is also the possibility of pox and from afar it's easy to mistake one for the other. I know because I have one here with pox now and from afar, at first, I thought it might be mange.

Pox is much more serious unfortunately.

[UDoWhat]

Hello, I have a squirrel with something that looks like mange on her ears and above her eye but no where else. Do I treat or should I wait to see if it will go away? She has made a different nest in another tree, maybe the nest was infested.
My fear is I don't want to fry her liver with Ivermectin if it could possible go away on its own.
I have a picture of her sores, they are small with some hair loss behind her ears.
I'll try to post them but I am new to this board and I am not sure I can do that.

I just spoke to another MD rehabilitator. She was told by her Vet that mange can be deadly in squirrels if left untreated. Most times it is the secondary infections that are caused by the infestation that are deadly. Such as the inability to keep warm in the winter with the loss of fur or infections from sores caused from scratching, etc..

Marty

[MicheleBell]

Thank you for helping me, here are two pictures:
http://s1115.photobucket.com/albums/...lettsores2.jpg
and
http://s1115.photobucket.com/albums/...rlettsores.jpg

[island rehabber]

That is a very very mild case of mange, for sure. It's in the typical areas for mange, so no doubt that's what it is. It almost appears to be the last remains of a case of mange, where the fur is almost grown in over the scars. Have you been watching this squirrel for awhile, or did she appear recently? I wonder if this mange case is on its way in (to her system) or on its way out.....

[MicheleBell]

Yes, I have been watching her for a while, at first, it seemed like it was just the tips of the ears but then I noticed the back of the ears had lost hair and her eye had a blemish. Today, I didn't see any red sores at all so that is why I am asking if it could go away. I am feeding her pecans, english walnuts daily and a piece of sliced apple every few days. She doesn't like the apple as much as the other squirrels do. I was giving peanuts and thats when I started seeing the sores so I stopped feeing them those. Let me know if there is anything else I can give them that is healthy.
I bought the medicine but I am going to wait and see how she looks in the next couple days.
Thank you again

[UDoWhat]

That is a very very mild case of mange, for sure. It's in the typical areas for mange, so no doubt that's what it is. It almost appears to be the last remains of a case of mange, where the fur is almost grown in over the scars. Have you been watching this squirrel for awhile, or did she appear recently? I wonder if this mange case is on its way in (to her system) or on its way out.....

IR, so are you saying it will go away if untreated?? I am really still unsure. I was offered differing opinions from Vets and other rehabilitators. Some say yes.. some say no. The one's I started on Ivermectin yesterday are no question as to mange or not. They were here this a.m. for food as always. They seemed normal after the treatment. I worry too, MicheleBell.

Marty

[island rehabber]

IR, so are you saying it will go away if untreated?? I am really still unsure. I was offered differing opinions from Vets and other rehabilitators. Some say yes.. some say no. The one's I started on Ivermectin yesterday are no question as to mange or not. They were here this a.m. for food as always. They seemed normal after the treatment. I worry too, MicheleBell.

Marty

Some cases will, I'm told, when they are very mild. It doesn't always run a full-blown horrible course. Depends on the squirrel's immune system, so a strong squirrel may shake it off quickly -- pox, I believe, is the same way. I wouldn't want to take a chance on this girl, though; a dose of Revolution or Ivermectin would be wise.

[MicheleBell]

I bought IverCare ivermectin Paste 1.87 The net weight of the tube is only .26 oz or 7.30 g for treating a 1500 Lb horse.
I read I should mix it up in a container (in case the medicine separated) and then I will pull out a small amount (1/2 an uncooked piece of rice sized amount) and put it on a pecan. One dose total because it is the beginning of mange.

Before I dose her I want to retake pictures of her again tomorrow just to see how she is looking. I am thinking my dog stressed her and I am keeping him away from her.

[UDoWhat]

Some cases will, I'm told, when they are very mild. It doesn't always run a full-blown horrible course. Depends on the squirrel's immune system, so a strong squirrel may shake it off quickly -- pox, I believe, is the same way. I wouldn't want to take a chance on this girl, though; a dose of Revolution or Ivermectin would be wise.

My thinking too on both the question of untreated cases(?) and the Rev or Iver. for this little one. I said earlier , if every squirrel that got mange died... seems like a lot fewer squirrels in the world. (Perish the thought.) Makes sense it could clear on its own depending on the squirrel's immune system.

Marty

[jo_schmoe]

Are you guys sure thats mange?
Honestly to me it looks more like fleas. Especially so because of the area its in. I see bites....like flea bites. Mange mites don't really bite....they burrow.
Baby Jude looked exactly like this when he was found....his was from fleas.
Again....Im no expert...just sayin......

[UDoWhat]

No I am not sure... I will take another look. As IR said it seemed to be a really early or really late stage case.(Meaning already healed) On my wilds, I am sure. Looking again.....

Marty

[UDoWhat]

I bought IverCare ivermectin Paste 1.87 The net weight of the tube is only .26 oz or 7.30 g for treating a 1500 Lb horse.
I read I should mix it up in a container (in case the medicine separated) and then I will pull out a small amount (1/2 an uncooked piece of rice sized amount) and put it on a pecan. One dose total because it is the beginning of mange.

Before I dose her I want to retake pictures of her again tomorrow just to see how she is looking. I am thinking my dog stressed her and I am keeping him away from her.

Hi MicheleBell, You have the right stuff and dosage. You will need to treat more than just one time. Most will recommend at least 2 times because on the average the entire life cycle of the mite beginning with the eggs which hatch in about seven days through the larval, nymphal, and adult stages requires approximately 23 days to complete. Ivermectin does not kill mites in the egg stage so as they hatch the squirrel will become re-infested. It is therefore important to treat at least 2 times . Treat once , wait, then treat again in 2 weeks.

Marty

[Margie]

From what I've read on mange in Squirrels, they can be infected with notoedres, or sarcoptic mange. Notoedres usually infests cats, and sarcoptes infects dogs. Sarcoptic mange is what causes scabies in humans. They cause itching and hair loss but aren't fatal, unless the infestation was due to a compromised immune system from a more serious illness. The body normally can keep the mites under control, but they are contagious. The mite infestation that can be fatal is Demodectic mange. It exists normally on the skin, but the population can get out of control due to comprised immune system.. It can become systemic, meaning it spreads throughout the body infecting more than just the skin. It used to kill a lot of dogs until Mitaban dip became available, and then Ivermectin came along which will kill most parasites, except tapeworms. Cats seldom get Demodex, but it does happen. In a healthy squirrel mange can be self limiting, but treating it wouldn't hurt and can speed up recovery preventing secondary bacterial skin infections. It is Ringworm that will eventually go away on its on since it is self limiting. There is another mange mite, Cheyletiella aka walking dandruff, that isn't serious at all. It occurs mainly on cats, but also, dogs, rabbits, humans and a variety of wild animals. It causes a lot of itching and can cause fur loss from the scratching. Treat with ivermectin, once a week for three weeks. The type of mange mites is diagnosed with a skin scraping and microscopic examination. Cheyletiella is large enough to be seen with the naked eye, if you look close enough.

[UDoWhat]

From what I've read on mange in Squirrels, they can be infected with notoedres, or sarcoptic mange. Notoedres usually infests cats, and sarcoptes infects dogs. Sarcoptic mange is what causes scabies in humans. They cause itching and hair loss but aren't fatal, unless the infestation was due to a compromised immune system from a more serious illness. The body normally can keep the mites under control, but they are contagious. The mite infestation that can be fatal is Demodectic mange. It exists normally on the skin, but the population can get out of control due to comprised immune system.. It can become systemic, meaning it spreads throughout the body infecting more than just the skin. It used to kill a lot of dogs until Mitaban dip became available, and then Ivermectin came along which will kill most parasites, except tapeworms. Cats seldom get Demodex, but it does happen. In a healthy squirrel mange can be self limiting, but treating it wouldn't hurt and can speed up recovery preventing secondary bacterial skin infections. It is Ringworm that will eventually go away on its on since it is self limiting. There is another mange mite, Cheyletiella aka walking dandruff, that isn't serious at all. It occurs mainly on cats, but also, dogs, rabbits, humans and a variety of wild animals. It causes a lot of itching and can cause fur loss from the scratching. Treat with ivermectin, once a week for three weeks. The type of mange mites is diagnosed with a skin scraping and microscopic examination. Cheyletiella is large enough to be seen with the naked eye, if you look close enough.

Great info Margie. Thank you.

Marty

[MicheleBell]

Here is another picture of her today. http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...carlettnew.jpg
She looks much better. I don't see any sores at all and nor do I see inflammation so I am going to wait to do anything. Hopefully, it was her change of house and no dog bothering her that is seeming to help her heal on her own.
I really love this squirrel and I would rather not dose her.
All of you have been so helpful. In fact, until I found this forum, I had no idea how stress could affect a squirrel. This was key I think.
Thank you.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Revolution works wonderful, also takes care of any internal parasites!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I have wilds outside that mites actually eat away at the ear and leave it scarred and disfigured looking. Mange looks much different.