PetsWelcome
Mange is an inflammatory disease in which large numbers mites attack dogs whose immune system cannot regulate and fight them off. Dogs have mites on their body but if the mites reproduce too quickly, or become too much in number, your dog may end up with itchy red spots, loss of fur, or scabby spots.
Your vet will usually recommend a medicated bath or maybe some topical cream. Some of the ingredients in the shampoos and ointments may be too harsh for your dog and you might want to opt for something more natural. Talk to your vet before trying any of the following natural ways to treat mange in case your dog’s case needs more TLC.
1: Raw Apple Cider Vinegar: You can apply this vinegar directly to your dog’s skin on the red spots to help kill mites and relieve the itchiness. You can also mix some of the vinegar into your dog’s food. It will affect the PH level of your dog’s biochemistry which will help your dog fight off the number of mites that are irritating her skin.
2: Olive Oil: Applying a little olive oil to your dog’s dry scaly patches will help moisturize the areas and kill mites. Just be careful that your dog doesn’t leave oily marks on your furniture.
3: Honey: Honey is an antioxidant and antiseptic. You can rub a little raw honey onto your dog’s red spots and affected areas to help relieve the itchiness.
4: Hydrogen Peroxide and Borax: A bath with a mixture of this can remedy mange. Be careful to use Borax and not Boric Acid! Dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of borax into every 16 ounces of hydrogen peroxide. You can place the mixture into a spray bottle and wash your dog in it once a week. Don’t rinse your dog or towel dry. Let the solution dry naturally so it can be absorbed into the skin. Don’t be surprised if your dog’s fur lightens a little as peroxide is often used to whiten teeth, bleach hair, and remove stains. Don’t use this treatment for more than 6 or 7 weeks.
These remedies can also be great for maintenance if your dog is prone to having some problems regulating and fighting off mites.
Wow. Thanks SO MUCH for the straight forward remedies! We have a little black lab stray puppy that showed up last week and he’s covered w/mange! I’ve started treating him w/acv, and will add the others to his regimen, hopefully he’ll be better soon!
We live in an area, away from town, and unfortunately animals get dropped off out here often. We have open acreage, so it’s hard to get these strays to move on and I don’t want to send him to his certain death w/the various shelters that are already full……so, keep happy thoughts for this little guy, and if you have any more ideas for treatments, let me know.
Thanks again.
Great article – but I’ve just read on another site that the latest scientific research shows that BORAX KILLS DOGS as they inevitably injest it over time by licking. It also kills humans if eaten. So it says to AVOID using this! I would suggest doing points 1-3 above and leaving out number 4 until this has been fully checked out – just in case. Better safe than sorry!
#4 is the only thing that worked!! I tried everything else… everything!! I only put it on him before bedtime. He sleeps with me at night, so I can intervene if he starts to lick. I rinse his legs and armpits with fresh water in the morning before I leave for work. I read on other sites that it is BORIC ACID, NOT BORAX that kills dogs. Be safe with all things that could potentially be ingested, but I put off using this technique for months…. my poor baby can finally sleep rested!
We live in an area, away from town, and unfortunately animals get dropped off out here often. We have open acreage, so it’s hard to get these strays to move on and I don’t want to send him to his certain death w/the various shelters that are already full……so, keep happy thoughts for this little guy, and if you have any more ideas for treatments, let me know. Thanks.