Demodex in pups - Page 2

Ivomec is safe for German Shepherds, and can be purchased at your local feed store.  However, if you prefer to try a holistic, non-toxic treatment, get Bragg's raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and put a tablespoon full in the dog's food and/or water daily.  Parasites don't like it, and it balances the dog's PH levels.  It can also be used as a wash on the skin (sponge on and leave it), one cup to a gallon of water.  This works, and you can find all kinds of articles on it.  Regular Advantage is not the one to use for mange, but Advantage MULTI works on fleas, heartworm, hookworm, whipworm, roundworm and the mange mites.

Here are links to a few different treatments:

http://www.joespetmeds.com/buy/item__id_2846.html?gclid=CPqPlci-lZECFQYpIgodqQSlGg

http://www.woodlandnaturalremedies.com/canwebsite/mange.html

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html

Ivectomin is dangerous to give to collies .I have used it on terriers but never tried it on gsds.

My pup (GSD) was flown to me and he had Demodectic Mange in a few patches and my vet refused to use Ivemectin (sp.) - we rubbed GOODWIN oil into the patches and within 2 weeks he was good as new. 

i have a gsd that also got Demodetic Mange as a puppy, it started as one small spot on her leg and when my vet put her on antibiotics it became generalized and spread all over her body! I refused to poison her with Mitaban or Ivomec. I used the information from Dr. Pitcairn's book Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. She was on a good high quality kibble already, so I switched her to raw and added vitamins, I tried that for awhile (about a month) but it did not get any better, then i added the sulphur 6c (about $12 from ABC Homeopathic Remedies Store) twice a day and I noticed new hair growth within  a week and a half to two weeks. I kept her on the sulphur until all her hair grew back in. She had a relapse about a year later (after vaccinations) a 4 inch by 4 inch spot on her stomach, that time I just started giving her the sulphur 2x daily all her hair grew back in beaufiully. She is now 3 and is doing wonderful with no more incidents of demodetic mange.

I also used the Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar on any sores she had, I never added it to her food or water, but using a rinse of it helped all the sores to go away, but it did not help the hair to grow back in.

http://www.abchomeopathy.com/shop.php?abrev=Sulph&submit=Purchase

A vet that I knowI knows of GSD's that have been on Ivomec for over two years.

Ivomectin is the active ingredient in Heartguard Plus. I give all my dogs Ivomectin once a moth to supplement Heartguard Plus at a fraction of the cost.

At the shelter we dip and use revolution. Dip once a week for 4 weeks. Works great!

Demodex is "caused" by a weakened immune system.  All of these dips and chemicals only hinder the immune system further.  So while you might be killing the mites (the visable side effect of the real problem) you are making the real problem worse. 

I would never dip or put any chemicals on a dog with demodex.  Instead I would work to improve the immune system.  A proper diet, no chemicals (meaning no frontline, heart wormer, lawn chemicals, etc...), no vaccinations, no stress and possibly add natural supplements that help boost the immune system. 

All dogs have these mites.  But most have a strong enough immune system to keep them under control.  When a dog's immune system is weak is when the mites are able to get out of control.