Ted's Borax & Peroxide Mange Treatment for Dogs

My dog will not stand for baths & I have to use a spray bottle. If you are not cleaning the dog's crate, kennel or bedding he will just reinfect himself/herself. Also, outdoor napping areas need to be dusted with DE powder. (All natural diatomes buy at feed & seed supply stores for $25/50lb bag.)

If you bath the dog & use the solution then dry him with a towel you have rubbed all the effective-ness off. He must air dry or go roll in his bedding to dry off. Some people have seen results in small breeds in days. Others who may not saturate a large breed might take weeks to see results. Other variables are how dense they made "their" product. Or How bad was their dog's infection in the first place. Is the infected dog secluded or does he run with other infected animals? With all of those variables no one could say: This WILL heal every dog in three weeks.

It works. Spray bottle works best for me to saturate because my dog is as big as I am & hates the tub. Also, you can use benadryl for itching or meclazine (over the counter motion sickness pill) for itching.

Hi Lavan - I read your post with some interest.

If I may make a suggestion - check your "grain free" food. If it has potato or sweet potato it may be exacerbating the problem. I found out that these ingredients are simple starches that convert directly to sugar - an environment that yeast just loves to thrive in. I have eliminated all simple starches from my dog's diet and almost immediately saw improvement. It's not the end of the road, but it will help improve your pet's issues. You will most likely have to treat the yeast issues in his system as well. And that will take time. From what I've read (but haven't tried as yet) and heard glowing reviews about was enzymes, flora, etc. that is needed to clear up the excess yeast in your pet's internal system. Other methods you may want to try, and are cheaper, is to add some probiotic to the food you feed your pet. Like natural yogurt, or there are enzymes you can buy at the local pet store, but I have no knowledge of how effective they might be.

Better But Not Cured;

It's best if you do your dog every two or three days then slack off a day or two & see how he reacts, but do not stop the treatments. I did my dogs every other week as it appeared they were not half as bad as the dogs I see in here, how-ever I found these mites were being buried under my dogs skin, I gave them Teds treatments for six to eight weeks with a rest period in-between, one of my older dogs had it worse so I bathed her more often, then I found this to help also, diatomaceous earth(food grade) just put the powder all over as he/she will allow and all should be pretty good. My dog is not digging her skin bloody raw, she has slowed down on her scratching. Good Luck.

Hey Nugent99!

Not Ted here, but in case he doesn't visit this thread I am offering advice.

You do not say which mange mite your dog has - demodectic or sarcoptic; I will assume demodectic as your vet would have advised you of the highly contagious nature of sarcoptic mange. Thus if your dog has demodectic mange mites you and your cat have a 99.99999999% chance of contracting them. I really doubt your cat is suffering the same affliction as your dog. Weight loss is not a typical symptom of demodectic mange - however it is the sign of other disease conditions such as diabetes and renal disease. My advice to you is to take your cat to your vet - do it now before it is an emergency. If you wait until it becomes an emergency it will be a far more expensive bill, and your options will be drastically limited- JMHO.

Good luck with your kitty and please keep us posted on your dog.

Gah! I meant to post you have a next to zero percent chance of contracting demodectic mange - not you have a near 100% chance of contracting demdex. Sorry for the error!

With the borax, and h2o2 do I add water to fill up the gallon?

Hello Pat!

You don't add water to fill up the gallon; that is going to dilute your solution too much and will skew and delay your results.

You start by mixing up 1 batch per the directions and then if one batch isn't going to cover the amount of dog you have, you make up another batch which will fill the gallon jug.

So the formula again:

Borax laundry booster - the plain stuff with NO scent.
1 -16 oz bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide

I get both of these from the grocery store.

Process:
Empty hydrogen peroxide into larger bottle - I use an empty 1 gallon vinegar jug. Add to this 32 oz filtered or distilled water - I just refill the hydrogen peroxide bottle twice - and dump into the jug. What this does is change your 3% hydrogen peroxide into 1% hydrogen peroxide.

Next add 1 cup of the borax crystals and shake. There should be some undissolved crystals in the mixed solution - this is just right. If this isn't enough solution to fully saturate your pet, make a second batch and add to the jug so you have enough solution at the start of the process to fully saturate your pet.

Hey Roze!

Demodectic mange is typically a puppy affliction and when seen in mature or senior animals is typically associated with another underlying condition, ie hypothyroid, cancer, etc.

From what you describe it sounds as if your dog has a skin allergy or has hives due to an allergic reaction to something - be it food, contact or airborne allergy.

Ways to fight allergies might be oral supplementation with colostrum to build the immune system, along with yucca or quercetin to reduce inflamation; these supplements need time to work so you may have to feed ongoing and it may take 6 weeks to see results.

Another approach might be alkalizing your dog's drinking water; 1 teaspoon baking soda to 1 quart of water is a typical starting dose.

Because you are getting results with your aggressive bathing regime once you have achieved the healing you are after, for NEXT TIME consider using Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph dip at the first onset of the hives and see if just using that does the trick.

Try diatomaceous earth (food grade) It's a dry powder and works great on my two dogs.I also changed their diets over to meats(cooked) rice & veggies for approx. a week then I use different meat and un-sweetened oatmeal(needs to be cooked) and veggies.

Hey Keith!

The *signs* that the remedy is working is a relaxed and happy dog. When I have dipped my dogs -either to treat for mange or as a 'go to first' dipping solution for dogs with skin issues, my dogs are always happy and energetic after a dip, and they are not itchy.

From what you describe it sounds like your dog has a secondary skin infection going on, particularly as you have been using the dip for a week now and have no obvious improved results.

If this were my dog I would head to the vet and get a prescription of antibiotics to deal with the staph infection that is going on. If that is out of the question, then I would consider Ted's Borax protocol for pets to fight the yeast from the inside out, as well as Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy to knock down the infection on the skin topically.

I would next consider the diet; if the brand you are feeding has grains in it, it is time to change the diet to a grain free brand.

Since you have been dealing with this for several months, keep in mind it will take time for your dog to heal. When I have treated generalized demodex in a puppy of similar age it took 12 weeks to fully resolve- and this without complications from a secondary skin infection.

You can help your dog's immune system by adding vitamin C to the diet, along with echinacea or golden seal to help fight infection. Supplementing Evening Primrose Oil in the kibble may help with dry skin. OTC products such as Neosporin may help with the raw chin.

If there is a chance that this is sarcoptic mange rather than demodex, you will also need to keep his bedding and living area sanitized regularly to prevent reinfection.

Please keep us posted!

Hi, Thank you for your response. You all are awesome...really. Can you tell me or direct me to the recipe for the anti-fungal/anti-staph remedy? I believe the borax/peroxide may be helping because I have noticed after giving my pup the bath, he looks happy and zips around the house!

I have been working with a homeopathic vet who has been trying remedies of sulfur and silca, but not sure they are working. We have currently stopped remedies. Also, Zeus (my pup) is on a raw diet and taking a Number of vitamins and oils. I hesitate to use antibiotics because it is thought that prescription drugs Zeus took for worms, when he was very young, and vaccines, is what got us here in the first place....weakened immune system.

So, I think I will continue the borax/perioxide baths every other day and borax in his drinking water. The anti-fungal...paste (if I can find the recipe) Neosporin on his chin and coconut oil or castor oil on his dry skin until I see some major improvement. Does that sound right?

Again thank you for all your help. What a valuable resource you all are. Best, k

Hey Keith!

My internet connection is terrible right now else I would find the Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy for you, but if you just do a search for it, or look at 'recent pet posts' and just scroll down and flip back a few pages it is plastered everywhere :-)

In your shoes I would NOT use the castor oil on the chin; if you strongly feel it is indicated use it sparingly as I find it as strong as pure tea tree oil.

The sulpher and silica may be working, but keep in mind that the mites have a certain life cycle so you will need to treat long term no matter the route.

If you are working with a holistic vet then keep them informed of your results; my experience with the mange remedy is that the dogs always leave the tub happy, and that the skin can appear worse before it gets better. 1 dip every other day for a total of 3 dips the first week should be enough - and then once per week thereafter for 12 weeks should do it. Dipping more often may dry out the skin. The anti-fungal/anti-staph remedy can be applied to affected areas on days that you do not dip with the mange remedy - JMHO.

Hello again, I have posted before about my dog Zeus who has demodectic mange and skin infection. I have been using the mange solution and have added the anti-fungal/staph solution to the mix. My first question is if I do the anti fungal dip, does that work on the mange as well as the infection? Also, he has now licked his paw raw and limping on it. Any ideas what to put on it. I have tried Neem oil and coconut which aren't working. I'm also using Neosporin. I'm giving him antibiotics too (with lots of probiotics)

His hair growth has not started...he looks just awful. Patience is not my strong suit. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Hey Keith!

Your first post was 1/29 and you had been attempting to home treat for a few months; have you seen *any* improvement after using Ted's remedy? Often times bad cases appear to get much worse due to a rapid die off of the mites, but then there is an uptick and things clearly improve- have you seen any signs of improvement/lack of itching/healing of the red bumps?

IMHO if you have not seen any kind of improvement it might be time to throw in the towel and use the Ivermectin approach. While this is not my first approach, when you have super resistant mites I would not hesitate to go this route.

Are you dosing the antibiotics under the guidance of your vet?

You might find slathering the paw with topical antibiotic and wrapping it in gauze and then put a human sock over the paw, and a few inches of duct tape to secure the sock in place [careful not to bind or get too tight] and leaving that on for several hours under observation - or overnight if your dog won't chew the bandage off - might give the paw the break from licking that it needs to get some healing done. If that didn't do it I would consult my vet.

You may find Ted's borax protocol helpful to get a leg up on the internal yeast:

Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 12/12/2014

"The borax dose is the same regardless of the weight of dogs. In the end small dogs drink less than large dogs. The only difference is the sex of dogs which the female dog requires half the dosages male dogs.

So a female dog is always 1/8 teaspoon per liter dose. And male dogs is 1/4 teaspoon per liter water. Weight is irrelevant.

Timing:
Borax dosage for 1 week. Then 1/2 dosage in week 2. Stop for 1 week. Resume.

or

Borax dosage for 4 days, then no borax/water for 3 to 4 days. Continue on/off schedule until ailment clears."

You can do the mange dip - and by this time you should only be doing 1 dip per week - and then follow up with the staph remedy in a spritzer bottle to spot treat affected areas without having to dip the entire dog.

Demodex dogs above all else need good groceries and supplements for immune support. Make sure you are not feeding a grocery store brand high in grains and food dyes and sugar. You might find supplementing with colostrum of additional benefit, along with vitamin C and echinacea/golden seal - discuss with your holistic vet.

Lastly, consider a high quality lavendar essential oil - dilute with pure water and put in a spritzer bottle to both spritz the skin for calming, and for the soothing effects from inhaling the fragrant air.

Hello Keith

If me, and I have used it with success is

1 Ted's Mange Treatment

2 Ted's anti staph solution for spraying

3 ACV on wash cloth improving the ph

4 The best : UT = your own best body blue print medicine.

5 Last NOT least, Turmeric. Dry powder

Turmeric is a natural anti biotic, excellent for skin and new blood which has largely healed my big dog's entire back which was bloody and infected. My belief is that allopathic antibiotics become precurser for candida and then cancer

My big dog had red mange and I used an essential orange oil household cleaner, spraying. It worked super well. Also, it kills fleas and keeps the skin soft.

ACV as a spray kills fleas well and you can soon see them dead all over which I did not suspect at first. But one needs to spray this at least twice a day, not so with TIKO orange spray which I think is the best but I like to use a multi pronged approach. And ACV is important as it changes the skin ph. You dilute ACV as the dog can handle.

The very best is which people shun but believe me, it is a divine remedy which is God's gift, used all over the world. On him I have used mine and he liked that. But I want to find a long handled 2nd hand pot to take his which is best. But both work. Fresh urine is sterile and does not have an odour. It heals every thing and you can research that.

I still have mites. The last lot from a garment at a big store in Canada. I have soaked a soft terry cloth and used fresh "Manava Mutra" for a month and keep at it as there is far less problem. Also :Shivambhu" as it is called in India, is the answer to all human and animal troubles, cleaning the aura which holds the roots of diseases physically and mentally. Moreover the skin will glow and be beautiful.

Anyway, this is my way and I wish you both all the best success. Namaste Om

This is my Third post regarding Zeus with the mange. I have been religiously following Ted's Mange Remedy and on off days Ted's anti-fungal/staph remedy. Neither seem to be stopping the spread of his hair loss and scaley, scabby skin. Sometimes it looks as if it's getting under control then the redness and hairloss appear again. He had one paw he licked raw now it's both paws. They are bright red with little fur and seem very painful. The hair loss is moving up his leg. Is this all mange or am I dealing with something else too?

He is on a raw veggie, lightly steamed meat and fish diet, tripe too, With various oils added to his food including coconut oil and coconut water. He is taking probiotics, multivitamins, immune boosters, enzymes, vitamin c. He also did 5 days of antibiotics for his infection. I've also added Borax to his water and recently ACV. NOTHING seems to be working. I've applied cocunut oil to his fur, Neoosporin to his cuts from scratching. ACV I recently have started spraying him

This has been going on since before Thanksgiving. I did see some improvement for about a week and it started off much "milder" then it is now.

He also has been to the vet and is going again tomorrow. What am I missing?

Hey Keith!

I feel your frustration :-(

At this point I have to question if you got the diagnosis of demodex from your vet; did they do a scraping to confirm? Demodex mites are difficult to find in a healthy dog - you literally have to put the dog in a blender and then spin the results in a centerfuge to find mites in a healthy dog. In a dog dealing with demodex mite overgrowth due to health complications, the mites are easier to find on a simple scrape. Lots of times a dog with demodex will develop black-head type pimples- this before they get really bad. Did Zeus have the black-head pimples - or has it always been just itching and scales and hair loss?

From this end of the keyboard it sounds as if you are either dealing with a very resistant strain of demodex mite - which is possible, OR you are dealing with atopic dermatitis, which is a genetic disease that shows up right around 6 months of age, can be linked to seasonal allergy season, and just keeps getting worse each year.

I just had a friend PTS her French bulldog due to atopic dermatitis - he was only 6 years old in a breed that lives 8+ years. The allergies came on each spring, then spring and mid-winter during thaws, and then it was constant. Steroid shots were effective the first few years, but then they became a constant and she simply could not keep up with the constant bathing and the dog was miserable. I wish I had had a chance to work on this dog, but I respect her choice as the dog's owner and caretaker that she made the best decision.

Discuss these possibilities with your vet. The only additional supplements I can see that might apply are colostrum - an immune builder, and quercetin and/or yucca for inflamation.

If this were my dog I would bite the bullet and get the steroid shot; this will break the cycle of itching and give the skin a chance to heal. The steroid shot wears off 4-6 weeks, and the initial reaction to the shot is usually panting when it is not warm [think lady going through menopause! ] and then increased thirst and appetite. Some do not like these reactions at all, but it is just what the shot does, and I have found it helpful in getting on top of an allergy break out. You can stop the mange remedy dips and just use the staph treatment in a spritz bottle for the hot spots. Once the skin is calm and healing I would continue with the health and immune supplements and then try to figure out what is causing the flare ups, and then come up with a plan to nip any flare ups in the bud when they first appear.

If your vet strongly feels it is NOT atophy, and the feeling is still demodex, then Ivermectin may apply - along with several other miticides your vet may recommend. I would avoid mitaban dips - although vets I respect swear by them I just can't see treating my dog with a chemical I need to wear gloves to apply.

Read up on atopic dermatitis:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/integumentary_system/atopic_dermatitis/canine_atopic_dermatitis.html

Please report back!

Hi everyone,

I a new here and need some help please.

I have a black pug Hugo who is 3 years old and started having dandruff and loads of it about a month ago. I changed the shampoo after a vet visit to a higher sensitive skin approach and still the dandruff remained and actually got a lot worse. He does not have any hair missing yet and also no actual bloody areas (thank God!! ), but he has small bumps on his head and neck which he scratches constantly. I went back to the vet and they took a scraping as based on my research and the causes of dandruff are several including some mites. They said he is not presenting these so just keep bathing him which, sadly, I did only to actually make things worse for Hugo ( I used to bathe him once a month and we got to even twice a week! ). I came across this treatment and since, I live in Poland with no Polish language skills, I was not able to find ACV, borax or the peroxide, only ACV separately: apple cider and apple vinegar. After some research I mixed the two and I use a cloth to wash him down and have done so for the last three days. He is happier a bit and the scratching diminished but still there. Same with the dandruff. Once I wash him down they both go away, however back by morning... I went to another vet to ask for a more thorough mite investigation and will have the results next week, however if anyone can help, both Hugo and I will remain forever grateful.

Hey Monamur!

There are two main types of mites in dogs - demodextic and sarcoptic. Demodex mites are typically associated with puppies under a year of age, and of older dogs that have a serious health issue. Demodex is not contagious, but sarcoptic mange IS - both to dogs and to humans. Sarcoptic mange mites can be picked up from wildlife - by the animals themselves, or from their nesting areas and even poop. So for example if your pug frequents bunny nests, catches and eats bunnies or rolls in bunny poop, then he may have been exposed to sarcoptic mites.

What can be more often confused as mites and is more common are fleas; I would think if your dog had fleas you would find them in your frequent baths, however.

The bumps on the back of the head to me sound like allergy hives. You might try adding a good sprinkle of turmeric to your boy's food am and pm to help with the inflammation associated with allergies. The addition of baking soda to his drinking water may also prove helpful by alkalizing his system and balancing his PH.

If you are online you can access Polish language translators to help with the vocabulary to see if you can get the borax et all you are looking for:

http://imtranslator.net/translation/english/to-polish/translation/

I would discontinue mixing the cider into the vinegar and just use the vinegar as it is. If rinsing your spritzing your boy with the vinegar is providing relief, continue to do so to help keep the itching at bay.

Part of stopping the itching is identifying the trigger - is he reacting to pollens in the air, or dust or dirt or eating a certain food? If you can identify the trigger and avoid it, this will help. Some folks use OTC allergy meds with good effect - something to consider.

Also, it never hurts to give your dog a thorough brushing. Brushing will remove the dandruff, stimulate the skin and distribute the natural oils in the coat. Brush regularly to monitor the dandruff for improvement. Consider adding oils to Hugo's diet to improve dry skin.

Please report back what the vet finds out about mites!

Hey Chris!

If you are dealing with sarcoptic mange mites, then unless and until you can treat the entire dog you cannot obtain a full cure. Given that borax is hard to come by in your area, consider treating your dog for mange with powdered flower of sulpher mixed with coconut oil. The mange mite has a 3 week life span, and treatment - provided you can treat the entire dog each and every treatment - should be three times the first week, followed by once per week thereafter for a 12 week time span.

When dealing with sarcoptic mange you have to treat the entire house -and in particular the areas where your dog hangs out - to prevent your dog from becoming contaminated again [which sounds like what is going on ].

You may find the little borax you have put to better use in the water to help fight infection from the inside out.

Do we need to use a collar for this remedy?

Hello, I saw your post on how you live in MN and were wondering what you did for the dry skin as I live in minnesota also and I have a 4 month old German shorthair mix and she got it. I haven't done this treatment yet as I am scared about her licking herself after the fact even if its dry? I would really appriciate your response!

Hey Briana!

You can give your dog Evening Primrose oil - 1 capsule in the food am and pm to help with the dry skin. You can also use a moisturizing shampoo on alternate days from the mange dip.

I have used the mange dip many times and my dogs have never had any issues with licking the remedy up!

I am going to try the Peroxide/Borax on my 6month old yorkie, who has been suffering on/off for since Christmas w/this condition. Vet gave her Ivermecin after scraping, but I am not happy with the toxic side affects. My question is, she loves to lick the water off after bathing, is the peroxide/borax solution safe for her to ingest? Also, her eyes are a mess and is currently on anti-biotics, can I gently apply with a cotton ball around the eye area?

Thank you so much for all your advice.

Hey Linda!

The borax solution is not toxic and is safe for your dog to lick and to use around the face and eyes.

Hey Neil!

I have used the remedy many times and it is a winner for sure!

I do have to say, it sounds like you are dealing with fleas; I say this because both sarcoptic mange mites and demodectic mange mites can only be seen with a microscope. Fleas, on the other hand, are about the size of a pin head and black, and due to the areas they feed on - tail end - usually causes hair loss on the rump due to the dog chewing its skin to scratch the itch.

There is no harm in continuing using Ted's remedy, but you may have better luck using it at the correct strength; 48 oz of a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide takes about 1 heaping cup of borax, so IMHO you are using way too little borax. Also it sounds as if you are using food grade H2O2, which the dime store variety will work just fine for the skin dip; the brown bottle is a 3% solution, so just dump it into the gallon jug and fill up the empty brown bottle twice to get 48oz of a 1% solution - and then just add your cup of borax.

Another thing to consider is a flea trap. All you need is a small desk lamp, place it on the floor in the dog's area and place a white plate under the lamp. Add water mixed with dish soap and turn the light on at night, then check for black specks in the morning. Move the trap from room to room to quickly clear out the fleas.

Good luck!

Glad to find this remedy for demodectic mange. And while fleas have not been an issue for us (knock on wood) I will keep the flea trap in mind. thanks y'all.

Have 7 rescues. 2 Shar pei (rescued for 25 yrs.), 4 Chihuahuas & xoloitzquintle. 7th is less than 1 lb. Chihuahua who I grabbed because she was sooo weak and ill with sarcoptic mange that she would have died. Vet is treating with Frontline spray 1x week. I'm using all the natural recipes, one every few hours on the 5-7th day out. Others are itching a bit, soo hard to isolate. I've put on their drops. I only had advantix which is not the premier drug for treatment. I'll get Revolution if I can get it here and treat them again in 1.5-2 wks. Am using naturals on them also. blah, blah. I can't keep washing everything. It has been a little chilly here 68 now so things don't get dry well. I have been putting on a heating pad in the babies bed. I'm wondering if that heat will kill the mites and if I turn my electric blanket on high and leave it for a few hours, if it might kill them? Anybody have thoughts? I really can't afford the electric bills from heating or washing but could move the heating pad around to everyones' bed too. Please help, thanks!

Hey Kitty!

Do NOT turn up your heating pad in an attempt to kill mites - it won't work, and blah, blah - you will burn your house down [seriously].

You might consider diatomaceous earth spread liberally around your house and in the pet areas, and on the pets as well; avoid inhaling and getting into eyes and mucous membranes, and if applied to the pets make sure you work it down to the skin.

Hey Emmes!

Were all three pups scraped and diagnosed with demodex by the same vet? The two very different treatment methods suggest the 1 pup treated by your friend's vet was the traditional treatment, but the steroids/antibiotics/medicated shampoo route sounds as if your vet was treating for allergies. Unless your vet is totally incompetent [it happens], they treated your chugs for allergies because there was good reason to. So, be aware that your two keepers may have allergies along with demodex.

That said, if these were my puppies I would:

Check the groceries; switch to a grain free diet if you are not presently feeding a grain free diet. Consider supplementing with vitamin C [for immune support], Echinacea and Goldenseal [for infection].

Alkalize your dogs drinking water. All the dogs can drink this. Use 1 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 liter of water, and have this be their ONLY drinking water. If they avoid the water because it tastes funny, start out with a smaller dose; 1/4 baking soda to 1 liter of water for 3 days, then 1/2 for 3 days then bump up to 1 teaspoon and do that for 7 days. After 7 days you can go back down to a maintenance dose of 1/4 teaspoon per liter.

I would do the mange dip up to 3 times the first week, and then once per week after that, for the next 13 weeks. The reason for this bathing schedule is that the first 3 dips knock out the adult population of mites, so after that you only need to dip weekly to clear out any newly hatched adult mites. It sounds as if you are also dealing with a secondary staph infection, so I would also use on days that are not dip days the anti-staph/anti-fungal remedy not as a full body dip, but in a spritz bottle and target the smelly spots. If this regime really dries out the skin I would also bath on alternate days in a soothing oatmeal & lavender shampoo, and also supplement am & pm with Evening Primrose Oil capsule.

As to your concern about them licking the mange remedy, it won't hurt them, actually might help them, and if they manage to lap up a fair bit of it you may see loose stools - but they can in no way 'overdose'; this remedy is *very* safe. It would be a good idea to turn up the space heater and warm the kennel room - or crate the dogs in a smaller room and use the space heater. To ensure the dip gets enough time to *work* make sure you keep them wet in the tub for at least 15-20 minutes [30 is ideal] and then have them sit wet in the crate for another half an hour, and then let them out to air or blow dry after that.

I'm curious about the recommendation to add baking soda to the pets drinking water. Baking soda contains high amounts of sodium, which seems like not a good idea to add to their diet.

Hey Kristint!

Start here and keep reading :-)

https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/baking_soda.html

Do not use an oatmeal based shampoo on a dog with demodex. The mites will feed on the oatmeal just as they do the yeast from the secondary infection. This is also why their carb intake should be limited.

A benzoyl peroxide shampoo that is antimicrobial will open the pores where the mites live and allow the borax solution to penetrate. Being antimicrobial will aid in keeping the yeast down. Most of these are soap free and moisturize the skin.

Wiping the dog down on non-dip days with a diluted betadine solution also keeps the secondary infection down. Using the solution twice a day is even better. Neem is quite helpful and most health food stores with a pet section will have neem products ready for use.

Demodex is tough and while the borax solution will kill the mites the dogs diet and stress has to be addressed so they do not return.

Great thoughts, Kady!

I just wanted to point out that a benzoyle peroxide shampoo is not necessary as Ted's Mange Remedy is peroxide based; the peroxide does work as a penetrant and the borax acts as a miticide.

Additionally, demodex mites do not feed on carbs or yeast - they eat sebum/skin oil and skin cells/protien. The oatmeal shampoo is OK to use on irritated skin - and the use of Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy will also work at knocking down a secondary skin infection in dogs who are battling demodex.

Demodex mites will not return if the remedy is properly applied; if the mites do return, an underlying undiagnosed health condition is likely present.

Hey Lynne!

It sounds like your vets did all the right things presenting symptom-wise. I agree with the first vet - I think you are dealing with an allergy issues, particularly in light of the second vet's diagnosis of sarcoptic mange and the treatment with Revolution. I would have expected to see results were it sarcoptic mange and yet nothing.

Normally when you can saturate the dog in the solution and leave it on for 30 minutes, it allows the treatment to penetrate the skin, into the pores and hair follicles. With full penetration, the treatment has a lasting effect of about 24 hours.

You have noticed the remedy has brought your dog a brief respite after a partial treatment. Since we know it's not mange, then bacteria/staph and yeast are the next culprits.

Ted posted on this in 2006:

"I would bathe the dog or apply a lotion made of magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) with some epsom salt (in one cup of milk of magnesia, I may add 2-4 tablespoons of epsom salt). If that works then I might add a small amount 1/16 teaspoon of epsom salt in one liter of drinking water for only a couple of days. If the dog has low magnesium, quite often allergy shows up. For a yeast or even most ailments of the dog, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda added to the drinking water for a couple of days will also reduce the yeast infection. The yeast infection issue is due to a fungus, which if borax 1/16 teaspoon is added along with the baking soda in one liter of water can also take care of it. Besides those remedies also addresses dog's nutritional deficiency for bicarbonates and boron, and even if it does not directly address a very specific condition, the dog will generally get better and in some cases get cured, because of a deficiency issue. It's all about trying them out when I know those remedy are designed to address deficiency issue which makes it important that those should at least be addressed first."

Ted has many ideas to consider! When my pack breaks out in the itchies I do 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 liter of drinking water and do this for 5 days as a crisis dose; I then go down to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for another week, and then down to 1/4 teaspoon for maintenance until everything is healed up.

One thing to also consider that has not been discussed is your dog's diet. Allergy dogs need top of the line diets - no grocery store kibble, nothing with red dyes or added sugars, and no grains. Check the label on the brand you feed as a dietary adjustment may be needed.

Please report back!

Hi Lynne --- can you try coconut oil mixed with turmeric 1 : 20. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory.

Just a suggestion. Namaste, Om

I will try.....thank you!!

Hi! Lynn, Revolution is a pesticide and a neurotoxin . It will compromise your dogs immune system. Ask your Vet if he puts it on his kids before they go out to play. Feed your dog a diversified raw meat diet, no veggies or ANYTHING else. Try "Reel Raw Co." dog food!!!! . Ivermectin is also a neurotoxin, prednisone, antibiotics , will also compromise your dogs immune system. The Vets get us on a merry go round The pesticide kills the mites , damages the immune system , the mites come back and your nice Vet makes more money. You don't have to poison your dog to keep her well. Mite infestation is a low immune system problem, feed your dog species appropriate food and eliminate stress. and eventually her immune system will keep your dog healthy unless she has some serious illness. Lots of exercise . Be patient it takes a good while for your dog to get healthy. Stop the shots and flea and tick and heart worm poisons and don't believe your vet. Investigate cures on the internet and don't treat your dog for things she doesn't have with monthly preventatives. Keep using Teds treatment and add organic apple cider vinegar, a couple oz.s to a pint unless she is raw , then it might burn. It can take up to a year or more so again be patient. Love my Amber, Yours, Robert

Hi, I hope things are better for you in regards to the mange. I thought I would respond because this is the second post on this thread about tea tree oil and dogs. Tea tree oil is highly toxic to dogs. I read a post the other day here on EC from a woman who used TTO on her dog, and she reported the dog started convulsions and seizure like activity. I would love to hear your progress with your dog.

Hey Colleen!

Demodex is typically a puppy affliction; in a 4.5 year old adult, something else is going on .. IF you are *still* dealing with demodex.

Has your dog had a recent scraping to confirm the demodex?

What it sounds like from my end of the keyboard is that your dog has a yeast problem and not so much a mite issue.

That said, continue the mange dips if you are seeing progress, and if that progress appears to reach a plateau I would switch over to Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph dip. I make it up in big batches and bathe the entire dog in the same way you do for the mange dipping. Wash the dog first, rinse well, let drip dry as much as possible in the tub and then stopper up the tub and pour the [warmed] dipping solution over the dog and use a plastic cup to scoop up the solution and pour over the dog again and again for at least 20 minutes. Then put sopping WET into a crate with no bedding and allow to drip dry for another half an hour, and then let him out and towel him off and let him fully air dry.

This is what you need for the dip:

Milk of magnesia

Borax

Epsom salt

Hydrogen peroxide. The drugstore sells the 3% solution, and you need a 1% solution, so to get that you take 1 part 3% and add 2 parts water.

So, to make a small batch take 1/3 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide, and add 2/3 cup plain water and to that add 1 tablespoon each of the MOM, borax and Epsom salts. Double or quadruple this as necessary to fill a gallon jug. Then place the jug in a tub warm water to warm it up, and when the temp of the bath water is nice and cozy, bathe your dog - and then when it is time to use the solution it will be of a comfortable temperature for your dog. This treatment is good for 24 hours/working effect for 24 hours; you may find it helpful to bathe daily if the topical yeast is out of control, and then reduce to weekly or twice weekly.

In addition to the baths you might consider a grain free food if the current diet is not grain free already. Multivitamin is good, but you might also consider Echinacea and goldenseal combo for 2 weeks, as well as upping the vitamin c. In between Ted's treatments you can bathe with a soothing formulation that includes oatmeal and aloe and lavender to help calm the skin.

Lastly you might consider alkalizing your dog's drinking water; by altering is PH you make the entire dog less appetizing for yeast or mange. Some dogs readily accept baking soda water, some need to build up to it. A maximum dose is 1 teaspoon per liter of water for 5 days and then drop down to a maintenance dose of 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon per liter of water; have this water be his only source of drinking water.

There are additional approaches using sea salt water and or borax in the water but start with the baking soda and monitor your results for at least 1 week if not 2 and report back.

Hey Christine!

Demodectic mange typically starts off as small bare spots on the coat, very often on the face first. The bare spots then turn reddish in color -hence the nick name 'red mange'. Demodex typically is not itchy; secondary skin infections caused by staph or yeast can cause intense itching. This type of mange is not contagious.

Sarcoptic mange -aka scabies - can be picked up from wildlife, and can spread to people as well as other pets, and can be very itchy.

It is entirely possible your dog picked up sarcoptic mange, however I do agree with your vet re: black patches of skin = yeast bloom. Your vet could perform skin scrapes to confirm the demodex if you are certain you are dealing with demodex.

You may find that Ted's Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy provides more relief than the mange remedy - JMHO! In addition, if you are indeed dealing with yeast, you might consider the addition of probiotics in your dog's diet, and might consider alkalizing her water and /or other water treatments to fight the yeast from the inside out.

Hey Robert!

You should be shampooing your dog right before the treatments - so shampoo, rinse, and then treatment. I would also have no problem bathing her 24 hours later in a soothing shampoo with such ingredients as oatmeal. If you did 3x a week and then 2x a week you should be able to reduce it to once per week at this point.

Was your girl scraped to confirm demodex? Itchy skin often has a secondary infection such as staph. You might consider a staph dip - scroll down the latest pet posts for the formula [or I will post later]. Also consider adding an oil to her food - evening primrose oil can help with dry skin, as can salmon oil in the chow. Also consider some of the advice to Om for her dog with ear gunk re: water additives to help combat yeast internally [scroll down through latest pet posts to find or I will post later].

One thing to do is to feed top groceries - no Purina, rather think Fromm, Taste of the Wild, and the like.

I have a thing for red noses - please report back!!

Hi Robert,

I have been having similar issues with my dog for quite some time now. Ted's mange cure did not work. What HAS been helping the most (but must be done regularly) is applying organic apple cider vinegar mixed with water (50/50) and a teaspoon or more of DMSO. I apply it to all the areas that he is red and inflamed, which is around his hips and along his spine, under his armpits and the bottoms of his feet. If an area is too inflamed, it will really burn, so you must dilute the apple cider vinegar even more with water. I apply it while he is eating a meal to distract him. The DMSO (found online at amazon.com) is fantastic at dropping a remedy below the skin's surface. I use bleach free paper towels to apply the mixture. I have tested this mixture on myself several times and have had no side effects. But do read up on DMSO before you use it as you need to be careful with it.

Last week, upon my holistic vet's suggestion, I switched him to a raw food beef diet (Nature's Variety, very expensive) and include human grade probiotics, vitamin E and fish oil with every meal. I haven't seen much change yet, unfortunately.

Another thing that will help is baths every 3-4 days with Selsun Blue medicinal shampoo and finish off with a 50/50 apple cider vinegar rinse. There's a post on Earth Clinic detailing the Selsun Blue protocol. It is definitely the best shampoo I have tried so far, including 2 the vet gave me.

Apparently a LOT of dogs are suffering from skin issues these days and it's very challenging to figure out what will help them. Good luck!

One thought for Lizzy:

If Selsun Blue is providing you results you are not dealing with mange, rather you are dealing with yeast. The Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy should prove more effective than the mange remedy in this case, and anti yeast protocols would apply.

Thanks, Theresa . She has had scrapings in three areas which confirmed demodex. She was eating Fromms and then Merick but I am feeding her pre-measured raw food from Reel Raw dog food company which is a great company with incredible customer service. I will follow your instructions and shampoo her prior to treating her. Thanks From me and my sweet red nose. Have a happy day, Robert

Hey Robert!

One other thought: the next day after the mange dip, you could bathe her in an oatmeal based soothing shampoo, and I would add to that essential oil of lavender.

Also, how old is your girl? Demodex is typically an affliction of puppies, however in mature, adult dogs the development of demodex is typically associated with an underlying disease condition, ie hypothyroid, cancer, severe bacterial infection.

Thanks a bunch Lizzy, for your help. I am feeding Amber raw food from Reel Raw dog food company which is human grade USDA approved . You might want to check them out. They have a pre-measured, daily, individually wrapped service according to the dogs weight. Their customer service, Alissa, is incredible. Not cheap but when I considered the shopping, organizing, and wrapping it saves me, it is not a bad deal at all. Thanks again and have a Happy Day, Robert

Hi! Lizzy, An afterthought. I have seen such an improvement in Amber after starting her on the Reel Raw food it is amazing!!! More energy, smaller stools and she just seems more alive . The meals are balanced with no fillers, blueberries, broccoli, grains or any other junk that dogs can't digest, Just top quality diversified meat. I hope this is helpful to you. Love my dogs, Robert

Hi! Again Theresa, Amber is a rescue so I am not sure of her age, somewhere between one and three. She had a litter, was abandoned, was given flea and tick topical poison, given shots, maybe heart worm meds, an hysterectomy, and put in a rescue kennel . Enough stress to compromise her immune system, I think, leading maybe to a demodex population increase, She doesn't look like she has had the demodex all her life so I am hoping lots of love, no stress and good food will help her bounce back. Thanks a lot for your information, you have been a real help . I am almost out of shampoo so I will try an oatmeal based type this time . The poor girl is not happy with all these baths and doesn't go near the bathroom anymore. Oh well. Have a super day Theresa, Robert

Hey Robert!

The brief known history you provided for Amber sounds like the perfect storm for an outbreak of demodex.

It sounds like you are doing all the right things for Amber. I would next consider nutritional supplements for the immune system - adding 500mg vitamin C to each meal, and also dosing Echinacea and kelp. I would use these nutritionals for 3 weeks and check results.

Hey Theresa , Well another month has gone by and guess what, no more scratching and chewing . The combo of Reel Raw dog food And Teds Cure have worked wonders. The Vets, three of them, recommended Ivermectin neurotoxin and antibiotics which deplete the immune system which is the cause of the outbreak in the first place. These greedy Vets disgust me. I will keep in touch, Theresa, and as always thanks for your help to me and so many others. When Amber turns chocolate again, I'll send a picture.

Love my Amber, Robert

Hi! Again Lizzy and Teresa , I am familiar with DMSO but I wouldn't use it on Amber , For me it is too invasive . Organic Apple cider added to Ted's remedy might help and it has no side affects. The reason dogs have so many health issues, cancer, skin problems etc come from the 100 year history of money making Commercial dog food, shots, the poisonous flea and tick topical treatment and heart worm cure. etc. Dogs have changed in appearance but their physiology is still the same as the wolves they are descended from . A wolfs life span is up to 27 years or so . Get away from Natures Variety please. Switch to "Reel Raw " brand dog food. It will take a year or so but many of your dogs issues will resolve themselves . No junk food treats at all, they digest differently than raw food and will defeat your purpose. REMEMBER if you would 't put it on your little boy or girl DON'T put it on your dog!!!!! Thanks for all your suggestions and input. Love my Amber, Robert

Robert,

It warms my heart to hear that your pup is doing well. I'm only one week into this demon-dex journey so we'll see how it goes. You give me hope for my sweet boy.

I hear you on the greedy vets, although I think they're simply following the carrot that's dangled in front of them by the pharmaceutical companies. Those corporations are the big boys that are pushing all of the drugs and vaccines to the vets. Unfortunately for our wonderful companions, there's a lot of damaged left behind.

We rescued our black lab 4.5 years ago (really, he rescued us) and from day one he's been sick with ear infections, itchiness, fatigue, seizures, rashes, hot spots and just all around strange behavior - like licking furniture and walls and car seats. So we started our rounds of doctors and treatments and nothing was working. Now I'm a freak when it comes to healthy food, so I was very suspicious when one doc kept pushing his featured kibble that was NOT healthy. The last straw was when they prescribed Fluoroquinolone for my boy's ear infection. Hah. There's a reason they're doing tendon repair on more and more dogs. No way. I walked out and never looked back. It's not hard to see why immune systems are on a rapid downward spiral.

So long story-short. G eats raw, grassfed, organic diet that I prepare at home. We finally conquered his ear infection by using Allimax Allicin, just this past summer. And now he has demodex mites. Goodness, he deserves a break. I just started seeing a new vet who knows how to treat vaccine injured dogs so we shall see.

I've done three Ted baths and G gets a massage 3 times a week anyway, so I just rub him down with olive oil, lavendar, peppermint and clove oil. I can't say I see a big difference yet, but I'm hopeful.

Once one researches vaccine ingredients, the lightbulb turns on. It's not good. Edgar Crookshank proved it long ago that vaccines are a fraud. There's no reason to have egg, insect cells, human serum (I let you guess where they get these cells), bovine serum (they use downer cattle from factory farms and euthanized animals from research labs), mycoplasms, bacteriophages, prions, mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, etc. injected into our beloved companions (or humans for that matter). Zero reason. People are waking up, though, so I think it will all be good. Notice how the ebola fear mongering was in the news 24/7 and then it just disappeared. Yeah, people are onto the scam. I ran into my old vet a few weeks ago and I told him what I'd learned - he admitted that he knows NOW and apologized. He knows vaccines cause all this damage - so even the vets can wake up. Hah.

Gonna keep on fighting that demon-dex. Blessings to all.

Sid

Hey Robert!

Glad for this news! It is so important to keep in mind that healing takes *time* - and so glad you hung in there and invested the time to heal Amber. :-)

Hi, Robert, just to say I thoroughly agree with you.

Namaste, Om

Hi! Sid, I do a lot of reading and some of the things that are happening make me sick. The dogs euthanized in shelters are thrown in rendering plants along with road kill, spoiled food from supermarkets, wrappers and all, and anything they can get their hands on. The poison used in the injection to kill the animals has been found in big commercial pet food and farm animal feeds. All Govt. approved. Dogs & cats fall under agriculture laws an have no protection. In order to protect them they would have to stop using dogs for experiments so it will never change. Sad huh! Robert lovemyamber

Hi! Theresa, With your help all things are possible. Where do you find the time? I hope you are appreciated because you sure should be. Thanks, Robert. Lovemyamber

Hi! Sid, Don't forget, the raw meats and organs need to be diversified. I tried shopping and preparing a diversified diet and it was a nightmare. It took forever. I found this Company on the internet called Reel Raw that will ship frozen, USDA approved, human grade meat to your door. It is all pre-packaged according to your dogs weight and has a balanced selection of meats , meaty bones and organs. It is a little expensive but when you factor in the convenience its a good deal, and to me, my Amber is worth more than anything , cars, fancy clothes , expensive dinners, etc. She comes first. Good luck, Robert Lovemyamber

Hey Robert!

Glad to be of help to you - and Amber!

Anything for a pit bull I say! BEST breed ever! :-)

Hi! Theresa, A story put out by the raw meat diet company Reel Raw. A female dog was producing puppies infected with demodex. They stopped every thing but a balanced raw meat diet, not to be confused with a raw food diet, ie veggies etc. A year later her litters were demodex free. I am thinking I sound like a salesman but I just want others to see the results I have seen. Interesting story anyway and makes sense. Robert Lovemyamber

Hi! Sid, I wanted to mention that I still continue to treat Amber even though the scratching and chewing have stopped. It will take a while for her immune system to get strong again and I see a need for a maintenance program to make sure she doesn't experience any setbacks while she is healing. I told Teresa, Amber had a litter, was abused and abandoned, had an hysterectomy, given flea and tick treatment, shots, heart worm treatment, and was mal and under nourished. Long term love and Patience. Good Luck, Robert Lovemyamber

Hey Robert!

This story is a common one, and not limited to RAW diets. I know of several cases where the first litter had demodex, and after a grocery upgrade to a better quality kibble subsequent litters did not have demodex.

I do think immune system health plays a role in demodex, I believe diet/nutrition does play a role - particularly as the effects of malnutrition/poor nutrition in the dam affect her progeny for the next 6 generations! However I also believe that the parasite load of the dam is also a huge factor in the parasite load puppies receive and is often overlooked or ignored completely when considering why an animal breaks with demodex.

Thanks Theresa, for the clarification. Yours, Robert Lovemyamber

Not sure it's always the greedy Vets, but the Pharmaceutical Companies that always come out on top. I never trust them.