Information and advice on dealing with Sarcoptic mange (sarcoptes scabiei)
What is it sarcoptic mange?
Sarcoptic mange also known as scabies is a parasitic mite that burrows just beneath the surface of the
skin causing hair loss, scabbing, blisters, flaky skin/dandruff in most cases, however in extreme cases
it can have major adverse effects such as lesions along the back, hind limbs, torso and tail, infected
cuts/wounds from excessive itching and loss of appetite/ malnourishment. Sarcoptic mange is
zoonotic meaning it can be passed between human and animals and other animals, it is contracted
through direct contact or by contaminated products such as grooming tools, bedding etc. It can infect
the majority of animals which is important to note if your working in somewhere that deals with
multiple species such as vets, farms, rescues etc.
Signs/symptoms
The best way to identify sarcoptic mange as well as any disease is through a health check, there are
two types of health checking that can be performed, a visual health check, something that can be
visually seen without the need for physical contact such as discharge from eyes, nose mouth or in this
case, inflamed skin, this should be performed daily. Or a physical check, which requires direct contact.
This would be done in a methodical order starting from the head then to the body, down both fore
and hind limbs and then tail. You should check its ears, eyes, nose, mouth etc and feel all over the
body for any lump’s/bumps, patches of dry skin or loss of hair, this should only be performed weekly
to avoid stress in animals that do not like to be handled. A physical health check can also include
weighing the animal, checking its circulation and heart rate as well as temperature if absolutely
necessary. You can also keep track of the animal’s food/ water intake and faecal and urine colour and
consistency.
behaviour
Recognizing the signs is important in order to administer treatment as soon as possible and prevent
further spreading. Generally, the earlier the prognosis the better chance you have at treating the
animal before conditions worsen. Diagnosis is usually made by doing a skin scraping or an inspection
of the coat however there are behavioural signs that you can also be aware of, this including head
shaking, increased itching, ‘guarding’ itself or a specific area of body (increased aggression), change in
feeding habits, excessive inactivity or some other atypical behaviours. This can vary dramatically
between different species as not all species deal with stress, pain in the same way so its important
you do research specific to the species your dealing with and what is considered atypical for them. For
example, in rodent’s, atypical behaviour can be displayed through bar biting, corner jumping/ digging,
over-grooming etc.
Linking back to health, if an animal is showing any abnormal behaviour it could potentially worsen
their condition due to the increase in stress or say if an animal was difficult to handle and is showing
increased signs of aggression, this may make treatment/ recovery time much more difficult as they
don’t want to be handled. Another example being malnourishment from loss of appetite, this can
make its condition deteriorate much quicker which is typically seen in stray dogs who don’t have
correct diet/nutrition.
