frenchie's bloated belly

How to Get Rid of Mange in French Bulldogs?

Does your Frenchie show itchy behavior? Does he deal with hair loss (alopecia)? Well, in case you’ve changed your dog’s diet and determined that he isn’t allergic to any food or environmental allergen, then he probably got infected by something highly contagious. Mange in French bulldogs is caused by highly contagious mites that burrow deep into the skin causing itchiness, rashes, alopecia, and many other uncomfortable symptoms.

Since there are different types of mange in Frenchies, your vet will need to determine whether your pooch got infected by sarcoptic, demodectic, or notoedric species.

Sarcoptic Magne in French bulldogs

Otherwise called scabies, sarcoptic mange causes extreme itchiness due to burrowed eggs deep into the skin. A dog can get scabies by being in contact with another infected animal. Therefore, dog owners should be especially careful when they take their dogs to public parks, vet clinics, and groomers. Dog shelters also represent places where scabies can be easily transmitted between animals, and unfortunately, the first symptoms may take up to 6 weeks to appear.

mange in french bulldogs

What are the symptoms of sarcoptic mange in French bulldogs?

This type of mite loves hairless patches of skin such as armpits, belly, and ear flaps. Those areas of your Frenchie’s body can become red, itchy and scaly, and later develop crusty edges. Since a dog will start to lick or scratch the skin excessively, it’s nothing uncommon to notice hairless patches on his body.

What is the best treatment of sarcoptic mange in French bulldogs?

To determine if your dog suffers from scabies, the vet will perform a skin scraping test. Even though this test confirms the presence of the mites only in half of the cases, vets prescribe the appropriate medication and anti-mite shampoo.

Since mites are contagious, you’ll also need to pay attention to your dog’s hygiene and clean his bed, toys, carpets, and blankets. Drugs such as ivermectin and doramectin are also widely used in treating this infestation.

mange in french bulldogs

Demodectic mange in French bulldogs

Demodectic mange lives in the hair follicles and puppies usually get them from their mothers after birth. Many dogs live with this type of mites without showing any symptoms. However, pooches with weak immunity can develop a severe condition that can affect their quality of life.

What are the symptoms of demodectic mange in French bulldogs?

Unlike sarcoptic mange, demodectic mange is not contagious so it can’t be transmitted from a dog to a dog or a human. In most cases, this types of mange occur in puppies and dogs who are under 9 months old. There are three cases of demodectic mange in French bulldogs: localized, generalized, and pododermatitis.

Localized type is followed by red and scabby spots on a dog’s body. It usually occurs on a Frenchie’s face and front legs and may progress in generalized mange if left untreated.

Generalized mange in Frenchies causes hair loss, and scabby skin and occurs on a whole body. A dog with this type of demodectic mange will excessively scratch the skin, lick the affected spot, and can even progress into an infection.

Pododermatitis in French bulldogs affects only the paws. A dog will lick and bite the paws to relieve the itchiness and pain. The inflamed spots can be very painful and even lead to mobility issues if you don’t treat them on time.

mange in frenchies

What is the best treatment for demodectic mange in French bulldogs?

Besides using topical gel creams, your vet will prescribe you antibiotic therapy to prevent further infections. Feeding a Frenchie with a well-balanced diet is also important because good nutrition leaves a positive effect on a dog’s immunity. The younger the puppy is, the better are chances for a complete recovery. Unfortunately, dogs with weak immunities will be on a higher tendency to deal with this condition throughout their lifetimes.

Feline scabies or Notoedric mange in French bulldogs

Even though we talk about feline scabies, they can actually be easily transmitted to humans and dogs. They spread by contact and occur only in specific regions of the USA. The treatment of feline scabies is similar to sarcoptic mange, so the vet will perform a skin scraping test to determine the type.

mange in frenchies

How to prevent a French bulldog from mange?

  • Regularly clean your French bulldog’s bed, blanket and bowls
  • Feed your pooch with a high-quality diet to boost his/her immunity
  • Pay attention to flea, worm, and heartworm prevention
  • Neuter or spay your French bulldog to prevent passing on a genetic predisposition to the disease
  • Regularly groom and bathe your furry friend
  • Don’t take your Frenchie to dirty parks and places where there are too many dogs

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