# Casper has "Walking Dandruff" -- mites!



## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

My pup had a vet appointment less than a week before the breeder shipped him to me. He came out all clear for health issues and parasites; the vet just noted that he had dry skin. I took him to my own vet for a once-over today and she said that the dry skin was scalier than it would normally be, and suspected he had Cheyletiella Dermatitis, or "walking dandruff" -- a kind of mite. She took some skin flake samples and looked at them under the microscope, and sure enough, he has mites -- she let me see them. Creepy, neat-looking little things.

I bathed him and she gave me some Revolution (which I'll put on when he's dry), and I bought some for my other dog and my three cats as well, just in case (she didn't think the mites would have spread already, but it's better to be safe than sorry). I'm washing all of the bedding he's touched, as well as all the clothes I've worn since I got him. Has anyone else dealt with these mites, and is there anything else I should do?

(I contacted the breeder, of course. All four of the pups have the dry skin, and she's not pleased that her vet missed the mites. I guess the vet _did_ check for them, but didn't see any at the time... didn't get a good enough sample to look at under the microscope, apparently.)


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

Crantastic said:


> Has anyone else dealt with these mites, and is there anything else I should do?


The same products that are used for flea and tick removal will eliminate this mite on your dogs and/or cats (along with the fleas and ticks). Although this is an off-label use, it is well-known. Regular use of one of the flea and tick topicals will also prevent the mites from reestablishing.

Unfortunately, this is one of those pests that may set up shop inside the house. They _have been known to temporarily infect humans_ as well as many other animals besides dogs. So it's important to treat_ all_ your house animals and to fumigate the whole house to make sure you get rid of them. You might want to talk to your doctor about something for yourself as well - although they will not remain permanently on humans, they can itch like crazy while they are there.

Since fumigating a whole house could be dangerous, I would recommend having a professional pest control do it rather than DIY.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Wow... so sorry that you're going thru this but I do find it difficult to believe that both an experienced breeder and the vet missed this. They call it walking dandruff because if you look close you can actually see the dandruff moving around as the mites shuffle across your pet with the scale of skin covering them. You have a long road ahead of you to get rid of this. Honestly it would have been easier to get rid fo demodex mange. Here is some info I found that might help you out.

"Cheyletiellosis is an itchy, scaling skin disease of dogs caused by infestation with Cheyletiella mites. It is often called "walking dandruff" because when you examine an infested dog, you may see that the "dandruff" is moving. The movement is actually caused by the mites moving around under the scales. Although the mites inhabit the entire body, the scaling and itching often seem worse over the back.

Cheyletiellosis is a contagious and a zoonotic disease, which means that it can be spread to and from other dogs, cats or humans. Dogs can acquire the infection from other pets or humans. The mite is transmitted by close contact with infested animals. Since the mite can live for a few days off the host, it is also possible to become infected through environmental contamination. Eggs are also shed into the environment, which is believed to also be an important cause of re-infestation. 

This disease is very contagious making it more prevalent in shelters, humane societies, boarding facilities and grooming establishments where there are lots of pets. Poor sanitation, poor nutrition and overcrowding can lead to infestation. Thus, it is likely for puppies from puppy mills to show up in pet stores with this problem. 

Puppies seem to be more susceptible than older animals, but infestation of adults is sometimes seen. Cocker spaniels appear to be predisposed. 

The discomfort of itching and the lesions the animal can cause to himself by scratching is directly related to the impact of this disease on the dog. 

What to Watch For

Flaky, scaly hair coat (especially over the back)

Itchiness (in some pets)

Redness of skin (in some pets)

Diagnosis

A medical history may reveal a scaly, itchy skin problem on one or more of the animals in the home, often after a recent addition of a new pet. These mites can temporarily infest people, so you may experience an itchy rash on arms, belly, back and chest. 

Your veterinarian will do a physical exam, which will probably reveal the characteristic scaly skin along the dog's back. However, not all animals show this distribution of lesions. These mites are large compared to other mites and in cases of heavy infestation, you can see them on the skin with a magnifying glass.

Other diagnostic tests may include:

Flea comb. Combing with a flea comb is probably the most reliable method of diagnosis. The dog should be thoroughly combed all over the body and the scale that is collected on the comb should be viewed under a microscope. The scale may also be placed on a dark background and observed. These mites appear as white specks that move, hence the name "walking dandruff" mites.

Skin scrapings. Microscopic evaluation of skin is less accurate than flea combing in light infestation because only a small area of skin is evaluated. Skin scrapings are often done to rule out other itchy skin diseases like scabies, and the mite may be picked up in the process. 

Acetate tape. Impressions of the skin with clear acetate tape can pick up mites, which can then be seen when the tape is placed on a drop of mineral oil on a slide and viewed under a microscope. This method also has the disadvantage of sampling only a small area. 

In cases where mites cannot be found, but a parasite is suspected, your veterinarian may elect to treat for the disease and look for a response to the treatment.

Treatment

Although commonly used flea sprays, shampoos and powders may give temporary relief, more aggressive treatment is needed for long term success of walking dandruff mites. Because this disease is contagious, all pets in the home should be treated. 

Treatment includes:

Ivermectin is an effective treatment for cheyletiellosis. It may be given by subcutaneous injection or orally. However, ivermectin is toxic (For more information go to Ivermectin Toxicity) in herding breeds such as collies, Shetland sheepdogs and other breeds. This drug is usually used every 1 to 2 weeks for at least 4 weeks.

Selamectin (Revolution), Imidacloprid (Advantage) and Fipronil (Frontline) , are topical drugs that are applied to the skin of dogs between the shoulder blades. These drugs show promise in treating cheyletiellosis. They are often applied monthly for at least two months. 

Lime sulfur dips are effective, although clipping of the hair coat may be necessary in medium and longhaired breeds to get the best results. Dips may need to be done weekly for 6 to 8 weeks.

Sprays containing pyrethrin can be used in weekly applications for 3 to 4 weeks. 

Amitraz dips are also effective and used every week for 3 to 4 weeks. 

Whatever treatment is selected, it is important to treat *all* animals in the household.

Prognosis

The Prognosis is good with effective therapy and treatment of all pets in the home. 

Home Care and Prevention

Treatment of the home environment may be necessary to prevent re-infestation. Wash all bedding and discard brushes and combs. Vacuum carpets and upholstery thoroughly and repeatedly and spray the house with a flea premise spray.

Although it is difficult to prevent infestation by the walking dandruff mite, you can take some steps to lower exposure. You should avoid the dog while he is infested since the mites are highly contagious. 

Be sure to have any new animals evaluated by a veterinarian before admitting them to your home. Cheyletiellosis can be contagious to people so anyone handling the pet should thoroughly wash their hands and use appropriate caution."

Good Luck.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

It seems to be going okay so far. I brought Casper home late Friday evening and the vet diagnosed the mites on Monday afternoon. Casper hadn't really touched any of the other pets much or shared their beds during that time. I think it helps that I had also bathed him right away because he smelled like pee from being in a crate on planes for nine hours, so I probably washed away some mites and eggs that way.

I treated all of the pets (Crystal and three cats) and none of them seem to be scratching (yet, anyway) or have flaky skin. No humans in the house show any signs, either. Casper himself is also looking much better -- much fewer flakes and a lot less scratching. I have barely been touching him (just pats on the head as we play with his toys) and have been washing my hands with antibacterial soap afterwards. 

My breeder says that she took the other pups in to her vet yesterday and they didn't find any mites, although she treated them all with Revolution just in case. I told her to wash all of their bedding with bleach, too. I also find it hard to believe that her vet missed this... especially now that they KNOW Casper has mites.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

She sounds like she has an idiot for a vet. There's no WAY that a litter of pups wouldn't ALL test positive for mites since they're always on each other, and I highly doubt that he picked it up in transit. Ugh... I feel bad for the breeder. Good for her for treating the pups regardless. It really won't hurt them since they're old enough. 

Well at lest on the upside it says that they only have a 2-3 day life cycle off the host so those you miss in the environment will be gone soon, but if they're reactive to pemetherine based flea killers Raid and black flag both put out a great flea spray for the house and you can actually even use it on your dog.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

Every site I look at has different information... I've seen some say that eggs and adult females can survive off the host for 10 days. I'm re-treating everyone with Revolution three weeks from now regardless, vacuuming the floors (we don't have any carpet in the house, which I'm sure helps) and continuing to wash the bedding regularly and not let the animals touch each other. I'm hoping the mites won't spread, because I really don't like the idea of flea-bombing the house (my mother has severe chemical allergies). 

My vet didn't seem overly concerned, and she has seen these before (she said they're not terribly common here but not overly rare, either), so I trust her judgment. She's a very good vet... as soon as she saw the dry skin, she suspected mites, and immediately made three slides with flakes from different areas of Casper's body to look at under the microscope. I have to say that I agree with you about my breeder's vet if he can't find any mites on multiple pups with dry flaky skin.


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

Well hopefully in a month this will all just be a sore chapter in his puppy book.


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