Home Remedies for Mange in Dogs

Home remedies for mange in dogs are milder and safer for our dogs as well as our environment. Various home remedies such as herbs, homeopathic remedies, and supplements can be used to topically alleviate the skin irritations caused by the mange, and internally to remove toxins from the body and improve the immune system and skin condition.

Canine mange is caused by mange mites (e.g. Sarcoptes scabei, Demodex canis). Mange usually occurs in dogs with weakened immune systems, and can cause a lot of discomfort to dogs, such as intense itching, skin lesions, and hair loss. Conventional treatment for this dog skin infection is usually the use of some strong chemicals, which very often will weaken our dog's immune system further.

Using natural home remedies for mange, on the other hand, can enhance our dog's immune system, so that the body can fight off the mange mite infection by itself. At the same time, natural remedies such as nutritious foods, herbs and other supplements can be used to treat the skin problem topically.

This mild natural treatment approach sounds much better than the harsh chemical treatment, don't you think?

Home Remedies for Mange

A Healthy Diet

The first and best thing to do to enhance a dog's immune system is to feed him a natural, well-balanced, nutritious diet. If you haven't already done so, now is the time to change your dog's diet to a raw food diet, or a home-cooked diet, or an ultra premium dog food with human-grade ingredients and without artificial colorings, flavors, and preservatives.

Vitamins and Supplements

Home remedies for mange also include dietary supplements that are beneficial to a dog's skin. These supplements can help relieve your dog's itch and improve his skin conditions.

Here are some essential supplements that you should give your dog:

Vitamin E (5-10 mg/lb daily)
Vitamin C (10 mg/lb, 2-3 times a day)
Fish oil (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoonful per 10 pounds, 1-2 times daily) Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids and can be very effective in easing an itch.

A very good natural product that I have found is Dr. Harvey's Health and Shine. It contains a good combination of borage oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, and Vitamin E. Check it out here:

Dr. Harvey's Health and Shine for Dogs

You will be surprised at the fast improvement in your's dog coat condition.

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Topical Herbal Remedies for Canine Mange

Herbs are one of many home remedies for mange that are safe and effective. Herbs that have natural antibacterial, antiseptic, and wound-healing properties can be used to help dogs with mange.

Use a natural doggie shampoo that contains tea tree oil to wash your dog. Tea tree oil is a potent essential oil that is highly antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, and is excellent in eliminating bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause skin problems to your dog.

In addition to shampooing, use some of these herbal remedies topically on the skin lesions and itchy spots caused by mange:

Garlic

Garlic contains sulphur compounds which mites dislike. Diluted garlic oil can therefore be used topically to the affected areas. Since garlic is antibacterial as well, applying garlic oil to the affected areas will have the added benefit of minimizing bacterial infection. Some dogs are sensitive to garlic, however, and if that's your dog, the herb licorice can be used instead.

Neem and Lavender

One of the most common home remedies for mange is the use of neem and lavender. Together these two oils can make an effective skin rinse against mange. Neem oil has long been used for its ability to repel pests such as fleas, ticks, mites, and so on. Neem oil also has skin healing properties that are good for skin infections. Lavender essential oil is antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral, and is mild enough to use even on small dogs.

To make a skin rinse for mange, you need:

1 part Lavender essential oil
1 part Neem oil
10 parts Almond oil

Apply to affected areas once or twice daily.

Yarrow

Yarrow is excellent in wound healing; it stops the bleeding from oozing wounds. Yarrow oil, salve, or ointment can be applied to the affected areas.

Other herbs

Other herbs that are effective against mange include

Echinacea, which is an immune-booster and has antibacterial properties;
Calendula, which is an excellent wound healer;
Aloe Vera, which is antibacterial and has a soothing effect on itchy and irritated skin.

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Internal Herbal Remedies for Canine Mange

While using home remedies for mange topically to heal the skin lesions and infections brought on by mange, it is also important to use herbs and supplements to strengthen the dog's immune system.

Internally, use an herbal immune-booster such as Only Natural Pet Blood and System Herbal to enhance your dog's and fight bacterial infections. This herbal supplement contains a lot of useful herbs, such as:

Burdock root: This herb is a blood cleanser and detoxifier. It is also good for dry, flaky, scaly skin.
Echinacea: This herb is well known for its immune-enhancing functions. With a stronger immune system, dogs are less likely to be bothered by parasites such as mites, fleas, and so on. As well, they are more resistant to bacterial and viral infections.
Oregon Grape: Similar to echinacea, Oregon grape is also an immune-booster. It also helps cleanse and detoxify the blood.
Licorice root: Licorice helps stimulate the adrenal glands to produce natural corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory. Thus, licorice is good for skin imflammation without the side effects brought on by synthetic steroid drugs.

Sarsaparilla: This herb has antibacterial actions for skin conditions and is good for chronic skin infections.

Red Clover: Red clover is another blood purifier and immune-enhancer.

All in all, this is an excellent herbal supplement that can greatly help dogs with immune systems that are weakened or compromised.

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Homeopathic Remedies for Canine Mange

Homeopathic treatment is also effective in treating canine mange. If you want to use homeopathic remedies to treat your dog mange, ask a holistic vet about the following commonly used remedies:

Sulphur
Psorinum
Silicea

Be sure to visit this page for more general information on canine mange.
Also use the navigation bar on the left of this page to find more information on other skin problems and common allergies in dogs.