Treatment

Most mild cases will improve by themselves over time, especially in puppies; however, treatment is still recommended to facilitate a speedy recovery. Small, localized lesions can be controlled with ointments or medicated shampoos, and will generally improve within weeks. In more seriously affected dogs, especially if secondary infections are present, oral medications and antibiotics are needed in addition to the topical treatments. Both the medicated shampoo/bath treatment and oral medication have some limitations: the medicated bath cannot be used in toy breeds or very young puppies, and the oral anti-parasite medication cannot be used in most herding breeds.

Some home remedies involve bathing the infected dog in various household substances such as motor oil; this is harmful to the dog and is NOT a viable treatment of demodectic mange.

It is possible for demodectic mange to relapse, although most frequently this is a result of incomplete treatment. With most healthy and young dogs, demodectic mange is easily controlled and treated. The older the dog, the more difficult to completely cure demodectic mange, and sometimes it is necessary to find and remove the underlying health problems. Spaying or neutering is sometimes recommended since reproductive functions like breeding and heat cycles are additional physiological stresses that can trigger a relapse.