Friend won't see me because she suspects I have dog mites!

cepheus

She is obviously infactuated with me!

Seriously, is there anything I can do to allay her fears, it is like flogging a dead horse :wall::wall::wall: but I know so few people nowadays you try and make the most of your long standing friends.

Story is that I have been looking after a friends dogs one of whom seems to have a skin allergy. The dog is being treated for mites under the skin, I have been told by the owner that the vet said it was not infectious but messages can become garbled. My skin has been tingling and itching long before this, and is probably down to my fibromyalgia.

However, some types of mite can be transmissible between pets and people and back to pets. That is what she is really concerned about, her dogs, one of whom has epilepsy and her life revolves around.

My Doctor has given me a prescription to kill any potential mites under my skin, but he is not convinced and can't see anything wrong with the skin. However, perhaps he is treating the wrong person?

No doubt mites could potentially continue to be passed on anyway through fur hair in the carpet etc. It's such a hard job to clean up the place regularily with fibro, and I'm sure I will carry on itching regardless due to the fibro.

DON79

I do think you need a new friend definitely - if you have taken all reasonable steps to sort out the problem (vets & doctors) not excluding your pre-existing condition.... then it is not you who has the problem but your "friend"...

You are doing your best...

CFC

Hi, I'm really sorry to hear of this but even fleas can travel in your clothes between households. She has a sick dog who her life revolves around, that's her baby, until your pooch is completely free of mites you probably will not see her!

I have to say you wouldn't see me....I love my friends but I love my dog more, just the way it is!

There_Goes_Trouble

Why not give the vet a call (with the owners permission) and ask them directly what the skin condition is, and if it could be transferrred to another dog. You could also ask what the effects would be with an epileptic dog. Some mites are transferrable between animals/species, some are not. If the vet has said it's not infectious then I would suspect demodex (demodectic mange) which is a mite that all dogs carry on the skin, but which generally only becomes a problem under certain conditions. Once you've got the information directly from the expert, you could send your friend an email gently explaining what you've found out and that you're not a medical threat to her dog. If she's still unsure then why not meet somewhere for coffee rather than her coming to your house? You can also get stuff to treat mites etc on soft furnishings, a can is about a tenner and I used about half a can in my lounge, hall stairs and landing. You've already seen your GP and eliminated yourself as a problem.

I do understand her worries, epilepsy can be quite a daunting illness to manage and she's obviously not prepared to risk exposing her dog to anything else, but personally think she is (understandably) over-reacting just a little bit. Perhaps if you can do the research and gently pass it on to her, she'll relax a bit.

cepheus

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

Why not give the vet a call (with the owners permission) and ask them directly what the skin condition is, and if it could be transferred to another dog. You could also ask what the effects would be with an epileptic dog. Some mites are transferable between animals/species, some are not. If the vet has said it's not infectious then I would suspect demodex (demodectic mange) which is a mite that all dogs carry on the skin, but which generally only becomes a problem under certain conditions. Once you've got the information directly from the expert, you could send your friend an email gently explaining what you've found out and that you're not a medical threat to her dog. If she's still unsure then why not meet somewhere for coffee rather than her coming to your house? You can also get stuff to treat mites etc on soft furnishings, a can is about a tenner and I used about half a can in my lounge, hall stairs and landing. You've already seen your GP and eliminated yourself as a problem.

I do understand her worries, epilepsy can be quite a daunting illness to manage and she's obviously not prepared to risk exposing her dog to anything else, but personally think she is (understandably) over-reacting just a little bit. Perhaps if you can do the research and gently pass it on to her, she'll relax a bit.

This sounds practical and sensible and the sort of conclusion I was coming to, although she would never leave the dogs, and lives 90 mins away. Doctor is not completely convinced since he gave me the prescription. Before I use insecticide on myself I will talk to the vet to see if it is contagious. Treating the carpet seems easier than rigorously cleaning every hair and flake of skin, only to find they get deposited faster than I can remove them!

cepheus

Can I catch mange mites from my pets?
You can get Sarcoptic and Notoedric mange mites from your pet, but they do not reproduce on humans. They will cause you extreme itching and irritation for a couple of weeks and then die off, but it will continue as long as your pet has the "problem". These are NOT the same as human scabies mites. Demodectic mange mites are not transmitted to people or other dogs except from mother dog to puppy but Sarcoptic mites will cause you problems as long as your pet has them

http://www.everydaysolutionsrx.com/mange-faq.html


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Can humans catch Mange