How to Treat Mange Mites Without a Prescription

Mange mites are a life-threatening parasite that can affect your household pets, most commonly dogs. These parasitic critters, unlike fleas, live under the skin of your pet and literally feast on their flesh, causing allergic reactions and dangerous health hazards. Most healthy canines have a small population of skin mites that live on their bodies, but it is when these populations escalate to out of control numbers that your pet suffers from mange. The best treatment is usually a medicated dip administered by a vet that happens over a period of weeks and kills the mites, but there are also non-prescription home remedies that have been known to do the trick.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• 1 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Borax
• Brush
• Plain yogurt
• Soap
• Cooking oil
• Eye dropper

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Instructions

• 1

  Look for behavioral signs of mange. Animals suffering from these mites will be dehydrated, lack the desire to eat, may scratch excessively and experience weight loss. Also check for physical signs such as bald spots, brown marks around the nose, crusty patches on their head or neck, thin fur or severe hair loss.

• 2

  Mix a 1 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide with water and Borax, which is a type of boron mineral salt. The mixture should dissolve completely and should consist of 1 to 2 tablespoons of borax for every 500 cc of the hydrogen peroxide. Give your animal a bath in this solution once a week and resist the urge to dry the animal. Allow the solution to help heal the infection. Do not exceed this treatment for more than two months.

• 3

  Brush out the animal's fur regularly. This helps to remove the scaly skin and scabs that the mites feed on and that cause the dog to scratch and make the wounds worse.

• 4

  Coat affected ear wounds with a plain yogurt containing acidophilus, which is a probiotic that has active agents that can help heal wounds. These bacterial agents are usually found in milk products.

• 5

  Place a few drops of cooking oil onto the mangy patches of the skin to kill mites, ease irritation and get rid of the waxy deposits left behind by active mites.

• 6

  Apply soap water to the skin where mites are visible to wash them off and help avoid the spread of the problem to other areas of the skin.

• 7

  Wash your pet's bed thoroughly or replace it completely. Mites come from your pet's environment so it is important to keep this area clean. Also consider having your lawn treated to prevent reinfection from outdoor mites.