Help identifying mange mite on dog

[Zeitgeist]

Good Day.

I bought my first microscope in December and this is my first post, so please excuse me if my questions seem a bit naive.

My poor dog is prone to a mange outbreak every two years or so. I decided to do a scraping of the affected area by firstly applying a some mineral oil to the area and using a blunt scalpel blade to scrape a sample off.

I was specifically looking for the mite Demodex Canis . One of the primary organism causing canine mange.

Could you please look at image 0002 & 0006 and confirm whether I am looking at the correct organism. I am very new at this and these structure almost resemble dead pondwater diatoms which I am used to looking at.

Also image 0009 captured something big. Any ideas on what this mite (excuse the pun) be?

Thanks in advance.

[billbillt]

Welcome!... I am not real sure what you have with your pics.. Demodex Canis appears to have a very distinct form.. I saw nothing in your photos that appeared to match a good photo of it..

[apochronaut]

It is difficult to tell, with such low resolution images but there a number of features on the circled object in the third picture that certainly make it look like a pretty good candidate, based on the many images the web coughed up when I searched.

[SunshineLW]

Could you please look at image 0002 & 0006 and confirm whether I am looking at the correct organism. I am very new at this and these structure almost resemble dead pondwater diatoms which I am used to looking at.

Zeitgeist,

Sorry, but none of the things in the images of your scrapings are of any significance. They do not resemble any parasites of canine skin. Also, Demodex mites are often very difficult to find and, even when found, it is not a definitive diagnosis of the cause of your dog's skin problems. There are many other conditions that must be taken into consideration before confirming that the Demodex mites are in fact the cause of the dog's skin problems. Depending on the species of Demodex, the mites are often found inhabiting the skin of asymptomatic individuals (including dogs AND HUMANS!).

Most importantly, Demodex infestations that are significant enough to cause pathology are almost always secondary to a more important primary problem (ex., immune suppression). Therefore, if you are worried about your friends skin issues, it would be best if you took him to see a veterinarian and/or veterinary dermatologist.

- Lance