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General Mange Questions
Mite Avenge Questions
Immune Support Questions

Are all mites contagious?

Most mites are contagious – but not all.

Demodectic Mites (Demodex) ARE NOT contagious. No special isolation or cleaning is required during treatment. This mite likes darkness and stays under the skin for the most part. Demodectic mites do not leave the dog or migrate into the home.

Sarcoptic Mites ARE contagious and easily transferred from an infected host to another person, household pet or visiting dog. Special cleaning is required to decontaminate the furniture, carpets, auto and places where your dog sleeps.

Cheyletiella Mites ARE contagious and easily transferred from an infected host to another person, household pet or visiting dog. Special cleaning is required to decontaminate the furniture, carpets, auto and places where your dog sleeps.

What are mange symptoms?


Sarcoptic, Demodectic and Cheyletiella mange mites are microscopic, difficult to detect, and have symptoms that overlap. That’s where our Symptom Checker is helpful. Visit our Symptom Checker here.

How did my dog get mange? I thought only dogs that were not well cared for got mange.

The notion of a bedraggled mangy mutt is a common misconception. Any dog can get mites, even pampered well-kept pets.

Demodectic mange occurs when something compromises the immune system and the dog’s naturally present mites take over and turn into a dangerous infestation. 

Cheyletiella and Sarcoptic mites are contagious and easily transferred from an infected host or a contaminated environment such as a wildlife prone area, dog park, etc. Read more in our blog article here.

Does Mite Avenge work on all types of mange?

Yes. Mite Avenge’s broad spectrum of natural ingredients is effective against Sarcoptic, Cheyletiella and Demodectic mange mites. The only difference is in the treatment plan schedule.

Where can I buy Mite Avenge?

Happy Dog Naturals products are only available through our online stores.

Can Mite Avenge be used on humans?

NO. Mite Avenge is labeled “not intended for human use”.
If you have a contagious mite (Sarcoptic and Cheyletiella mites), avoid close contact with other animals and humans to avoid spreading the parasite. If you can ignore them, the Sarcoptic mites on you will go away on their own in about two weeks. If you can’t ignore them, your doctor can prescribe a treatment that will kill them.

Can I use Mite Avenge on my cat?

NO. They metabolize things differently so cats can have an adverse reaction to some of the natural oils in the product. Felines have a high risk of toxicity to essential oils that can be fatal. Mite Avenge is only recommended for dogs. We do not make a cat product.

What are ingredients in Mite Avenge?

Mite Avenge’s proprietary formula of natural ingredients includes Citronella, Clary Sage, Clove, Dihydrogen Dioxide, Disodium Tetraborate, Eucalyptus, Helichrysum, Karanja Seed, Lemon, Lavender, Neem, Peppermint, Polysorbate 20, Purified Water, Rosemary, Sea Kelp, Styrax Benzoin, Vitamin E & tender loving care.
Some of these ingredients have names that suggest they are not natural but they are. 

Can I spot-treat my dog’s mite effected areas with Mite Avenge?

Demodex Mites:
YES, but always begin with full-body tretaments. Mites are mobile, so we recommend treating the whole animal several times to kill rogue mites and flush out any developing areas that have not yet built up to a point where they show obvious symptoms.

Spot treating in lieu of full body treatments should only be done if no new signs of mange are present after 6 consecutive full body treatments. After that if you do spot treatments, the whole body should still be treated at least once a week. 

Sarcoptic or Cheyletiella Mites:
NO, it is essential to treat your pet’s entire body. Do this for each Mite Avenge application. Mite Avenge disrupts the mite’s life cycle, eliminating egg laying females, maturing adults, and then newly hatched nymphs. So, do not skip any of the scheduled treatments.

How do I apply Mite Avenge around my dog’s eyes?

Facial mange is a common problem with Demodectic mange. 
You can ensure safety by using protective eye drops. Protective eye drops are sterile, ophthalmic grade mineral oil that forms a protective barrier that keeps any liquid that gets into the eye from making contact with the delicate tissue inside the eye. Another option is to carefully apply Mite Avenge as closely to the eye as possible using a small piece of washrag, then apply Mange Mud twice a day.

Do I have to use the whole bottle of Mite Avenge? My dog is small.

We always recommend treating the whole dog to limit mite migration, but even then some dogs just don’t need 24 ounces. Use every drop you need to thoroughly saturate the dog then follow the directions in the instruction pamphlet for storing your leftover Mite Avenge properly.

It’s too cold outside to go for a walk after the Mite Avenge drench. Now what?

Great question! A walk is a good way to let the Mite Avenge dry naturally. But, chilly weather is no time to take your pup for a walk, so here’s some tricks we’ve learned from our customers.

What to avoid:

• Direct heat over 100 degrees. This destroys the essential oils.
• Drying below skin level too soon. Mite Avenge does its killing when wet so we want it wet in the follicles as long as possible. Ideally leaving the Mite Avenge on without blow-drying for 1–2 hours after treatment is best.

Some ideas:

• Towel dry then a t-shirt.
• Allow the dog to rest in the steamy bathroom for a while.
• Swaddling your dog and snuggling for a bit.
• Lay down near a safe space heater.
• An indoor play session to warm and distract.
• A warm car ride.

Essentially, you need to find a solution that gives the Mite Avenge time to do its job – let it dry naturally.

Should I cut my dog’s hair before I apply Mite Avenge?

For Demodex:
YES. Mite Avenge must be worked deep into the hair follicles where the mites live. To make that easier and to ensure more of the product gets to its destination instead of saturating the hair, we recommend a 1″ trim before treatment. 

This also minimizes moisture retention that feeds the natural yeast present on the skin. This is helpful because yeast is the primary food source for Demodex, the most common type of mange mite.

For Sarcoptic and Cheyletiella:
NO. It is not necessary to trim your dog’s hair before treatment.

Why did my dog get worse after treatment? What is Die-off effect?

Often when treating Demodectic Mange, things can seem to get worse before they get better. We call this the Die-off effect. Die-off is rarely a problem with Sarcoptic or Cheyletiella mites but it affects a small percentage of dogs with Demodex (Demodectic mites).

Why? Demodex live deep in the follicles where they make a terrible mess. When we begin killing mites the toxin level in an already unhealthy environment can skyrocket. When die-off occurs it generally lasts only 1-2 weeks, although it can last longer in rare instances.

Knowing what your dog is going through will prevent unnecessary panic when die-off symptoms appear.

To minimize the risk of secondary infection, be sure to keep up with your povidone iodine wipe downs. Get help treating mange related secondary infection here.

When do I stop the Mite Avenge treatments?

Demodectic (Demodex) mites:
Bathe with benzoyl peroxide shampoo, then apply Mite Avenge as directed at least twice a week until the skin returns to normal and hair has regrown. Continue treatments for 4 more weeks to eradicate hatching nymphs.

On average 12 treatments are required for resolution, but this varies widely depending on the severity of the underlying causes of the disease. We cannot tell you how long your dog’s treatment will take. The goal is to reduce the mite population to a normal level.

However, immune system support typically reduces the number of treatments needed. Go here to learn about Immune System Support.

Sarcoptic or Cheytiella mites:
Carefully follow the treatment instructions included with the Mite Avenge. It will take 3–4 weeks to disrupt the life cycle and eliminate the mites. You must also decontaminate the environment.

What do I need to buy? Can you give me a list?

If you’re ready to get started, and unsure what to purchase, choose one of our mange fighting Easy Kits. Each kit contains Mite Avenge®, plus a list of recommended products to select from.

Mite Avenge Easy Kit for Demodectic Mange
Mite Avenge Easy Kit for Sarcoptic Mange
Mite Avenge Easy Kit for Cheyletiella Mange

Your Mite Avenge® Easy Kit bundle will include treatment schedules and application tips for Demodectic, Sarcoptic and Cheyletiella mange. Please read before starting treatment.

Important: Demodectic mange treatment requires special attention to repair and rebuild your dog’s immune system. Find more information here.

How can I improve or repair my dogs immune system?

Demodectic mange is complicated. Vets usually don’t share that there’s far more to beating the disease than just killing mites. Treating with a natural integrated holistic program is your best shot at getting it under control and keeping it that way.

Mite Avenge is fabulous for killing mites, but equally important to getting rid of Demodex and keeping it gone is to build your dog’s immune system. This includes extreme immune support, gastrointestinal support, detoxification and yeast control. We have a section of 5 short pages that explain what’s going on behind the scenes – inside your dog. Follow the links at the bottom of each page to navigate through the section and become an immune system expert. You’ll find relevant product recommendations at the bottom of the respective Immune Pillar pages.

What supplements do I need to provide for my dog?

We have an entire web section devoted to this topic called The 4 Pillars of Immune support. It breaks down why supplements are vital and offers suggestions that address specific areas (or pillars) where your dog needs immune support the most. Visit the 4 Pillars of Immune Health here.

How do I use the supplements?

Dosing recommendations are on a Usage Recommendations tab within the store page for any supplement. Supplements should be phased in, starting at 1/4 – 1/2 dose and increasing the dose every few days until the full dosage is reached. Then it’s time to begin phasing in the next supplement in.

What order do I give supplements in?

The order in which you introduce multiple supplements varies, depending on symptoms.

1. We recommend always starting with probiotics and digestive supplements first.
2. Next, introduce the supplements for the area (see immune pillars) that is the most problematic. For example if your dog is smelly or yeasty, follow up with anti-yeast supplements like Grapefruit Seed Extract, Ester C, or 4-Whey Pet Health Builder.
3. Then follow with general immune building supplements.

If your dog’s worst symptoms are in another immune pillar begin with the supplements that are recommended for for it.