ASK THE VET

Q: Ralph is a two-year-old male Shar Pei. In the past 18 months he has had treatment against dust mite allergies but his problems only were getting worse. Two weeks ago I took him to a dermatologist and after a simple test he told me he suffers from demodex. Should this have been diagnosed sooner? AL BUHLEA, Barking, Essex A: The Shar Pei breed is prone to numerous different skin complaints. This means they often present with multiple skin issues at initial presentation and trying to establish the primary cause can be tricky. Demodex mites live in the skin of dogs in small numbers, often kept at bay by the dog’s immune system. Sometimes there is a fault with the dog’s immune system, which allows these mites to multiply out of control. These dogs often require long courses of treatment and ongoing monitoring to eliminate the parasites. The simple test for demodex is a skin scrape and microscope examination. The presence of multiple demodex mites would provide the diagnosis. Unfortunately the absence of these mites does not necessarily mean they are not present and are not causing a problem; they just may not have been present in the sample taken. This may have been the reason why the diagnosis was not achieved sooner. Furthermore, if allergies are present, the treatment for these allergies often involves suppressing the dog’s immune system. This will often suppress any itch, but will also suppress the body’s ability to fight off the mites, so a small burden can suddenly grow, becoming much easier to find and diagnose. Advice in this section is for general guidance and does not replace the need for a clinical examination of your pet. Rory Thomson is part of the team at St Clair Veterinary Care in Blyth. Send your questions to: chroniclelive.co.uk/askthevet.