what are mites anyway?
Mites are arachnids, meaning they are in the same family as spiders. They are tiny and they live in or on the skin. They vary in size, some are contagious to other dogs and to humans, some are self limiting infestations that can become generalized. Read on. Three primary mites are the ones causing demodicosis, scabies and the ones we do hear about from time to time, ear mites. Another mite is the one causing Cheylletiellosis, which seems not to be common in Bichons but cannot be disregarded. Let’s start our discussion with demodicosis, the name of one disease that is not contagious. It comes in two “types” or levels of infestation. The mild and localized disease usually appears in young dogs between 3 and 6 months of age, is localized in nature and is self-limiting. You will notice itchiness along with patchy hair loss which shows reddened and scaly skin when you examine the patches. The mite burrows in hair follicles and usually this condition will clear up with minimal or even no tre
