Who gets demodex mite infections?
Dogs are more likely to have demodex infections than are cats. Puppies and young dogs are more prone to demodex than adults, but healthy puppies generally clear the infection within a few weeks. Puppies and adult dogs that are stressed or physically ill are prone to develop demodex infections. Among the stressors that suppress the immune system so that dogs develop demodex are: • anxiety, • estrus (being in heat), • pregnancy, • nursing puppies, • intestinal worms, • heartworms, • infections, such as blastomycosis, • cancer, such as lymphosarcoma, • hypothyroid disease, • diabetes, • Cushing’s disease, and • taking steroid medications, such as prednisone or prednisolone.
