Mange is a skin disease found in many mammals and is caused by a mite that burrows beneath the skin. Most people are familiar with mange because of its presence in their pets, often cats and dogs. There are a variety of mange mites, but only a handful of them affect pets.

Mange mites themselves cannot be seen with the naked eye, but the effects of their burrowing can be very dramatic. Some types of mange look like dandruff, but the effects are often short-lived. Different types of mange include:

• Notoedric mange: A scaly skin disease that usually starts on the ears but spreads to the rest of the face and body unless treated. This type of mange can be spread between cats, dogs, rabbits, and humans.
• Sarcoptic mange: An extremely itchy skin disease that is sometimes referred to as canine scabies and is common in dogs. This type of mange usually attacks areas without hair such as the abdomen and elbows. Sarcoptic mange can spread to cats and humans but when they do, the mites usually do not survive for long.
• Demodectic mange: The mites in this type of mange actually live in the hair follicles and are very itchy. It can spread to the entire body and be difficult to cure, but early treatment is usually successful.

Most types of mange in pets can be eradicated, especially if they are treated early. Veterinarians diagnose mange with a painless skin scraping that is subsequently analyzed under a microscope. Mange mites, however, often burrow beneath the skin, and the scraping does not include actual mites; veterinarians actually inspect the skin sample for symptoms of mange rather than actual mites.

Treatment may include tablets, special dips and/or baths with medicated shampoos, or injections. In more extreme cases, shaving may be required, or the pet may be quarantined to minimize the likelihood of transmission.