A local family has been fighting a medical issue that has not only affected the human members of the household but also their pets.
After several email conversations with the reader, Copley Township veterinarian Connie Lawless spent several weeks delving into the issue to help uncover the ailment.
Q: We’ve been dealing with some sort of infectious illness at my house since January. It was initially thought to be scabies and/or mange.
The responses from the doctors and vets have been varied, from a sudden food allergy to delusional parasitosis for me.
Symptoms include a wide spectrum from sinus, swollen and painful glands, severe headaches, fatigue, body aches and stomach problems.
All of our pets have small bumps on their itchiest parts and have more gunk than usual in their ears. The sickest dog had a compromised immune system, and it seems to have affected his hearing — he’s diabetic and blind, and now has a hard time finding his way through the house and walks in circles a lot — even though before this, he managed just fine, even negotiating steps.
I forgot to mention that our initial exposure was from my dad in New Philadelphia who was bedridden in a nursing home and has since passed away. His dog was also affected and we all spent time caring for my dad as well as cleaning out his house and caring for the dog.
— L.R.
A: First let me say I am very sorry for your loss and all the medical problems your household has been experiencing.
I believe the initial diagnosis of scabies was correct. Unfortunately, it is very common to have scabies passed around nursing homes. Given the frequent, close contact you had with your father, his symptoms and your symptoms, I believe you caught them from him.
A mite called sarcoptes scabiei causes scabies. These mites burrow into the skin creating tracts that may be visible. They are attracted to warmth. It can take four to six weeks from infestation to symptoms in someone who had never been infected before.
Once a person has been exposed, reinfestation can bring symptoms within 24 hours due to allergic reaction. A severe form of scabies called crusted scabies is often seen in people who are immunosuppressed. Because you and your family suffer from psoriasis, if you are being treated with an immunosuppressant, this could have allowed the more severe form to develop. If you are not being treated for the psoriasis, it is possible that the condition itself created a similar environment as the crusted scabies.
When the skin becomes thickened with crusts, thousands of mites can become shielded from topical medications under the crusts. Treatment must continue longer in these instances. Due to the fact that sarcoptes scabiei can live for a day or two without a human host, becoming reinfected from objects, pets or another human host is not uncommon but may just require quick cleaning and avoiding the areas contaminated for a few days. With crusted scabies, intense cleaning of living areas, furniture, etc. is required.
Many animals are susceptible to scabies mites but different subspecies of the mite prefer their specific host. Humans can be infested with the sarcoptes mite that prefers dogs, but they cannot breed on humans so the infestation is very short lived. The same goes for the subspecies of mite that requires a human host. They can and will affect your pets but they cannot live on them long.
Your pets all started with an itchy rash and then symptoms progressed to ear problems, lethargy and not wanting to eat. This is where your problems become more complex.
It is very likely that the scabies mites caused the itchy rash on your pets. The intense itching made them scratch, lick and rub on things. Their skin became irritated and broken from self-trauma allowing for secondary infections to occur. Yeast and bacteria from the mouth and also bacteria that are always present on the skin were able to take hold and cause pyoderma and ear infections. As the infection worsened, especially the yeast, they likely became itchier and a vicious cycle started.
Another important fact to remember is that allergic reaction to mite proteins can continue even after the mites have been killed. Mite saliva, feces deposited under the skin and dead mites can continue to affect you for many weeks after the infection has cleared. If you happen to get reinfected during this time, you may start to think treatments have not worked and you are suffering from your initial infestation.
My recommendation is to clean everything very well one more time. Talk to your doctor about another round of topical treatment, paying close attention to any crusted or scabby areas. Make sure your cats and dogs are on a monthly flea preventative that is also labeled as a miticide. Antihistamines are safe for use in cats and dogs as well and may be necessary. Your veterinarian can give you a dose based on each pet’s weight. You need to stop your pets from scratching, licking or rubbing to prevent secondary skin infections.
I wish you the best of luck getting your household over these issues quickly.
— Dr. Connie White Lawless,
Pet Vet Animal Clinic,
Copley Township
Please send questions about your pet to Kathy Antoniotti at the Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640; or email kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com. Please include your full name and address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached. Questions will be forwarded to an expert best suited to address your pet issue. Phoned-in messages will not be taken.