Question about Red Mange

Sorry, don't know about red mange, but welcome to the forum :lol: Maybe Sharon will pop in with some answers??

A couple of scaly patches would be localized mange; generalized covers most of the body.  Young pups are often have outbreaks of demodex ("red mange"), both because of their immature immune systems and the many stressors to which they're subjected in a very short time.  (From your post, it sounds as if the pups are not littermates of your dog, but younger ones.  Even if a littermate, 10 months is not an atypical age for a mange outbreak, as that's when the pups are becoming sexual mature and hormones go all wacky.)  Localized demodex typically resolves without treatment, though some cases will progress to generalized.

Here is a good article about demodex:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_de ... mange.html

And one about non-chemical treatment/immune support:
http://www.akitarescue.com/treating%20demodectic.htm

The itching is not typical of demodex, unless there's a secondary skin infection (and that's with generalized, so again hair loss over most of the body), so you do want to keep searching for a cause of his hives/allergies.  (A quick note there - switching to a raw, grain-free diet has been the single most effective way to alleviate allergies I've seen in my experience; the new grain-free kibbles - though I'd recommend a lower-protein one at this age - might be successful, as well, if you're not interested in/able to feed raw.)

Dogs can have an outbreak of Demodectic Mange at any age. I have seen an outbreak as early as 12 weeks and as late as one I am treating now, which is a 14 year old dog, showing its first signs.  So although it is normally seen when they are younger, that is not always the case.

My suggestion would be to have your vet test the "spots" and see if mites are present. There are several good things that can be used on areas that are in just a few spots, one of the most common is goodwinoil ointment.  If it were to become worse and on more areas of the body then a more aggressive route would probably be taken/suggested...such as a dip or possible injections.

You certainly can find articles on not doing anything and letting the dogs nortmal immune system fight it, but this is not always the best approach....I am sure 48Dodge can tell you what it becomes if left untreated, and if not then I can show you some pics of a boxer that had two or three spots that turned into a complete body with no hair in a matter of a few months....

Demodectic mange even in localized areas can also be itchy and this comes from the mites moving around within the hair folicle where they live. It is a live mite and it moves so therefore, yeah it itch's.  That does not mean they will sit and just scratch and dig at themselves all the time, but the scratch will contribute to the hair falling out......They will sometimes treat with medicine to keep the itch down, while treating the mange...I generally use Temeril-P for this....

While true that a low immune is common with an outbreak there are many ways to boost the immune sysytem.  It is finding one that agrees with your dog if he also has allergies....You are right that Flax seed oil is sometimes used. I personally use 3V caps which has worked great with my dog and she also has the best looking coat since I started her on them.....

Good luck and let us know what your vet finds......