Dear Dr. John,
My dog is kenneled regularly at a local facility. I learned that another regular day boarder was diagnosed with scabies. The kennel plans to clean and disinfect the entire facility. What will they use to disinfect? More importantly, should I be concerned that my dog might contract this disease? The dogs all hang out together in the play yard daily. Should my family be concerned that we might catch something as well? L.B.
Dear L.B.,
Scabies is a highly contagious and transmissible disease caused by the mange mite Sarcoptes scabiei that burrow into the skin. These parasites can live in the environment and off a host for up to three weeks. They can live on furniture, rugs and more.
I would not be surprised if the kennel closed for a day or two to treat the facility with proper disinfectant containing permethrins. However, just because one dog that frequents the kennel was diagnosed with scabies does not mean that the facility is affected depending on when the dog was there prior to exposure and subsequent diagnosis.
Dogs and other species with scabies present with fairly intense itching and scratch a lot leading to rash and scabs. I suspect that all of the clients of the kennel have been advised to be on the lookout for their dogs itching but the kennel cannot necessarily be blamed or is at fault. I would keep an eye out for any itching that your dog exhibits since the possibility does exist that your dog and all the others there might be affected. Scabies can also be easily transmitted from dogs to humans so your family should also watch for itching and possible rashes. This will usually occur within three days of being in contact with an affected animal. If any of you do present with symptoms see your physician who will likely prescribe a permethrin skin cream.
You may choose to treat your dog to be safe even if there are no current symptoms. Consult with your vet for the right choice of medication. Several flea and tick preventatives in the isoxazoline class seem to work as does Ivermectin. If your dog already takes one of these, your dog may already be protected!
Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic.He can be reached at 781-899-9994
