I know there are a few vet techs and other people out there who are moderately familiar with veterinary medicine, and so I figure I'll post a picture of these new little dears that Tad has in hopes of possibly finding someone who's seen them before or has an idea of what they might be.
There were about 4-5 of them on Tad's entire skin scraping slide...at first we thought they were nothing, but we kept finding them. I have pictures of each one through the microscope, but this one is the most clear. On the left side of the...thing, you'll see what looks like a 'face'...the stuff that is above it, like...that potentially could be legs of some sort, is not on any of the others I took pictures of, so I don't know that that is part of the mite, creature, friend, whatever it is...
I'm racking my brain but can't think of anything. I spent nearly 4 years as a vet tech and did more than a few skin scrapes.
ReplyDeleteIt looks weird on the right hand side, like it's been snapped off. I thought plant material at first but it's been a while since I was doing that kind of work.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
cant help with the hitch hiker, but i love your presentation. my dog was just diagnosed with anaplasmosis... i did some internet research, but i would like to know your thoughts, if you have any... Tad, is doing beautiful, great job
ReplyDeleteKinda looks like this
ReplyDeletehttp://ahsvet.com/services/parasite-center/demodex-mange/
Its oddly segmented... Do you have any other views?
ReplyDeletetry seeing if you can find a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist. I bet they could tell you what it is and if they know Tads story I'm sure they'd be willing to help. I know one I'll try and send it to her and see if she has any ideas.
ReplyDeletetry seeing if you can find a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist. I bet they could tell you what it is and if they know Tads story I'm sure they'd be willing to help. I know one I'll try and send it to her and see if she has any ideas.
ReplyDeleteTiffany,
ReplyDeleteI am a CVT in Naples, FL and work w/ a Board Certified Vet Dermatologists...I sent her the picture above to see if she knew what it was...this is a copy of the email I got back from her. Hope it helps!
Do you have other pictures of this thing?
I am not aware of any mite that looks like this that affects dogs or even other domesticated animals for that matter. In general shape, it most resembles a demodex mite, but on closer exam it is not one.
I have seen some strange looking pollens in the past. For example, I nicknamed one a spider mite because it had multiple long legs and something in the center that looked like a mouth. I asked the parasitologist at UT and she said it was a plant pollen. I don't find them often, but I see them occasionally on dog skin (as well as other pollens). Just goes to show that our imaginations can run wild when we look under a microscope.
Couple thoughts.....
1) The dog was said to have demodex and scabies. I'm not sure how you treated either, but those two are obvious causes of skin disease in dogs. Focus on those unless there are some residual skin lesions, hair loss, or itch you're still fighting. Let me know if you're having trouble eliminating either of those problems.
2) See if this is repeatable. Can you find these things at a future recheck?
3) Other than demodex, most ectoparasites on dogs can be killed with something like Revolution or Advantage multi applied every 2 weeks for three treatments. Depending on how you treated the demodex (ie if you did with daily ivermectin) and the scabies, you may have done something like this already that would have likely killed this thing if it was a true parasite.
Just some thoughts.