Mydog was diagnosed with mites. I took him to the vet and I was given ivermectin.How long does it take to work

My puppy still straches. I was told to give him medicine for the next 3wks. the vet had already given him some medicine while there.I was told i would see a big difference in the 2nd week, but if there was a change it was a small one. can someone answer this for me.

I'm sorry to hear you pups having a rough time. First off, the mites are actually a form of mange. If the Vet did not tell you it was a contagious form of mange then it is most likely Demodex Mange, which is a normal skin mite that for an unknown reason begins to over produce and attack. One thought process is that when an animal is under stress that the immune system becomes weaker and these opportunistic creatures are able to reproduce. Ivermectic generally begins to work within the first few days. If you are giving an oral dose, please be aware that this medicine is extremely bitter in taste so be sure to follow it with a tasty treat. At our clinic we treat with an injectable form of Ivermectin so the taste isn't an issue. Also, if your puppy is truly a "puppy" and still growing, any change in weight requires a change in dosage of medications. Steriods are not recommended during treatment of mange as it will only slow down the healing process while temporarily reducing the itching. The only over the counter option you have is to use Benadryl (or generically known as diphenhydramine) Make sure it isn't the "sinus" or "cough & cold" that contains ibuprofen or tylenol. The dosing is different for canines vs humans; for dogs give 1 mg per 1 pound of body weight. The side effect being drowsiness. I would make (or keep, if you already have it) a recheck appointment with your Vet at the end of the treatment with ivermectin as sometimes a higher dose is needed. Please do not adjust the dose yourself as it can be very toxic at the wrong amount. And one last little note, don't "dip" or "bathe" your dog in motor oil for treatment of mange, it's an old wives tale and can result in among other illness, death. Good luck to you both...

Nicely done, no competition with the previous answer. Only addition would be that skin problems take longer for medicine to get to than other problems. I don't have a well-worded explanation for that, but basically, the skin is the outermost organ and the medicine will take a while to get to it and start showing effects. With a cold or something like that affecting internal organs, you take antibiotics for a week or 10 days and start noticing improvement in a couple of days. With skin, you'll be on meds for weeks before the problem is solved. Same thing with people, really. Ever known someone who got antibiotics for acne? They probably didn't even see the slightest change for over a week if not longer. Be patient, consistently give the medicine (with treats! I think ivomec was one of the worst tastes I've ever had...yeah, retarded, I taste meds so I know what my babies are going through. *Disclaimer, it's not a smart thing to do!) and do go for a recheck in case you need to go longer. Believe me, though, having participated in both, oral ivermectin is way easier for you and your pet than the shampoos and dips that are traditionally used for demodectic mange. They smell like gasoline or something awful and...oh, they're just torture! Be glad your vet is prescribing the oral meds first!!