Is it okay to touch a dog with mange?

[tinky1966]

I run across a ton of dogs on a daily basis. Occasionally I happen upon a dog with mange. Is there anything I can catch or pass on to my cats if I pet the poor little things? Outside of the Ick! factor, is it dangerous?

TIA!!
tinky

[Penelope06]

You'd have to know which kind of mange. Demodex mange is not contagious, however Scabies mange is. So unless the dogs with mange have been tested and you know which kind, don't touch them.

[Penelope06]

I should probably also add that Scabies mange is contagious to humans as well.

[Clipper]

Don't touch them. Mange is an infection of mites living on the skin.

[zydeco]

Originally Posted by Penelope06 I should probably also add that Scabies mange is contagious to humans as well.

True but only lives on the human for about 3 days.

.

[courtneyrtr]

Originally Posted by Penelope06 You'd have to know which kind of mange. Demodex mange is not contagious, however Scabies mange is. So unless the dogs with mange have been tested and you know which kind, don't touch them.

This is correct.

I've fostered 5+ dogs with Demodex Mange and I've never had any problems catching it. Demodex Mange is not contagious to other animals or humans. It is something that dogs get from their mothers when they are puppies, but can show up later in life if they get stressed out.

Sarcoptic mange is contagious to canines and humans. Fortunately scabies in humans is self-limiting, that is the mite can burrow under the skin and cause itching, but cannot complete its life cycle on humans and dies within a few weeks.