My dog has Mange. The doctors tried Ivermectin injections, but because she
sleeps inside the house and because my silly parents don;t want to heave 
her out, i think she gets reinfected (it isn't too bad right now).

One of the web sites i googled, suggested Borax. What i wanted to know
was if it is reasonably safe to handle and bathe the dog in..

I tried a dog shampoo that the vet recommended and nearly killed the poor
thing. I applied the solution liberally and she started to wobble and stuff!
The active ingredient was cypermethrin which is a pesticide and it has
all sorts of nasty side effects that he should have told us about (and i
should have checked).

Most of these sites suggest Borax as a "safe" remedy.
I think she has Demodetic mange.

12 responses total.

I think it's safe as long as it's not swallowed in large amounts or
applied to abraded skin.  It's toxic, but only in rather large
quantities.  I don't know if it'll solve your problem, though.

Borax is used on humans as an eyewash.  It can be used as a bleach.  It is
toxic to ants if they eat it because it has sharp edges and ants are not too
much bigger than the crystals.  Maybe the insects that cause mange would also
be killed by it?  What does cause mange?  We put it out mixed with honey to
kill carpenter ants.

Mange is caused by microscopic mites. Borax (borates) are also toxic to
insects. Some ant control mixtures are solutions containing borax - no "sharp
edges". 

How is dissolved borax toxic?  Would it help to boil the dog's bedding at the
same time that you wash the dog with borax?

https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/21010.htm 

Continued external exposure can be expected to be irritating.

I am confused. The article i read (excerpts below) suggests that Boric
Acid is toxic, when in fact according to the Wiki it's Borax that's
toxic?? Is there a authoritative source for this info (Merck?). What do
you guys suggest i do? Some friends told me that Boric acid is
carrom-board powder (powder we use while playing a board game) and that
it is perfectly safe!

What should i use?? Boric Acid? I'm rather keen on this as a solution to
mange, because i can apply it over a extended period unlike
cypermethrin.

Is there any handling info i need to be aware off other than the obvious
(gloves, face mask, no ingestion). Can i just pour the effluents down
the drain?? What about body wounds and cuts??

Re #4: I'm going to do exactly that and keep her outside on the veranda
- It will be easy to clean the area rather than inside the house. We
will have to boric acid everything..(thank god no carpets)


http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html
"Boric acid is not recommended for use as it is much more toxic than
borax. Borax's toxicity is about 3000 mg/kg, which is the equivalent
toxicity to about that of salt. (check wikipedia)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid
"While strictly speaking, Boric Acid is poisonous if taken internally or
inhaled, it is generally not considered to be much more toxic than table
salt (based on its mammal LD50 rating of 2660mg/kg body
mass).[1][unreliable source?]. The Thirteenth Edition of the Merck Index
indicates that the LD50 of boric acid is 5.14 g/kg for oral dosages
given to rats, and that 5 to 20 g/kg has produced death in adult
humans."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
"Boric acid, sodium borate, and sodium perborate are estimated to have a
lethal dose (LD50) from 0.1 to 0.5 g/kg in humans [verification
needed][5]. These substances are toxic to all cells, and have a slow
excretion rate through the kidneys. Kidney toxicity is the greatest,
with liver fatty degeneration, cerebral edema, and gastroenteritis."

The toxicity of borax (sodium tetraborate) and boric acid (the acid that 
borms borates) is due to the "borate" radical. Borax is an irritant to the 
eyes primarily because of its high pH (9.5 in 5% solution). On the other 
hand, a boric acid solution is used an antiseptic eye wash - it is weakly 
soluble, and a weak acid.

The toxicity you should worry about is not LD50 - consider (from the MSDS 
I cited):

"Teratogenicity: Developmental effects were observed in mice, rats and 
rabbits after oral adminstration of boric acid. However, these effects 
were considered secondary to maternal toxicity (increased liver and kidney 
weight)."

"Reproductive Effects: Adverse reproductive effects have occurred in 
experimental animals.Boric acid has selectively damaged the testes, sperm 
production and fertility in rats and dogs."

Salt doesn't do those things at similar dosages. 

So I would not suggest leaving borax or boric acid residues on pets where 
it can be licked off.

Re #7: Thanks Rane! So that web site guys advice is safe so long as the
dog does not ingest/blood-stream the stuff. 

I'll first make very sure by googling thoroughly and then wash bits and
pieces of her (in a concentrated solution) while she is muzzled. Then
leave her muzzled for a day and then wash it all off with soap. Repeat
weekly for different sections. 

I'll also ask the vet, but he may just nod without knowing for sure. 

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html (Just check this if
you got time and alert me in case there's something wrong and dangerous.
That's the recipe I'll be following in making the solution.)

Grr! WTF don't they freaking listen! I've been telling them for eons
that the dog should have been kept outside and that she had all sorts of
things! Now if she sets foot in the house after the bath, she'll get
reinfected and it will have to be redone.

Why don't you think she could be getting reinfected outside?
I think borax is water soluble - why soap?

I see no problem with the "Ted's" recommended treatment. I would still try
to keep it out of the dog's eyes. I'm a little surprised that such a 1%
peroxide solution doesn't bleach the dog - a 3% solution is used as a bleach
- but apparently it doesn't. 

It would also seem adviseable to wash to whole dog with this stuff. Doing it
in sections might allow an untreated area to reinfect a treated area.

Re #9: She's a stray so she came with the mange as a puppy (gift from
her mom). She spends a lot of time indoors since she is alone with no
one to play with, so the chances of mites reinfecting are greater
indoors. Not that outdoors won't do it..Soap, because if the borax binds
to dirt, hair and oil, soap will clean it off better.

Re #10: Oh, hmm..so peroxide is a problem too. I'm worried about how she
will react to Hydrogen Peroxide and Borax. So limited exposure the first
time and then I'll do what you said (whole area bath). She's a small dog
and the first time i shampooed her with Cypermethrin (active
ingredient), she got wobbly and dizzy and i thought she'd die. Mange
won't kill her immediately, ergo I'd like to test with a small amount.

Wash with soap first, rinse, then use the borax so it will not bind to dirt.

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