How high of a risk are humans at for catching mange?  I met a friendly little dog, probably part golden retriever, who wanted to be petted, so I did -- until I noticed that half his back was scabby.

I washed up (took 20 minutes to find a bathroom) and dumped some rubbing alcohol on my hands when I got home.  Anything else to do?

Also, is there any sort of treatment for the dog that doesn't involve repeated shampooing? The owner obviously isn't going to bother if she's let it get this bad.  If there are pills that I can sneak to the dog, I see it almost daily.

Too late you got it  -

to be sure you have to shave all your hair off and bathe in lemon juice.

A preemptive removal of the testicles is usually enough to avoid mange.

ok...two types of mange....demodectic and sarcoptic. Demodex is is a normal skin flora (mite) on dogs that in a immuno-comprimised (dog) condition, the population explodes leading to 'mange'. It is harmelss to people. Sarcops on the other hand is also a mite, but is transferable to people. You will probably see little red bumps appear along the trunk of your body if infested. As far an distinguishing the two, a skin scrapping and microscopy is needed...although you can sometimes tell by the effected regions of the animal. Sarcops really like to hang out on the ear pinna. And..for treatment....injections/ dips work well, but you need to see a vet for those.

Eeeek.  Thanks.  I'll watch out for bumps.  This was on the dog's back, no obvious sign of it on its head, and had to have been long-term, so it doesn't sound like it would be the sarcops variety.

I doubt there's any way to get the owner to let me borrow the dog for treatment.  Poor mutt.

A camel urine bath is the only known cure.

I had two Catahoulas put to sleep when I lived in Louisiana about 12 years ago because of something the vet called the "red mange".  The vet said it was incurable and the dogs needed to be put down.  They were only 10 months old.  Bullet and Geronimo two male pups from the same litter.  It haunts me to this day.

Dam! I thought this was about menagez-trois, you know, a sandwitch with two French maids.

Mange is very treatable with modern meds, almost no chance of a transfer to a human. Many things cause hair loss in dogs might not have been mange never the less the dog needs to see a vet.

Woof...!

Thanks guys.  I should have done some digging via Google first, but I was a little freaked out.  Poor mutt.  He's a gorgeous dog, and I'm horrified that his owner has let him suffer with whatever it is for so long.  His whole back is a mess.

I guess it was premature for me to call it "mange", but that's what comes to mind when a dog's hair is falling out and its skin is all scabby.  Unfortunately it looks like there aren't any pills I could sneak to him, and I have no way of communicating with the owner (my Mandarin is limited to about a dozen words).  Besides, if she's allowed it to get this bad, she obviously doesn't care.

I have a small "rash" on my wrist now, so I'm guessing I got something from him.  Could be coincidence, but. . . .  Oh well.  It looks like sarcoptic mange is contagious but lasts only about three weeks in humans, because the mites can't live on us.  And as Botch wrote, the other type won't even do that much.  So at worst it's a few weeks of annoying itching.

Thanks, especially to Botch, liber45, and Noname, and sympathies to you, Pangea;  that would be awful.

One sure sign that you have it is that you will start licking your balls.  Have you had the urge?

Quoted: One sure sign that you have it is that you will start licking your balls.  Have you had the urge?

Long before I petted that puppy.  No wonder I'm going bald!

Bald and nutless is noway for a man to go through life