My 11 year old sheltie terrier mix has developed a very red under belly, bald patches with sores, bad dandruff and severe itching. He is normally a very healthy dog and has never had a problem like this before. He is tramatized by vet visits so I hope to be able to figure this out without adding that stress to him. He appears to be healthy - he eats and sleeps without incident. However, several times a day he has severe itcing spells where he digs and bites at his skin including his feet. His belly is extremely red and his coat is full of dandruff. He smells bad, also. I am afraid to bath him for fear of irritating the condition. He likes to be brushed - I suspect it sooths his itching. He also has a few bald spots with sore. Ha sanyone seen this before?

Hi Elmopewter,

It sure sounds like a serious case of demodectic mange. It is caused by the demodectic mite that most dogs have all the time but if their immune system is compromised the mites overpopulate and cause the kind of reaction you are describing. The bad news is that the only thing that I personally know clears this up is a month long regimin of ivermectin which although fairly inexpensive is not recommended for use in the collie breeds due to some of them carrying a gene that makes ivermectin dangerous to them. It sounds like your poor dog has a very serious case of this and if you Google demodectic mange you can see how bad it can get if left untreated. I'm afraid your only option may be to take your sheltie to the vet.