Time line:
About 2 months ago...
1. Noticed bald spots on neck
2. Took our little lady to a VCA emergency hospital in our area (san diego) and she was prescribed a skin topical. It seemed to help at first. I took her back for a check up, and the vet said to keep using the cream. But the longer we used it, it just seemed like it stopped working, or like it spread to a larger area.
3. Switched to Wellness Super5 Large Breed Puppy Health Chow (right after we found out she has mange and that it was due to a compromised immune system, so about 1.5 months ago) She was on generic Costco brand dog food before this.
4. We started bathing her in a safe mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, water, and Borax about a week ago, which seems to be working a lot better than the topical because it covered her entire body.
5. Took in a fecal sample to vet, it came back positive for Giardia. We do not have her on antibiotics for this yet.
I am aware that mange is caused by immune deficiencies. This is why we changed her food to Wellness. We also live in a cleaner, less stressful environment. She is also getting red spots in between her toes, which I understand can be a sign of allergies. So here is my question, is my dog allergic to something in her Wellness brand food? Her treats has wheat flour but she doesn't get many treats so I don't think it'd cause this much skin damage. I also used to feed her oats mixed with yogurt for breakfast, and I saw that Wellness puts oats in their food. Or could it be the soap we use perhaps? Or could the Giardia be the underlying cause of all this?
Again, this is LOCALIZED mange. Also, I want to note that her skin looks better in the morning (white as opposed to dark pink, perhaps because she hasn't eaten yet?)
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I found the sticky here on treating mild mange. But I wanted a more specific answer for my dog.
A bit about me & my dog:
We aren't sure about her exact age, but we think she is about 8 months. She has most of her teeth and she has seemed to have grown into her paws. We "rescued" her about 2 months ago from a place where she didn't get nearly as much attention as she needed. As soon as we noticed hair loss we took her to the vet. Why her previous owners didn't look into the hair loss I do not know. But we have her now and are dedicated to her health and happiness.