Long and medium-haired dogs should be clipped closely before treating. Prior to the initial treatment, all dogs should be bathed with a mild soap and water and towel dried. The entire animal should then be topically treated with MITABAN (amitraz) at a rate of 10.6 milliliters (contents of one bottle) per 2 gallons of warm water (250 ppm active drug). Two bottles (21.2 milliliters) per four gallons of water may be necessary to treat large dogs. The entire dog should be thoroughly and completely wetted with the mixture, and then allowed to air dry. Do not rinse or towel dry the dog after treatment with MITABAN. A fresh MITABAN-water mixture should be prepared for each patient; using the same mixture for more than one patient can spread other dermal infections and also the concentration of MITABAN could be reduced to a level which would be less effective than the recommended concentration.
Three to six topical treatments (14 days apart) are recommended for the treatment of generalized demodicosis. It is important to continue treatment until no viable (alive) mites are found in the skin scrapings at two successive treatments, or until six treatments have been applied. Severe (chronic) cases and dogs which are reinfested may require a second and third series of treatments, and again the treatment should be applied at 14 day intervals. Discontinue treatment of dogs which do not respond clinically.
When employing MITABAN for treatment of demodicosis, other dogs in the home also should be examined for lesions to ascertain whether treatment of these animals is warranted.
