What is everyone's feeling about mange? Is it not a big deal since most all dogs have it? Or should we be selective to those that may have a predisposition of generalized mange?

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Just for the love of the hound

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Never owned a dog with mange. I can count on 1 hand the dogs I have seen with mange my whole life.

The specific antibodies that will defend against infestation of Demodex can be inherited and most dogs have those immune factors and are able to defend against Demodex. But some individuals have inherited a deficiency of those antibodies and just don't have the ability to fend off the mites. So the ability to resist the mites, or not resist, is inherited. The actual mites are not inherited.

If the dog, male or female, has a protracted, difficult-to-cure case of Demodex, that dog should not be bred. If you have a dog that has or had a brief, localized episode of Demodex and has recovered well, then breeding may be considered; but some veterinarians believe that any dog that has displayed skin manifestations of Demodex should be removed from a high quality breeding program.

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ive never owned or seen a dog with mange

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-Amanda

I don't think you should breed the dog. How could you know that the dog you breed to doesn't have a similar gene for mange that has not manifested itself? The problem, even though localized in one parent, could be compounded in the pups and show up even worse. The main joy of owning a hound shouldn't be in the thought that it may give you some pups anyway unless you are a professional breeder. Just enjoy the dog you have. If you intend to eventually breed pups from a good coon dog then you should get another dog that hunts well, is healthy, from good parents and breed her instead.

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good point, I never thought about the chance of the other parent having the same of similar problem. My husband and I have been under the same thinking as you since we found out about the mange. We have been consulting a lot of people about it. (several vets, breeders, and in general dog owners) It is hard to go into something with an expectation in mind that you'll get what you pay for and then not. On the other hand this is where we don't do well in the "business" part of it. Because regardless of how disappointed we are that she can't do what she was intended to do and what we paid for her to do, we still love her and will keep her and she will be a good companion and part of this family. A lot of people say give her back, get another one, she isn't what you paid for. We just can't. We feel just as bad for her, that she won't be able to fill her full potential. And that's not her fault. So what do you do? for us... We keep her and love her as much as we love our other "pet" redbone.

I have seen quite a few mangy dogs. Never owned one though. I wouldn't breed her if I was you cause you don't want the pups to come out with mange or have the possiblility of it.

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Dylan Crabtree

Maybe you can talk to the person that sold you the dog about refunding some of the money. If you were sold a potential breeder and there is a problem that interferes with that I think you should get some of the cost returned to you because you didn't get what you paid for.