Their presence irritates the dog, leading to self-mutilation. A dog's ears, front legs, chest and abdomen are most often affected by sarcoptic mange. Demodectic mange can cause itching. The face and front legs are most commonly affected, although some cases may be generalized. Generalized demodectic mange is often a sign of underlying internal disease or a hereditary problem.
Ear mites cause severe irritation in the ears.
Often, an affected dog will scratch the hair off the back of its ears. Ticks, lice and fleas may transmit other diseases, in addition to causing irritation. A skin scraping test is always performed to aid in identifying parasites. Ear mites, which are barely visible to the naked eye, appear as small white objects. The black debris commonly seen in the ears of dogs with ear mites is a combination of dried blood, normal ear wax and discharges from inflammation.