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Last week I was forwarded an e-mail from a reader who wrote that she has recently acquired a puppy that she thought had dandruff.  She wrote that she took the puppy to the vet two days later for a checkup and found out the puppy had something worse: He had walking dandruff.

I had never heard of it but after a little research I was feeling pretty itchy.

Walking dandruff is a skin condition known clinically as cheyletiella mange and it is caused by a parasitic mite. It is incredibly uncomfortable for the dog, cat or rabbit affected, is highly contagious among animals and can cause an itchy rash for humans.

There are different types of these mites and they are species-specific, so the types that attack dogs are not exactly the same as the ones that affect cats and they vary still from the ones that infest bunnies. All can cause humans to scratch up a storm.

I called Jennifer McFarling, the veterinarian at the Roanoke Valley SPCA, and she said these mites are rather unusual but they can be problem because they are contagious. The good news is that a course of an parasiticide like Revolution will usually take care of the problem. The bad news is that if your pet is infested, she said a pretty thorough cleaning of your house would be in order.

She said humans are not the preferred host for the bugs, but humans can carry them and that exposure could cause an itchy rash.

You can see the actual bugs. They look like the scale of dry skin, but upon close examination you can see them moving, hence the name "walking dandruff."

McFarling said that most dogs with a healthy immune system are not usually susceptible to this infestation. She said, knock on wood, she has not seen a case yet while working at the shelter, where stray mutts from all kinds of situations are seen regularly.

I called the woman who sent the original e-mail and she said the puppy is doing well but he's quarantined until his second treatment. So far she said no one in her family has developed a rash.

I called the person from whom she said she acquired the pup and she told me that no other dogs in her care were affected and all have been seen by a vet. You may want to be careful, however, when handling puppies, whose immature immune systems make them more susceptible to this condition.

I write this entry purely as a cautionary tale. If you are wandering through a pet store or looking at a litter and the puppies appear to need a shampoo with Head and Shoulders, you may want to hold back on the cuddling.