Well….the verdict is in!
Just got home from taking my little Luigi to the vet and well he has: Demodectic mange (puppy mange)
The vet said its more common than not especially in puppies and LUCKILY is not contagious to other dogs or humans (whew) so I feel better…he is on medication for about a month and we have a follow up after its finished… Poor little guy had to get a “skin scrap test” his little leg was bleeding I felt so bad… I have researched the demodex online and below is some information:
Also called demodicosis or Red Mange, demodectic mange in dogs is caused by a sensitivity to and overpopulation of Demodex canis as the animal’s immune system is unable to keep the mites in check. This is a mite that occurs naturally in the hair follicles of most dogs in low numbers around the face and other areas of the body. In most dogs, these mites never cause problems. However, in certain situations, such as an under-developed or impaired immune system, intense stress, or malnutrition, the mites can reproduce rapidly, causing symptoms in sensitive dogs that range from mild irritation and hair loss on a small patch of skin to severe and widespread inflammation, secondary infection, and--in rare cases--a life-threatening condition. Small patches of demodicosis often correct themselves over time as the dog’s immune system matures, although treatment is usually recommended.
Minor cases of demodectic mange usually do not cause much itching but might cause pustules on the dog’s skin, redness, scaling, hair loss, or any combination of these. It most commonly appears first on the face, around the eyes, or at the corners of the mouth, and on the forelimbs and paws.
Say puppy prayers that my little boy gets rid of these little buggers FAST! 
)
November 13, 2008 @ 11:33 pm
My daughters rescue is being treated for demodectic mange. She has been treating with ivermectin for about 2 months and her hair is growing back in. This should get much better with age.
November 14, 2008 @ 8:54 am
What kind of meds did they give him? Mica had demodectic mange as a baby. This was 4 years ago and our vet was still using the dip. I think most docs have moved away from that now for good reason. Make sure he goes to all the follow up visits! ( I think we had to have two consecutive negative scrapes.)
Kick those bugs to the curb Luigi!
November 14, 2008 @ 9:43 am
Our rescue Rhett had demodectic mange when we got him. His was so bad though that he was almost completely hairless. He is on Ivermectin, and according to our vet will have to have it everyday for the rest of his life. But that is because he was already at least 2 years old, and not a puppy, and if he comes off the medicine he will probably get it again. And we definitely don’t want that to happen!!! No matter what we put on him, he always smelled like wet dog until his hair started to grow back in. But he has a gorgeous coat now, so I guess the medicince is working!
Good luck Luigi, and feel better soon!!!!
November 14, 2008 @ 10:45 am
My vet put Luigi on Ivermectin as well… Said it’s very affective and hasn’t had any “reactions” with Dachshund in his practice… Luigi isn’t even close to “bald” or even patchy looking.. His coat is actually very shiny/pretty but just in 3 very small spots he has little patch of red/dry looking skin (the area is no bigger than the size of a dime) so it goes to show you that being OBSERVANT pays off!! Everyone always tells me I overreact, or am always paying too much attention(detail) to my dogs but in this case-it paid off!!! Had I not noticed the little patch on his leg he would of been very very itchy in the next coming months SO it’s okay to be obsessive with your dogs health!
) I always examine them to make sure there ears, eyes, legs, coat etc look okay… Luigi is in very good spirits–isn’t acting any different-eating well, drinking well, plays very very actively… We should be okay ! 
) Thanks for all of the comments though–I appreciate the feedback!
November 14, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
My Ali had Mange as a puppy. That was 14 years ago. We tried the dips but they made her very sick. I was so upset. Of course I had this nightmare vision in my head of what she might look like if they could not cure the Mange. At that time they were just beginning to experiment with the Ivermectin. She had that, one or two doses and she was fine. I actually think that they began to notice that dogs on Heartworm Meds would have Mange clear as a side effect. Kind of like growing hair with the blood pressure medicine Rogain.
We have had many Allergy issues over the years and I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t all related to an Immune System defect.
Anyway - it has still been a wonderful life. I love my Ali and we all have issues.
November 18, 2008 @ 11:05 pm
My daughter’s doxie JR had red mange as a puppy and they did the dips.He was almost completely bald. The hair finally grew in and now he is 6 years old. Once in a while we will still find a small patch of hair missing and he still gets itchy once in a while. He also has epilepsy and I wonder if that is due to his immune system being deficient.Hope Luigi does could on the program they put him on to get rid of those buggers.
Cheryl