Mites are a common health concern for dogs, causing disease ranging from mild irritation and scurf, to chronic severe skin disease and secondary bacterial infection, representing a serious welfare concern. Mites are arthropods belonging to the taxon acari, which also includes ticks, and which indicates that they have a hard exoskeleton, segmented bodies, and paired projecting limbs.
Mites are divided into those that live on the surface (Cheyletiella spp.), those residing in the hair follicle (Demodex canis), and those that burrow within the epidermis (Sarcoptes spp.). The life-cycle of each species of mite can either be limited to a particular host species, or non-species specific, with many mites posing a zoonotic risk to people.