When you think about “diagnosing mange,” you may think of microscopes and complex procedure. In a sense, that’s sometimes what doctors do when they diagnose mange, especially if they want to see the mites that are causing the mange. However, there is a very simple test that most doctors do to immediately diagnose mange. You can do it, too.

About the Pedal-Pinna Reflex

Dogs have a reflexive action that is called the pedal-pinna reflex. It simply means that the dog’s feet (his pedals) will scratch his ears (the pinna is the outer ear). The curious feature about this reflex is that it only occurs when the dog’s pinna is infected with mange, particularly sarcoptic mange or scabies. So, in essence, the pedal-pinna reflex test is a pretty surefire way to find out if your dog has mange.

How to Do the Pedal-Pinna Reflex Test

The “test” is so simple you’re not going to believe it. The dog’s pinna is the outer area of his ear. It’s the large flap that you think of when you think of a dog’s ear. To do the pedal-pinna reflex test on your dog, hold the ear and firmly scratch the underside, which is the pinna. Most dogs infected with scabies will immediately reach up with their hind paw to scratch the ear. Make sure that you are scratching firmly, and continue the scratching for a second or two.

The pedal-pinna reflex test is considered to be accurate 95% of the time. Thankfully, it’s a test you can easily perform at home. Hey, you can even practice it on your dog right now.