Mites in cats - Symptoms, treatment and contagion

Content

• The most common mite: Otodectes cynotis
• Symptoms of Otodectes cynotis
• Diagnosis of mites in cats
• Treatment of Otodectes cynotis
• Most used acaricides
• Otodectes cynotis contagion
• Can mites on cats be infected with dogs?
• Can humans also catch cat mites?
• Other mites on cats

Parasites, both external and internal, are one of the main enemies of the well-being and health of our pets in general. But if we stop to think about how uncomfortable it is to have small beings reproducing in our ears or skin, we can understand the importance of knowing as much as possible about the mites in cats, as well as symptoms, treatment and contagion of this problem.

For this, PeritoAnimal offers this content that serves as a general guide to prevent this infestation so annoying or treat the problem when it is already present in your kitten.

The most common mite: Otodectes cynotis

This mite (a kind of tiny spider that seems to have the gift of ubiquity for adapting to all possible environments), inhabits the dog and cat ear but, it can appear together with pulicosis, the most common external parasitosis in cats. Its life cycle is about 3 weeks:

• Eggs hatch after about 4 days in the ear canal.
• The larva that leaves feeds and begins to go through several nymphal stages.
• Finally, 21 days after hatching, we have an adult ready to reproduce and perpetuate the infestation.

They live for about 8 weeks, but are very well used for intense reproduction.

Its color is whitish and females are twice the size of males, never exceeding 0.5 mm. However, we cannot catalog these beings as microscopic, because if the cat cooperates it is possible observe them with some ease through the use of an otoscope.

Although its habitat is the ear canal, severe infestations can extend to a wider area of ​​the skin of the ear. head and muzzle of the cat and, in some cases, it is possible to detect some mite lost in other areas of the body, which is quite difficult due to its small size. They usually appear, above all, in the top of the tail, which happens because cats sleep cuddled up.

The mite feeds on the outer surface of the skin of the ear canal (does not burrow) and its saliva causes irritation and itching, causing the glands to hypersecrete.

Symptoms of Otodectes cynotis

otodectes cynotis it is one of the main causes of otitis externa in cats, especially in young animals. Symptoms are easily recognized and it is not necessary for there to be a massive infestation to notice that your cat has this problem. In addition, there may be hypersensitivity cases on these parasites (just like with fleas). The most frequent and characteristic are:

• Dry secretion dark brown or yellowish, like coffee grounds. Under normal conditions, the inside of the cat's ears should be pink and free of mucus of any kind. However, if you let time pass and do not treat the problem, secondary contamination with bacteria or fungi can occur, varying with the appearance and color of the secretion.
• Intense itching and frequent head shakes. Lesions caused by the itching do not take long to appear, being common on the back of the ears, on the cheeks and even on the neck (such as when humans suffer from ear infections and notice a sensation of itching in the throat). Erythema and crusting may also appear from scratching on the cheeks and upper eye area.
• Ear bruises. Sometimes, the so-called pruritus causes the itching to eventually break the capillaries and ear cartilage, causing blood to accumulate. The ear takes on a typical appearance of a bruise. If left untreated, a clot can form which causes a "wrinkled ear".
• Fibrosis and stenosis of the ear canal. If we do not treat the chronicity of the infestation, it can cause the walls to thicken and, consequently, a reduction in the light of the canal, which can be irreversible, like any otitis.

Not all of these symptoms always appear and, as mentioned, there is not always a correlation between the degree of parasitization and the intensity of the symptoms.

Diagnosis of mites in cats

Because it is one of the parasitic more frequently in cats, the veterinarian will perform an examination of the ear canal at each visit and can see it with the naked eye if you have enough time and the cat is quiet. They usually introduce the otoscope without light, illuminating it as soon as it is inside, to catch the intruder by surprise without having time to hide in the secretions.

However, if secretions appear and no mites are detected, the doctor will take samples with a hyssop and you can see under the microscope both eggs and hexapod larvae (3 pairs of legs) and adults (with 4 pairs of legs). Sometimes, a drop of oil is used to lubricate very dry secretions and make it easier for these arthropods to escape from their hiding place.

Even if there are no intense secretions or that do not show up at first sight, if you continue noticing ailments compatible with the problem in your cat, the veterinarian will insist on looking for isolated specimens that may be causing a hypersensitivity reaction.

Not being seen the first time does not mean that they are not present and, therefore, it is very important explore the ear on each visit, especially in the first months of our cat's life.

Treatment of Otodectes cynotis

Beyond the acaricide treatments, cleaning the secretions with a suitable cleaning product is very important for at least twice a week to start with. These cleaning products they are usually oily so that they help to eliminate the parasites mechanically (by drowning), an extra help to the antiparasitic that we should apply to our cat.

A small inconvenience is the accidental entry into the eye of a drop of these oils and cleaning products, which is why we recommend that you do it with care, as well as the appearance of Horner's syndrome, a consequence of cleaning. However, this is rare and the benefits of cleaning outweigh the drawbacks.

Most used acaricides

• Topical selamectin (pipette): As mites feed on blood and lymph, any product that gets into the cat's blood will be absorbed by them. Selamectin applied to the skin of the nape is absorbed by blood capillaries and reaches optimal concentrations in a few hours or, at most, two days. Mites die when feeding. One dose may be enough, but it is recommended to repeat after 3 weeks (the recommended time for the mite cycle).
• Optical Ivermectin: There is gel with ivermectin, created to combine the oily power of a cleanser with the acaricide power of ivermectin. It is applied every 7 days for several weeks, but its effectiveness depends on how docile the cat is and how deep you can insert the cannula. All products can cause reactions, both in animals and in people, but ivermectin, being one of the most used and studied, may have more data on known hypersensitivities. Although it is very safe and effective, we must be aware of any possible side effects (depression, intense salivation, eye problems, pupil size difference, ...)

if there is a fungal or bacterial infection secondary, it must be treated with specific products. There are optical suspensions that combine antifungals and antibiotics. Sometimes we think they have acaricidal power but that is not the case. Its effect against mites is just the ability to drown them but it is a sometimes short treatment and may survive some. In this case, the use of the selamectin pipette is necessary, combined with the treatment of the infection.

Otodectes cynotis contagion

O intimate and direct contact it is the route of contagion. We've all wondered how it is possible for our kitten, just 2 months old, to have mites. His mother probably already had the problem and, in childhood, she passed it on to the entire litter. During this time, there is close contact between kittens and mother, with continuous cleaning included, and the mites, as well as lice in children, do not take long to reach the ears of all felines.

Although they can survive outside the ear canal for up to 10 days, contagion through fomites (objects such as blankets, etc.) is very unlikely, although it is not ruled out. However, it would have to be an environment with a great lack of hygiene and severe infestation.

We usually associate these parasites with stray cats, but it is quite common to find cats originating from excellent breeds with a large load of parasites in their ears and, for this reason, we should never rule out this problem. They often suffer for years and can be confused with the typical waxy secretions of furry cats: Persian, exotic...

Can mites on cats be infected with dogs?

If there is a good proximity between the dog and the cat and if they spend the day together, playing, sleeping and cuddling, you should examine the ears of all your animals. Not forgetting ferrets!

Can humans also catch cat mites?

An erythematous lesion may appear on the arms on direct contact, but again it would have to be a very dirty environment and an extreme infestation. It is not discarded in cases of overcrowding of cats or when a person has hypersensitivity The otodectscynotis and being unlucky enough to come into contact with some lost mite.

Other mites on cats

Briefly, we indicate other common mites that can affect our cats, less frequent in proportion, but equally important:

• Demodex cati and Demodex cati:demodex cat is the one indicated above, while demodex cati can arise from ceruminous otitis in cats, although compared to Demodex Kennels in dogs it is not very frequent. It usually causes a moderate otitis, but with a lot of yellowish wax, even in healthy cats (it is responsible for feline otodemodicosis). It responds well to treatments described above, but its excessive proliferation or that affects the whole body may be associated with a drop in defenses or immunosuppression that must be corrected.
• Cati Notoheders: This mite causes so-called "cat's head mange or notohedral mange" and is comparable to Sarcopts scabiei in dogs regarding the life cycle and action. It is infected by direct contact and the lesions are initially specifically located on the head and neck, with the intense itching of the muzzle being the most striking. Secondary injuries are unavoidable. It is very common in colony cats and the treatment for these cases can be the application of ivermectin in the food every week for several weeks. The problem is never knowing if the cat has ingested it or has taken multiple doses. For affected house cats, treatment against the other mites mentioned will also work (selamectin, for example). We recommend that you consult this other PeritoAnimal article that talks about mange in cats.
• Cheyletella: Walking dandruff or a fur mite that can be easily seen in dogs, cats and rabbits. The mouthparts of this mite allow it to attach itself to feed on tissue fluids. There are those who compare them to a "mounting saddle" when they are studied in detail. the symptoms are "dandruff" and itching and the treatments are the same as the rest. In dogs, fipronil can be used.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.