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Cat’s mites

Cat's mites

Many of us have heard about mites without really knowing what they are. For example, we think of dust mites – you know those little things that live in our houses, and even in our bed sheets, to which some of us are allergic. When it comes to animals, they can be affected by various types of mites such as ear mites and body mites.

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What is a cat’s mite?

Mites are acarids, microscopic insects and members of the arachnid family. Mites are microscopic insects invisible to the naked eye. Under a microscope, we can see a translucent body with four pairs of legs. Most mites are pathogens, meaning they cause diseases, and they are unfortunately contagious. Yup! Even though they are tiny, mites can cause extensive damage when they infect our pets. Here are some common mites found in cats and dogs.

Ear mites

These little acarids are calledOtodectes live in the ears of cats and dogs, more specifically in the ear canal. They are easily transmitted from one pet to another through simple contact. Cats are more affected than dogs. And luckily ear mites don’t infect humans.

Infected animals shake their head and scratch their ears. And the itching can be rather intense! The inside of the ear generally fills up with brownish dirt that looks like coffee grinds. In rare cases, there are no symptoms, but the infected animal can still spread the parasites to other pets they come across.

To confirm and treat the infestation you must visit your veterinary clinic for an exam. The veterinarian will swab a sample and identify the mites under the microscope.

There are numerous treatments. Some are ear drops and others are topical liquid medicine to apply on the skin. Your veterinarian will recommend the best option for you. Unfortunately, when treating against mites, all animals in the household have to be treated because the parasite is highly contagious.

Body mites

Some acarids live on the skin. One of them, Cheyletiella, causes a contagious and relatively common disease in cats and dogs. In infected animals, we can see flakes and sometimes rashes on the body. Unfortunately, some animals don’t show any symptoms but they can still spread the parasite rapidly. Cheyletiellosis (also called walking dandruff) is a zoonosis: it could be transmitted to humans in almost 50% of cases. Humans show papulae (little red dots, also called skin gills) on the skin, and rashes mostly on the torso and inner arms. Luckily, mites cannot reproduce on humans so the disease doesn’t last long.

Diagnosing cheyletiellosis can be complex because even with the most reliable techniques skin samples are negative in more than 50% of tests. In such cases, veterinarians will try a therapeutic approach when they suspect body mites. There are many effective treatments on the market that require regular treatments over a six-week period.

Have more questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact the Passionimo veterinary clinic near you.