Important: The disease is exacerbated by a lack of prevention. Even if your pet never goes outdoors, regularly inspect the ear canals and carry out preventive measures. In favorable temperature conditions, the parasite can live on clothing, shoes, floor or furniture for 4 to 12 hours.
How to check for cat ear mites
Contributor(s): Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years experience in veterinary surgery and treating companion animals. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked in the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
Ear mites are parasites, and if not gotten rid of, they can cause infection and inflammation in a cat's ears. In serious cases, it can end in hearing loss, ruptured eardrums, and even infection of other areas of the body. Ear mites are as common in cats that leave the house as they are in cats that don't leave the house walls. If you have several pets, the risk of infection is higher because mites can be transmitted from one animal to another. To prevent ear mites and, if necessary, start treatment in time, you should first learn how to determine if your pet has them.
Preliminary steps
- Ear mites are crab-like parasites that can live in a cat's ears. They are very common, and they are usually the reason cats' ears become irritated and inflamed. [1] X Source of Information
- Ear mites are very easily transmitted from one animal to another. In most cases, cats get ear mites from other cats. The risk of infection is especially high if your cat goes outdoors, or if you have recently gotten a new cat. If you leave your cat temporarily in an animal hotel, it may get ear mites there, but this rarely happens. Most of these establishments examine animals before they are admitted, including checking for ear mites. [2] X Source of Information
- Ear mites can occur in a cat at any age, but young kittens and young animals are more likely to get them. They have a weaker immune system, so it is easier for ear mites to get a foothold on them than on adult, healthy cats. [3] X Source of Information
- The animal may experience irritation in the ears, scratching and scratching them constantly. The cat may also shake its head frequently and lose hair on its head. [4] X Source of Information
- The presence of ear mites is also indicated by an increased amount of wax in the ears and a hard black discharge from the ears. [5] X Source of information
- Sores and wounds may appear on the skin around the ears from frequent scratching. [6] X Source of information
Ear mite, characteristics of parasitization
Otodectes cynotis – is the name of a cunning parasite that, unlike its close relatives, lives only in a warm and protected from external influences medium – the ear folds and causes otodectosis. The size of an adult female reaches 500 micrometers (10 mm minus thirds), so if you're worried about what an ear mite in cats looks like, all you need to know is that it's white, the rest you just can't see. The parasite will "give away" itself, with symptoms and the effects of life. Without detaching from the skin, the adult female lays five eggs a day, which hatch, turn into young individuals, nymphs, and after molting become sexually mature. The growth process takes 3 weeks.
Important to know! Ear mites do not just bite, they penetrate the skin of the host with their paws and proboscis. They feed on the lymph, skin and intercellular tissue, and secrete products of life, which are toxic in large quantities.
Notoedres – non-ear mites, which can infect the ears from the outside and cause notoedrosis. The parasites are larger in size, but are also virtually undetectable and "hide" under the skin. They are not adapted to live without a "host". On the ground or on furniture, they die within 10-12 days, provided that the ambient temperature is between 12-20° C. Transmitted to humans and causes local irritation, but cannot reproduce and dies after 25-30 days.
Pay attention! There are more than 850 species of mites that affect pets on the planet, but this topic will discuss Otodectes cynotis and Notoedres as the most frequent "guests" of pets' ears.
Both diseases have similar signs – itching and restlessness, affect both ears, and are transmitted by contact to other cats, dogs and other animals. However, there are a number of important differences that are critical to diagnosis and subsequent treatment:
- With notoedrosis the animal quickly scratches its ears bloody, with otodectosis it tries to stick its back paw into the ear canal and scratch inside.
Why do cats get ear mites?
In nature, cats live in groups (prides) and are constantly in contact, how they are still not extinct from mites is a mystery. However, if you dig deeper, it is not surprising. Brutal natural selection allows mammals to live as long as they are young and strong. All young animals have a set of "antidotes" in their blood that protect them from fleas, ticks and other insect parasites. Weak young and old animals die quickly, not from infection, but from the teeth of competitors.
Domestic cats have partially lost the "invulnerability" given to them by nature, the situation worsened when breeders took up their work, breeding new breeds by mutating genes. The constant "breeding" has been supplemented by unnatural nutrition and progressive veterinary medicine, which allows "hopeless for nature" individuals to survive. As cruel as it may sound, the causes of almost all atypical animal diseases lie in human interference with natural selection.
- The main carriers – 80% of stray animals are carriers of skin parasites, even if they do not get sick themselves. If you pet a cat in the yard – wash your hands, the eggs and adults of ear mites can be on the hair of the animal. Farm animals, rodents, birds, especially insectivores can be carriers of parasites.
- Young animals become ill, and street kittens become ill from the mother, even if the mother shows no signs of disease. Older, stressed or ill animals.
Important: The disease is exacerbated by lack of prevention. Even if your pet never goes outside, inspect the ear canals regularly and take preventive measures. In favorable temperatures, the parasite can live on clothing, shoes, floor, or furniture for 4 to 12 hours.
Treatment of cat ear mite
After confirming the preliminary diagnosis of otodectosis, the doctor proceeds to develop treatment tactics.
The weight of the animal, gender, housing conditions and breed predisposition are taken into account.
First of all, the specialist performs cleansing of the auricles from the accumulated exudate by introducing antiseptics. Then special medications in the form of liquids are administered. For this purpose, special ear drops are intended to kill pathogenic microorganisms and relieve inflammation.
Anti-acaricidal agents should be selected by a veterinarian. This is due to the fact that such preparations contain toxic substances, the main task of which is to kill the mite. The dosage must be chosen individually. Otherwise, the risk of intoxication of the body is not excluded. As soon as the therapeutic solution is injected into the auricle, it is necessary to thoroughly massage its base, allowing the drug to spread well over the surface of the affected inner part of the auricle.
Preparations in the form of powders are also used to treat ear mites in cats. They are poured into the ear canal and massaged in the same way as in the case of drops. Specially formulated ointments and gels applied to the inside of the ear canal have a good therapeutic effect.
During the general course of therapy, antimicrobial agents are also included to suppress the activity of bacterial microflora, anti-inflammatory drugs (antihistamines) and immunomodulatory agents to increase the overall resistance of the body.
Getting rid of an ear mite is not an easy task. Therapy is carried out in cycles of every 7-10 days. In some cases, treatment with antiparasitic drugs must be carried out with an interval of 5-7 days. This cyclicity is due to the life cycle of the mite. Mite eggs are more difficult to destroy, so treatment is aimed at eliminating adults.
Is an ear mite contagious for other animals
Otodectosis can affect not only cats, but also other pets.
If there are other cats or dogs in the house, possibly ferrets, it is necessary to isolate them from the sick animal.
Mite infestation occurs even during a normal walk. As soon as the parasite gets into favorable conditions, it begins to multiply dramatically.
The disease develops rapidly and shows vivid symptoms. Therefore, it is impossible to miss it.
Prevention
The good news is that it is often possible to avoid infecting your pet with an ear mite. There are two types of simple preventive measures that can help.
First, you should get in the habit of thoroughly cleaning your pet's ears and drying them well after bathing.
Secondly, it is important to regularly inspect the ear buds of cats and if redness, scabs, scabs or strange deposits are found, immediately take your furry friend to the vet.
Thirdly, you should make sure that the cat does not communicate with unfamiliar animals, especially strays.
Fourthly, to withstand an ear mite a cat needs a good immune system. A balanced diet that includes all necessary vitamins and trace elements will help strengthen it.
Fifth, it is important to treat the cat regularly against ticks, to keep the house clean and to use acaricide to clean and treat the cat's belongings. There are special sprays for this purpose.
Animals living in private homes and accustomed to going outdoors are especially in need of such prophylaxis against ear mites, as well as show cats.
Can cat ear mites be transmitted to humans?
Cat owners can rest easy: although humans can be carriers of these parasites, ear mites are not dangerous to humans.
After contact with a sick animal, dermatitis – a small rash from tick bites – may appear, but it does not require special treatment. Since Otodektes cynotys does not parasitize on humans, the unpleasant symptom will go away as the pet recovers.
But it is important to remember that ear mites are extremely contagious to pets. If there are several animals in the house, e.g. two cats and a dog, and otodectosis is found in one of them, all pets should be given a preventive treatment against mites.
Inspect your pets regularly, do not ignore alarming symptoms, and contact your vet as early as possible to prescribe proper ear mite treatment. This will help keep your cats healthy.
You can make an appointment at Daria Sukhova Veterinary Clinic by calling +7 (3452) 66-28-58 or visiting our website or come directly to us. The sooner your pet visits the vet, the sooner they will be able to get the help they need!
