Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
If an animal is not treated completely, ringworm can quickly flare
up again. In multipet households it is usually necessary to treat all the
animals so that the infection is not passed back and forth between them.
Previous infection with ringworm does not confer immunity, so it
is possible to have several episodes of infection within an animal's life-
time. It can be a frustrating condition to treat, but if you stick with it,
the fungus can be controlled.
LOOKING MITEY MANGY
Mange is due to small bugs called mites.The two most common mites
that can affect cats are
Otodectes cynotis
and
Notoedres cati
. A type of fur
mite called Cheyletiella can also infect cats, and, rarely, a mite called
Demodex will as well.
Mite infestations typically make a cat very itchy.These parasites can
be diagnosed by finding their presence on an ear swab, skin scraping or
tape impression examined microscopically.
Does Your Cat Have Ear Mites?
Otodectes cyanotis
is the common ear mite. These mites can also infect
dogs, but they are not transmissible to humans. Ear mites can live for
short periods in the environment, but they must feed off a dog or cat.
The classic signs of an ear mite infection are head shaking, brown crusty
discharge from the ears and ear scratching.
If you have an indoor cat who does not come into contact with
others, it is easy to cure an infection. If you have animals who go out-
side, they have the potential for re-exposure.
There are effective over-the-counter treatments for ear mites, but I
recommend that if your cat has an ear infection, you have it properly
diagnosed by your veterinarian. Although ear mites are frequently
found in cats, they are not the only type of ear disease: Bacteria, yeast,
allergies and polyps can also affect the ears of cats. If you treat for ear
mites and there is another problem, your pet has to be uncomfortable
for a longer period of time.
Some of the newer prescription medications used for ear mites are
milbemycin oxime (MilbeMite Otic), ivermectin (Acarexx) and
selamectin (Revolution). All are very effective.
A positive diagnosis of ear mites is made using an otoscope that looks
deep into the ear and observing the mites crawling in the ear canal or by
examining an ear swab under a microscope and observing live mites or
