Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
characteristic of other types of mange. It can cause patches of hair loss
and redness.Your vet can diagnose the infection by observing the mite
on a skin scraping.
INSECT AND SPIDER BITES
Cats have a fascination with bugs, and even if your cat lives indoors, she
will likely find every creepy crawly in your house. Many of these crea-
tures are harmless and your cat may eat them without a problem, but
others will bite and sting when threatened. Some beetles and bugs taste
bad and will cause drooling. Others will cause some minor gastroin-
testinal upset that passes within a few hours.
Cats usually receive bites and stings on their noses and paws, since
they like to nose and bat at little creatures. If you notice swelling on
these areas, it may be due to an insect bite.
Bee stings are painful and cause swelling on any animal. They are
uncomfortable and look bad but are only dangerous if the animal has
an anaphylactic reaction. In anaphylaxis, the allergic reaction that occurs
causes fever, redness and difficulty breathing.
Antihistamines and/or cortisone can be used to decrease the
swelling and itchiness associated with any sting or bite.The earlier these
medications are used, the less swelling will develop.
I always know when there is a spider in my house because my cats
go wild.They jump up the walls and cry in their desperate attempts to
catch it. Most spider bites are not a big deal, but cats are not very dis-
criminating and will hunt harmless and dangerous spiders alike.
Depending on where you live, brown recluse and black widow spiders
may exist, and these spiders can be quite dangerous.
With their bite, poisonous spiders inject venom that can seriously
damage tissue. Initially, a bite wound may not be detected, but within a
day or so you'll see an oozing wound with skin sloughing. These types
of wounds can take weeks to heal and should be treated promptly by a
veterinarian.
OTHER EAR PROBLEMS
Aside from mites, bacteria and yeast can infect the ear canals of cats. Just
like some people have greasy hair, some cats have greasy ears and pro-
duce excessive amounts of wax. Chronic irritation in the ear canals from
any cause can trigger the formation of benign inflammatory polyps. A
veterinarian needs to examine the cat's ear canals with an otoscope and
analyze ear swabs, because all of these conditions are treated differently.
