Subcutaneous mite (demodex) in cats: symptoms and treatment

• Acne treatment
• Rosacea Treatment
• Treatment of demodicosis

“ Subcutaneous mite ” sounds very unpleasant, and many may think that anyone can get this parasite, but “but not me.”
In fact, demodicosis - this is the name given to damage to hair and skin areas by a microscopic mite - is far from a rare phenomenon. And some cosmetic procedures can provoke an exacerbation.

Scientific fact: human skin can be parasitized by 2 types of Demodex , which feed on dead skin cells and live on the skin and hair follicles, including eyelashes and eyebrows:

• brevis;
• folliculorum.

As a result of their activity, a person feels itchy skin, redness, peeling appear, and the skin becomes rougher. If measures are not taken, all these unpleasant symptoms can develop into crusts and inflammatory elements.

What does a subcutaneous mite look like in cats?

There are 2 types of ticks in cats:

• Demodex cati.

Demodex cati is a permanent inhabitant of the cat’s body and is generally a peaceful resident. The variety can be transmitted from mother to kittens in the first days after birth. Not contagious to other animals. The body is narrow, elongated in length, approximately 0.5 mm. Habitat: hair follicles. This is the most favorable place for the parasite: there is food in the form of lymph, blood, dead cells, and optimal temperature.

D.cati is a cat's friend, as it eats dead skin cells and sebaceous secretions. But he becomes an enemy when his food turns out to be of “poor quality” due to the animal’s health problems.

A tick attack by D. cati begins when the pet’s immunity is weakened, under poor living conditions, or when taking drugs to artificially suppress the immune system. Therefore, demodicosis cati is almost always accompanied by chronic viral infections: peritonitis, immunodeficiency, leukemia. The tick in a cat can become more active against the background of diabetes mellitus and lupus erythematosus.

• Demodex gatoi.

Demodex gatoi are highly contagious. They live in the stratum corneum of the skin and do not affect the hair follicle. The body is short and wide. Infection occurs through contact with a sick animal. But a person can also bring a dangerous “fragment” of fur with parasites into the house. This is how completely domestic pets that do not walk on the street become infected. It is noted that the activation of this type of parasite is not associated with weakened immunity.

Pathogenesis

Anatomically, blepharitis is divided into anterior and posterior. Invasion of the eyelash follicles is referred to as anterior blepharitis. In case of damage to the meibomian glands - about the posterior one.

Factors determining the negative impact:

1. Mechanical damage.

   Eating epithelial cells by mites disrupts the direction of eyelash growth, increases their loss, and contributes to the development of trichiasis. The internal cavity of the hair follicles increases, hyperkeratosis and mild perifolliculitis occur. Mechanical blockage of the meibomian gland ducts by parasites causes their hypersecretion and inflammation - chalazion.

2. Secondary infection.

   Tick-borne blepharitis is often complicated by a secondary infection, staphylococcal or streptococcal, which can lead to the development of purulent conjunctivitis and ulcerative blepharitis.

3. Allergic reaction.

   Mite waste products and dead individuals have a toxic-allergic effect on the membranes of the eye, and eyelid dermatitis develops.

Causes of red scabies

Subcutaneous mites in cats occur in all breeds. There are no restrictions by gender or age. However, it has been noted that Siamese and Burmese breeds are more often affected.

At risk:

• Animals with weakened immunity due to genetic diseases, previous infections, infection with worms, fleas, and those who have been treated with antibiotics for a long time.
• Pets up to 1-2 years old and over 5 years old.
• Kittens are artificial or taken from their mother early.
• Cats with skin diseases, wounds, abrasions.

No less influence on the immune system is exerted by nutrition, living conditions, and exposure to stress.

Preventive actions

Even after suffering from the disease, the body does not develop immunity to re-infection with subcutaneous mites. For this reason, it is important to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner. Experts give their recommendations on this matter.

They recommend:

• to exclude as much as possible possible contacts between the pet and other animals that may have health problems;
• regularly treat the cat’s skin using anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Monitor a balanced diet, vaccinations, and the amount of minerals and vitamins consumed in order to naturally maintain the cat’s high immunity.

Attentive attitude towards the animal becomes the key to its excellent health. A cat in excellent health is much less susceptible to subcutaneous mites, so she is safe.

Signs and symptoms

If subcutaneous mites are suspected in cats, symptoms and treatment depend on the form of the disease. There are 3 of them in total.

Localized form

When the parasite penetrates the skin, inflammation occurs at the site of penetration. The skin swells and turns red. Small tubercles (3 mm in diameter) with blood or pus form. There are a lot of such elements, especially if timely treatment is not undertaken. The danger is that an infection occurs, causing the animal’s condition to worsen. Otitis media develops, focal baldness develops, the skin turns red, becomes covered with ulcers and scales. Therefore, this form is also called “scaly”.

With local demodicosis in cats, symptoms appear primarily in the area around the eyes, ears, head, and neck. There are no more than 5 lesions. The hair on them noticeably thins. The paws and back remain unaffected. D. cati does not cause concern to the animal, while D. gatoi causes severe itching. The localized form often goes away on its own in 1-1.5 months.

Generalized demodicosis

When the disease process spreads throughout the body, the following manifestations are observed:

• Areas of hair loss throughout the body.
• Redness, hyperpigmentation of the skin.
• Acne, pustular rashes.
• Inflammation of the outer ear.
• The skin peels severely, bleeds, and itches unbearably.
• Fungal and bacterial infections are added.

The head, muzzle, neck, lower and lateral sides of the torso, and limbs are most often affected. With D. gatoi, complete baldness of the affected part of the body occurs. The animal may look untidy. The wool is dull, as if sprinkled with flour, sticks together. Many owners mistakenly believe that it is dandruff. The skin becomes shiny, sticky, and an unpleasant odor begins to emanate from the cat.

The disease progresses quickly. Separate foci are connected. Most of the body is affected by Demodex. The skin becomes thicker and gathers into folds, making the head seem prohibitively large compared to the body. The eye shape narrows. Lymph nodes become inflamed - this symptom is characteristic of demodicosis.

The general condition is depressed. The cat may refuse food and not be active. Possible increase in body temperature. The disease spreads throughout the body, and signs of intoxication begin to appear.

Juvenile demodicosis

It differs from generalized only in that it is inherited. The kitten becomes infected while still in the womb. This is a very severe form, as the entire cat’s body is affected.

Laboratory diagnostics

If you have a history of persistent styes, eyelash loss, chronic acne and rosacea, then demodicosis can be suspected with a high degree of probability. However, laboratory testing is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Preparing for diagnosis

1. Two days before the procedure, it is prohibited to apply decorative and medicinal cosmetics to the face.
2. Do not apply eye drops the day before.
3. Do not wash or wet your face for 24 hours.

Methodology

The procedure is carried out in the evening, when mites crawl to the surface of the skin and are easier to detect. Eight cilia are taken from each eye - four from the upper eyelid and four from the lower eyelid, placed on a glass slide in an alkali solution and examined under a microscope at low magnification.

Interpretation of the result

1. The absence of mites, eggs, larvae - the result is negative.
2. The presence of empty egg shells is a positive result, but requires repeating the analysis.
3. The presence of at least one tick – demodicosis is diagnosed.
4. Detection of more than ten mites – pronounced infestation.

Attention! A negative result does not always guarantee the absence of parasites.

How to treat demodicosis in cats

The main goal of therapy is to eliminate the pathogen. For this purpose, injections, ointments, solutions for internal use, sprays, and bathing are prescribed. Be sure to use products to strengthen the immune system, restore the condition of the skin, and adjust the diet for vitamins and proteins. Treatment of demodicosis in cats is complex.

There is no one universal remedy that can remove the parasite. Having discovered a tick in cats, the doctor prescribes a comprehensive treatment, combining medications.

Therapy for local form

The disease caused by D. cati and characterized by local damage can go away on its own, but not if the immune system is weakened.

The main treatment for cats with demodicosis:

1. Use of Amitrazine solution once a day with an interval of 3 days. In this case, it is important to treat not only the affected area, but also the area a centimeter nearby. On average, 6-8 treatments are required for the signs of demodicosis to disappear. The drug is well tolerated by animals. However, if there is scratching, the pet experiences a burning sensation. To prevent the cat from licking the product, the jaw is closed using a loop. Amitrazine is not only destructive to parasites, but also has an anti-inflammatory and softening effect.
2. An effective method of treating subcutaneous mites is considered to be feeding the animal with a 1% Ivermek solution at a rate of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg.
3. To get rid of the cat mite D. gatoi, use the medicinal solution Lime Sulfur (lime sulfur). The wool is wetted every 3 days or a week. Duration of treatment is 1-2 months. The first signs of improvement are observed after 3-4 weeks of therapy.

Generalized form

In case of extensive demodicosis caused by D. cati, the following treatment regimen is considered effective:

1. Treatment of the entire body with Lime Sulfur solution. The interval is a week.
2. Subcutaneous administration of the drug Doramectin. The dosage is calculated strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
3. Lubricate the body completely with Amitrazine every 1-2 weeks. The drug should be used with caution in the generalized form, and should not be used at all in animals with diabetes.

In severely advanced cases, treatment of the generalized form is often ineffective.

For any type of disease, treatment of subcutaneous mites in cats requires up to two negative scrapings with an interval of 1 month and elimination of lesions. Therefore, it is possible to cure subcutaneous mites in a cat no earlier than 2 months. Some veterinarians perform 3 control scrapings 2-3 weeks apart.

Reviews

Below are some reviews. If you have something to say, leave your feedback in the comments below the article, it will be useful to our readers.

“
I suffered from demodicosis once – after an unsuccessful outdoor recreation. I the symptoms literally on the second day , and at first I mistook it for conjunctivitis.

But I was alarmed that the eyes themselves did not hurt or water, and pus formed only on the eyelashes.

During the examination, the doctor diagnosed the disease and prescribed metronidazole gel.

The treatment took about a month , after which the signs of the disease completely disappeared.”

Boris Shebanov, 38 years old.

“
My daughter became infected with demodicosis from one of her friends. The disease immediately manifested itself to the maximum:
the girl’s eyes itched, pus formed on her eyelashes every morning , and on her pillow I found fallen eyelashes for two or three days in a row, which had never happened before. The doctor recommended several ointments, including ichthyol ointment and demalan gel.

The treatment was long (more than a month and a half), but with each week the improvements were evident.”

Snezhana Tsvirko, Pskov.

Drugs

All medications for subcutaneous mites in cats are selected exclusively by a doctor. The list of funds below is for reference only.

Prevention

It is not possible to completely protect yourself from infection with demodicosis, just as it is not possible to protect yourself from simple tick bites in nature. But you can reduce the likelihood of disease with a few simple rules:

• increased attention to personal hygiene: using only personal towels, combs, household items, washing hands after going outside, ironing clothes after washing;
• It is advisable to limit alcohol consumption and smoking;
• taking a complex of vitamins and minerals to maintain immunity, especially in the autumn and spring;
• proper nutrition will ensure the supply of vitamins to the body, which is necessary primarily for the normal functioning of the immune system: include more fruits and vegetables in the diet, replace sweet carbonated drinks with freshly squeezed juices and fruit drinks;
• At night, be sure to wash your face thoroughly to remove makeup and street dust;
• a preventive visit to a dermatologist to recognize any disease in the early stages.

By adhering to simple rules of prevention, knowing the symptoms of demodex and how the disease is transmitted, you can protect yourself from such an unpleasant disease as skin demodicosis.