Ticks in cats: types of parasites, symptoms, drops for treatment and prevention

Ticks in cats: types of parasites, symptoms, drops for treatment and prevention
Tick infection is less common in cats than in dogs. Cats are more often affected by immature stages (larvae and nymphs) than by adult ticks. At each stage of life, the tick feeds on blood only once, which lasts from 5 to 10 days in a mammal (or bird). Ticks prefer to attach to certain areas of the body, such as the neck, face and ears. Cats may develop ulcers or inflammatory granulomas (nodules) where ticks attach, especially if the ticks were not removed correctly. Ticks are most important because of their ability to transmit diseases.

Anti-tick drops

Choose anti-tick drops for cats carefully:

It is important that the drug is approved for use in cats. Not all drops for getting rid of fleas in cats are also aimed at getting rid of ticks.

In addition, to ensure proper protection, the drug should be used at recommended intervals.

One of the modern complex medications for cats in the form of drops on the withers is Broadline Spot-On. Broadline Spot-On is aimed at protecting cats from ticks, including ear ticks, lice, fleas, roundworms and tapeworms. Available in a convenient form - drops on the withers.

Treatment

It is worth understanding that there are several forms of the disease, and treatment depends on which one affects your cat. Therefore, in order to build the right rehabilitation program for your pet, you need to contact a veterinarian. This is especially true for advanced cases.

Veterinary methods

The treatment offered by the veterinarian comes down to the following steps:

Cleansing animal skin. To do this, use Doctor or Elite shampoos.
Getting rid of scabs and crusts on the affected areas. Hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine solution is used. After treatment, be sure to dry the animal's skin.
Treating your pet's skin with anti-mite preparations. In consultation with your doctor, it is possible to treat problem areas with Citeal solution, which should be used at least 2-3 times a day. Emulsions are also used (according to the instructions):
Stronghold;
Butox 50;
Amitraz.
After the crusts and scabs have come off, choose one remedy from the list:
Aversectin ointment;
Demos liniment;
Amidel-gel;
sulfur ointment.
Restoration of skin in affected areas. Produced after anti-mite treatment. For this purpose use:
Tsipam;
Amit;
Mycodemocid;
Ectodes.
Additional processing. After the oil or solution has dried, additional anti-parasite ointments are applied. It can be:
Cythiotate;
Saphroderm.
Restoring immunity. It is recommended to give your cat vitamins prescribed by your doctor, maintain a healthy diet and use:
Maxidin;
Immunoparasite;
Gala Vet;
Gamavit.
In severe cases - when a secondary infection occurs - antibiotics are prescribed:
Amoxicillin;
Baytril;
Betamox;
Kanamycin.

Photo gallery: drugs for the treatment of subcutaneous mites

Amidel-gel is used to treat dogs and cats older than 2 months with skin lesions from mites

Amitrazine is a veterinary drug that is used for cats in the treatment of pathologies caused by sarcoptic mites

Stronghold is a systemic antiparasitic drug used against a number of insects, sarcoptic mites and nematodes.

The veterinary drug Tsipam is used to treat cats, fur-bearing animals, dogs with otodectosis, notoedrosis, psoroptosis, demodicosis, sarcoptic mange.

Gamavit is a multivitamin complex that is used in traditional veterinary medicine to normalize the immune system.

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If the disease has just begun to manifest itself or is mild, you can try to help your pet at home:

Clean the victim's skin with soap or gel containing birch tar.
To soothe affected areas, use calendula tincture.
Bath your cat in chamomile decoction or apply it locally (can be repeated every 2-3 days).

Remember: cats' skin is more sensitive than human skin. Traditional medicine often offers treatment with aggressive agents (sulfur, tar, kerosene), which dry out the pet's skin and do not heal, but rather cripple the pet.

If you observe lethargy, decreased appetite, pale mucous membranes, increased temperature, or formation of suppuration in a furry patient, consult a doctor immediately.

Treatment of kittens and pregnant cats

Kittens and pregnant cats are among the groups at increased risk of becoming infected with subcutaneous mites. There are certain difficulties in their treatment.

When treating a cat, it is important that the drug does not get into the milk or amniotic membranes, i.e., that it is not absorbed. Therefore, topical preparations should be used. These include, for example, Frontline. Before applying it, you should clean the animal’s skin, remove scabs, and then lubricate it with oil.

In complicated forms of the disease, such treatment is not enough. This means a trip to the vet cannot be avoided.

When treating kittens, the recommendations are similar. It is worth considering that there are a number of drugs that are contraindicated for young cats. It will be impossible to find a medicine without a professional.

Let's say you decide to use Ivermectin. It is prescribed for serious lesions, but the medicine cannot be used for kittens under 3 months of age.

In both cases, you should not do treatment at home. It is better to contact a veterinarian at the first symptoms of your pet being infected with a subcutaneous tick.

Remember: the sooner you contact your veterinarian, the better the treatment outcome will be. Removing subcutaneous mites from a cat is a difficult and time-consuming task. In addition, relapses are possible.

Lice in cats

The most common lice in cats is Frosticus subrostatus. These are small wingless insects that spend their entire lives on animals and can only survive for a few days without the animal. Lice are spread through direct contact or through infested brushes, combs and bedding. Eggs (nits) are “cemented” on the hairs of the coat. Lice are an irritant to your cat and cause severe itching, leading to your pet causing self-inflicted wounds. Lice are species specific, so effective treatment must include all cats in contact, but dogs do not need to be treated.

Symptoms

The owner of the animal can recognize the unpleasant disease on his own. Signs of scabies in a cat are as follows:

Severe itching. This is the main symptom of the disease. First, the cat feels itching in the ears and neck. Discomfort occurs as a result of the fact that the tick digs its way into the thickness of the skin, where it subsequently lays eggs. Because of this, the cat begins to shake its head, trying to shake off the parasite, scratches constantly, becomes restless, can be aggressive and stops eating. PHOTO
Scratches and scratches occur due to frequent scratching, which can sometimes be obsessive. PHOTO
Hair falls out in the affected areas, and dark crusts are clearly visible on the surface of the skin. First, hair loss begins at the edges of the ears, gradually the problem moves to the forehead and neck. If treatment is not started in time, hair loss can be general and affect the entire body of the animal. PHOTO
At the place where the tick pierced the skin, there is a hard bump with a diameter of up to 10 mm. A small hole is visible at its top. If you press on the tubercle, a white thick liquid will be released from the hole. The skin around the lump is red and scaly. PHOTO
Nodules may appear on the skin, which subsequently fester. PHOTO

Microscopic mites in cats

Here are some of the most common mites that can infect your cat.

Neotrombicula autumnalis or "red mites"

This mite is not specific to cats; it also infects dogs, humans, and sometimes horses. Animals are parasitized only by the larval stage of the tick, which attaches and feeds on the blood of your pets, each meal lasting one week. Several larvae attach in one place, such as on the ears and between the toes, where they are simply visible to the naked eye as orange "dots" about 0.5 mm in size. They cause severe irritation and can cause inflammation at the attachment sites. Treatment and prevention require the use of an effective drug prescribed by a veterinarian.

Scabies injections

Only special scabies injections can eliminate mites that are located deep in the skin. For the treatment of cats the following are prescribed:

Ivermectin. The drug has a broad antiparasitic effect; its use leads to paralysis and then death of ticks. Careful dosage is required as the composition is toxic to cats. PHOTO
Baymek. It has a long-term antiparasitic effect and disrupts the nervous system of parasites. It is administered subcutaneously, and it is recommended to distribute the required amount of the product into several injections, which must be given in different places. PHOTO
Novomek. The active ingredient is ivermectin. It has a systemic and contact effect on ticks, affects the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid, which provokes a block in the transmission of nerve impulses, resulting in tick paralysis. The product is non-toxic and harmless to cats, provided the dosage is followed. PHOTO

Cheyletiellosis or “walking dandruff” in cats

The infection can spread within a multi-cat household or in catteries. These mites can spread directly between cats, dogs and rabbits, and can also temporarily infect humans, where they cause an itchy red rash. The infestation in cats causes skin irritation and flaky rashes or “dandruff,” especially on the back.

Ticks can also survive for several weeks in the environment. Infestations require effective treatment from your veterinarian. All contact animals should be checked and treated, and the environment should be treated in the same manner as flea control. Adult cats can become carriers and show little or no signs of infection.

Diagnostics

Scabies in a cat brings severe discomfort to the animal's life. Also, a sick animal can cause illness to other pets in the house and people who come into contact with it. The cat needs to be shown to a specialist and treatment started on time. A full diagnosis should be carried out to exclude other skin diseases (for example, lichen or dermatitis).

In most cases, an external examination of the cat and a medical history is sufficient for the veterinarian to make a diagnosis. But to determine the type of mite and draw up an optimal treatment regimen, you need to scrape the deep layers of the skin.

Dermatomycosis or ringworm of cats

Cats are often infected with the fungus Microsporum canis, which lives on their fur. The resulting lesions are usually round in shape and localized on the head. The initial lesions may disappear spontaneously after a few weeks, but other lesions may appear elsewhere. In long-haired breeds, this fungal infection can only cause widespread hair loss, leaving some areas of the body less "thick" than others.

Ringworm is highly contagious. Fallen fur and fungal spores lead to environmental contamination. Therefore, direct contact is not necessary for the infection to spread; for example, one cat can very easily become infected by lying on a rug that an infected cat lay on a few days ago.

Microsporum canis is most often found in cats, but can also cause lesions in dogs, rabbits, rodents or humans. Infected cats should be treated with topical and oral medications for at least 6 weeks.

Pathogens of demodicosis and methods of infection

The causative agent of the disease is the subcutaneous mite - demodex. Actually, there are two types of subcutaneous mites (even three, but the third is currently poorly studied and not described): Demodex cati and Demodex gatoi. The first species (Demodex cati) always lives on the cat's body, in the hair follicles (the places where the hairs of the fur grow), and usually does not cause any trouble. This species is not at all contagious. But in some cases, such as illness, stress, decreased immunity of the kitten, this subcutaneous mite on the body multiplies excessively, accordingly, causing toothache and other inconveniences.

The second species (Demodex gatoi) is an infectious parasite. This subcutaneous mite is transmitted from a sick cat to another (but it is not dangerous for humans). It lives and reproduces in the stratum corneum of the skin (the surface layer consisting of keratinized cells). If this parasite gets on a cat's body, it can lead to illness. Although the body of healthy animals with strong immunity in most cases copes with subcutaneous mites on their own. Demodicosis occurs if the immune system is weakened for some reason.

Causes of infection

A cat of any breed and any age can get demodicosis. However, a microscopic mite, having entered the animal’s body, may not manifest itself for a long time (until the right moment comes), and the cat becomes a carrier of the parasite. When the cat is in normal condition, the tick “sleeps”, but when immunity decreases, demodicosis worsens, and the tick begins to secrete waste products that poison the cat’s body.

It is known that Burmese and Siamese cats are particularly susceptible to mange, but other animals may also be at risk:

cats that have recently had surgery;
pets who have recently suffered from an infectious disease;
animals infected with worms or fleas;
cats and kittens in a state of severe stress;
animals that are not eating properly (for example, if the cat receives too little protein during natural feeding);
cats that have recently been treated with antibiotics or hormonal drugs.

The main reason for the development of the disease is considered to be a decrease in the cat’s immunity, as a result of which the tick takes a pathogenic form and begins to actively multiply in the epidermis of the animal. Very often the disease is registered in small kittens after weaning them from their mother.

Can you get scabies from a cat?

The question of whether it is possible to become infected from an animal haunts many owners. Scabies can be transmitted from a cat to a person through contact with a sick animal. The causative agents of the disease cause a red rash on the host's skin, which is similar to mosquito bites. The mite can infect the skin of the legs, arms, thighs, chest, and abdomen.

In this case, there cannot be a strong infection due to the inferiority of the life cycle of mites without the original host, but the resulting irritation on the skin can be extremely unpleasant. The itching goes away only within 2-3 weeks after complete isolation of the animal. Additionally, you can consult a doctor to prescribe a drug to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

Disease prevention

Preventing scabies is easier than dealing with it and its consequences. The following actions are taken as preventive measures:

regularly treat the fur of cats and cats against ticks, fleas and other parasites (once every six months);
clean toys, wash bedding and bed covers;
bathe the cat after a walk or wipe it with a damp cloth;
before being released outside, put on an insecticidal collar;
Periodically bring the cat to the veterinarian for examination.

If an animal becomes infected, it is isolated from other pets and family members. Household items that the sick cat has come into contact with are burned or frozen, and all surfaces are disinfected.

Dangerous consequences

The most common diseases are piroplasmosis and viral encephalitis. The incubation period lasts from 14 days to a month. The clinical picture can be pronounced or with mild symptoms followed by a transition to a chronic form.

Piroplasmosis

Transmitted directly by a bite. Infectious Babesia are found in the salivary glands. Diseased microorganisms enter the blood, feed on red cells, weakening the body's protective functions, causing disruption of the internal organs. If the disease progresses rapidly and there is no adequate treatment, a cat can die from a tick bite within 10 days.

Symptoms:

vomit;
diarrhea;
blood impurities in stool, urine;
increase in body temperature.

For treatment, antibiotics, antiviral drugs are prescribed, and Immunoglobulin is administered. Symptomatic medications are prescribed against vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

The more time passes after the first painful symptoms appear, the worse the animal’s condition. In the absence of therapy, the following is observed:

weakening of the pulse;
convulsions;
paralysis;
intestinal atomy;
severe toxicosis.

What treatment is needed for subcutaneous mites?

Subcutaneous mites can be treated only after confirmation of the existing form of the disease. If localized demodicosis has been detected, cats can be bathed with one of the medicated shampoos that contain benzoyl peroxide. To remove skin crusts, use a solution of chlorhexidine or the more common hydrogen peroxide. After which the surface of the skin is thoroughly dried.

Drugs used for treatment:

To achieve the best result, it is recommended to use an integrated approach, which will be prescribed by your family veterinarian. At the same time, we should not forget about reduced immunity, which will require additional medications to boost it.
Sprays for treating damaged areas of skin with lost hair.
A separate series of sprays for the treatment of infection.
Cleansed areas of skin are treated with liniments and ointments.
You can use "Lawyer" and "Stronghold", but no more than four times.
To treat inflamed skin, Butox-50 or Amitraz is used.

When treating the generalized form:

removing subcutaneous mites is very problematic, and at this stage treatment is carried out using the same drugs as at the initial stage;
Additional drugs (Cydectin and Dectomax) may be prescribed, but they can only be used in the presence of a doctor, as they can cause a number of unpleasant consequences for the animal;
To properly treat this form, the disease itself, which led to exacerbations, is initially eliminated.

It is worth noting that in some cases remission may occur. In this case, the symptoms will disappear. But this does not mean that the animal has recovered. The tick may subside for a while, and then all the symptoms return, even in a more severe form.

It is necessary to treat your cat's skin even if all symptoms are absent.

A cat affected by subcutaneous mites will behave aggressively. All pillows and blankets of the animal, its toys and bowls are subject to disinfection. All pets can contract this type of mite, so the main thing is to detect the problem in a timely manner and then begin treatment for it. The treatment process is very long and can take up to a year.

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Possible complications

In the absence of proper treatment, subcutaneous mites in a cat can cause a number of negative consequences:

development of pathogenic microflora inside the body,
improper formation of hair follicles,
chronic necrosis processes on the skin of an animal,
general intoxication of the cat’s body.

The animal becomes thin, emaciated, and takes on an unkempt, patchy appearance. He is plagued by frequent respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

Ointment for scabies

Elimination of symptoms and treatment at home is possible. The following are used as local therapy:

Ointments and lotions based on tar or sulfur.
Sea buckthorn oil.
Pikhtoin. Has a complex anti-inflammatory effect. After application, the product penetrates through the glands and partially into the intercellular passages, then becomes soluble and is absorbed by the body. Apply a thin layer, after which it is recommended to apply a gauze bandage.
Avermectin paste is rubbed against the grain in places where insects accumulate and on the back of the head. For ease of use, it can be melted. The procedure must be repeated after 7-10 days, but if the affected area of the animal is large, then the frequency of application of the product is increased.

These products help eliminate skin inflammation and restore its protective functions. But they must be used with extreme caution, since there is a high risk of the product getting inside, which can lead to intoxication. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase and constantly use a special cone-shaped collar. It will prevent the product from being licked off.

Preventive measures

Scabies in cats can be prevented by regularly examining the animal yourself or taking it to the veterinarian once every 3 months. There are other preventive measures that will help avoid the disease:

do not let the cat out of the apartment;
if the animal cannot live without walks, then regularly use special products against fleas, ticks and worms;
include vitamins in the cat’s diet if the animal does not eat special food;
strengthen immunity;
wash your cat's dishes thoroughly;
follow the rules of caring for your pet, regularly bathe the animal using special shampoos, even if it does not go outside, because fleas and ticks can be carried into a person’s house on shoes and clothes.

If the cat has already been diagnosed with this disease, then in order to prevent relapse, injections of Immunoparasitan are recommended every 3-6 months. The action of this drug allows you to increase the body’s protective functions and prevent re-infection.

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