Ear mite in cats
The ear mite is a parasite, causing inflammation and irritation in the auricle. Faced with this scourge, it is necessary to cure the cat as soon as possible, choosing the right medication, as the consequences can be dire.
By biological standards, the mite is a typical arthropod, which is not capable of harming a person and his health. But a cat, a dog or any other wild predator, infected with them, begin to experience many inconveniences and discomforts, which is expressed in round-the-clock itching and scabies.
The animal is experiencing incredible suffering, becomes nervous. Thanks to that, that these parasites multiply very quickly, the usual infection quickly turns into a serious disease - otodectosis. Irritation manifests itself in the form of abundant sulfur secretions.
Otodectosis is a parasitic disease, most common in cats, which can affect the inner surface of the ear. Due to its invisibility, the mite progresses rapidly and soon the disease acquires an advanced stage. Otodectosis continues to affect the ear canal and after some time reaches the brain, causing serious disorders of the nervous system.
What do ear mites in cats look like??
The ear mite looks, as a small arachnid. It is quite difficult to notice it, but it seems possible. Insects reach very small sizes, about like a grain of sugar, and have a characteristic yellow-gray color. They may seem translucent, due to which they seem almost invisible.
Their body is clearly oval, three pairs of paws are well defined and designed. Only the last pair of legs remains underdeveloped due to uselessness. The tick has an oral apparatus and several pairs of suction cups, which it attaches to the walls of tissues.
From the outside, this parasite seems completely safe, but when they accumulate, it becomes a truly deadly weapon, which leaves the unprotected animal no chance, if you do not get rid of it in time.
How a cat is infected with an ear mite?
Ear mites appear quite unexpectedly. Even in a fully domesticated animal, who never left the apartment or house, this issue may occur. There are the main reasons for their appearance:
- Contact with animals, who are already infected;
- Contact with infected objects;
- Contact with infected shoes, clothes;
- Contact with fleas and flies, which are vectors of ticks.
Cats, who are on free range, most prone to ear mites, because, undoubtedly, potentially exposed to potentially infected objects. But do not relax, if your cat is a fan of sofas and soft pillows, it can also be easily infected. So, you should examine your pet's ears more often and not hope for it, that it just accumulated dirt.
Signs of ear mites
It is easy to detect signs of ear mites in cats. Though, that the animal does not know how to talk and point things, which bother him, we can watch him and understand a lot, based on his behavior. So, infected, the animal begins to behave anxiously and betray its problem. Symptoms of ear mites in cats are as follows:
- She constantly shakes her head and can meow plaintively, tilt your head to the side;
- Feels unbearable itching, it can be seen from that, as a pet rubs the corners and tries to scratch his paw on their own;
- At the started stage from ears thick yellow liquid starts to be allocated, at the same time the itch amplifies;
- Over time, hard, dark brown crusts appear, this is a signal of that, that the tick began to fall and the problem became more complicated;
- The presence of scratched skin around the ears;
- Scratched skin on the ears.
If timely treatment does not occur, parasites do not waste time and actively breed, covering the entire area of the ears, falling down. Reaching the eardrum, they begin to roll over to the brain and behave more aggressively. Severe pain occurs.
Now the main symptoms of the disease are not itching and discharge, and weakness, temperature and crooked head (in cats the head is strongly bent to one side). The first and harmless, at first sight, the symptoms should be a wake-up call to the host about it, that his pet is in serious danger.
Self-diagnosis
Noticing, that your pet is behaving inappropriately, you can resort to diagnosis, which will help confirm your fears and significantly speed up the trip to the veterinary clinic.
So, should look closely at the ear discharge. At first, they may have a grayish tinge, which signals that, that mites have already begun to actively reproduce. At the started stage, the selection acquires a rich brown color, in which there may be impurities of pus or blood.
With a cotton swab you need to take a piece of the sample from the ear. You will notice, that at the same time the cat can intensively pull a paw or completely break out. That says just that, that your pet is really bothered by severe itching and pain.
After sampling, you need to find a black sheet. Waving a wand over the sheet, you will see, that white grains appeared on its surface. Look closely, and you will be convinced, that some of them are clearly moving - these are ticks. He moves slowly, but noticeable.
Importantly: When one animal is infected with this disease, it is necessary to treat everyone, regardless of the presence of parasites.
What is the danger of ear mites for cats?
Pupil, which is not subject to timely treatment, doomed to death. This verdict is true without exaggeration, since this parasite cannot disappear on its own, as a cold or dermatitis. If infected, the animal must undergo treatment, which will help him feel comfortable and calm again.
As already mentioned, in the event of this disease, the cat becomes incredibly irritable and nervous, feels itchy, pain and stress. She ceases to lead a full life, loses appetite, former playfulness and restful sleep.
The tick in cats' ears resembles a time bomb, which if not neutralized, will bring much sorrow and suffering. It is worth understanding, that if one animal became infected with ticks, then others, living with him in the same room, also in danger. And instead of one pet, you can be difficult to treat or lose several at once.
Pay close attention to your pet's hygiene and conduct a thorough examination at least once a week. Following such simple rules, you will save your pet from trouble with ticks and yourself from stress.
Stages of cat infection with ear mites
The first (easy) - Dirt has a dry appearance and is located only on the inside of the ear, without penetrating into its depth. That says it all, that the tick has not yet gotten deep enough and the infection has occurred very recently. This stage is treated quite easily and quickly. Good ear cleaning and a tick repellent are needed.
Another (obsolete otitis) - carries unpleasant complications and consequences. This stage of tick infestation is extremely dangerous, as it has a lot of moist and mushy secretions. The hearing aid is clogged, the animal loses hearing. Professional cleaning of ears is already required here, which can be performed only by an experienced doctor. In chronic otitis, a number of antibacterial and antifungal drugs are prescribed.
Methods of treating cats from ear mites
Treatment of ticks in cats begins with diagnosis. Don't try to do it yourself. The symptoms of ear mites are very similar to other diseases, which are completely unrelated to the antics of this arthropod. The doctor carefully examines the animal's ears, if in doubt, take the necessary tests, which will help identify the disease for sure.
After establishing the correct diagnosis and visiting a veterinarian, complex and full-fledged treatment begins, which may be as follows:
- Drops - buried inside the ear several times a day. The drug is used for pre-cleaning the ears with gentle tinctures without alcohol base;
- Gels or ointments - these means are applied to the affected areas with a piece of cotton wool or a cotton swab;
- Powders - used in small quantities. Fall asleep dosed in the ear and massaged in circular motions for several minutes;
- Drops on the withers - act on a small tissue damage;
- An aerosol or spray is a medicine sprayed a few inches from the ears. The main goal is to get to the affected areas.
These parasites are incredibly tenacious, therefore, treatment is carried out cyclically over several days.
Folk methods
Not all veterinarians follow the medical tactics of treating cats from ear mites, it is possible to treat them at home. If the disease has an initial stage, then you can conduct a gentle therapy, which will be more comfortable for the animal. So, pet's ears can be wiped with a natural antiseptic, namely green tea. It perfectly disinfects and removes dirt from the ears. To perform the procedure, you need to brew fresh tea and let it brew for a few minutes. The liquid is cooled and pipetted into the ear.
The animal will shake its head and break out, but this is exactly the result we need. Shaking his head, it, together with the dirt, will remove all parasites on its own, which are stuck in the ear canal. After a while you need to take a cotton swab and remove all the accumulated plaque.
Prevention of cats from ear mites
For, to prevent otodectosis, pet owners must prevent this disease in a timely manner.
Prevention should begin with preventing any contact of a healthy pet with others, animals living on the street. It is important to conduct periodic self-examination of the ears. The risk of otodectosis is significantly reduced with good hygiene. You should periodically clean your ears with cotton swabs.
Another important and indispensable preventive measure is the monthly treatment of the ear canals with specialized lotions. They are able to protect the animal's ears from ticks and are completely safe for the health of kittens and cats during pregnancy..
Following these simple tips, you can significantly reduce the risk of getting your pet.