There are different types of mites that can affect your cat’s skin and will need professional care from your veterinarian. Often feline acne is mistaken for mite infestation.
“Ectoparasitic skin diseases are extremely common in cats, and their correct identification is very important for both the cat’s and the owner’s welfare.”
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Content:
Symptoms of Cat Chin Mites
Your feline friend will show a few symptoms if they are suffering from mites, such as:
- Alopecia either on the face and/or body (can be mild to severe depending on stage of causative agent)
- Severe pruritus (severe itching of the skin)
- Generalised demodicosis
- Erythema
- Folliculitis and furunculosis
- Pustules and crusts can be present with secondary pyoderma
- Lesions anywhere on the body
- If long term or chronic: weight loss and decreased body condition often occurs
If you spend long periods of time away from home then it is recommended to invest in a pet camera so that you are able to check in on your furry friend and see if they are excessively grooming themselves or are showing signs of being itchy.
How Do Cats Get Chin Mites
Most mites are transferred through direct contact from an infested animal to another, or from their environment. Often mites are transferred from the mother to nursing kittens.
Dr. R Arther says in his research on Mites and Lice: “Mite life cycles may be completed in 8 days to 4 weeks. Mites are highly adaptable and are capable of living in various habitats.”
How Are Mites Treated
Most skin diseases can be diagnosed at your local veterinary clinic and rarely require specialist consultations. When a cat has a noticeable skin condition, or is overgrooming, it is standard for your veterinarian to perform a few tests to determine the cause.
Your veterinarian will start with a full clinical examination of your pet and then move on to diagnostic tests. Superficial and deep skin scrapings may be collected to examine under a microscope. Often fur is plucked, and a sticky tape test is performed to be examined under the microscope.
Treatment of skin conditions takes a long time and there is no instant fix unfortunately. In times like this it is so important to have Petcube Emergency Fund so that you are able to do what is necessary to get your pet healthy again, without worrying about the costs involved.
Dr. S Colombo said: “The diagnostic approach to alopecia implies the correct differentiation of the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the clinical signs, which can be obtained by collecting history, examining the cat, and performing a microscopic examination of the hair.”
Conclusion
If you notice that your cat is grooming himself more than usual, itchy or losing hair in patches then take him to the vet sooner rather than later. It is easier to treat these infestations if caught early in their cycle. Your cat will also recover faster and it can help to prevent over grooming becoming a bad habit.
From the article Mites & Lice: Biology and control: “Sarcoptoid mites (including Sarcoptes scabiei and Notoedres cati) burrow into the skin, producing channels in which eggs are deposited. Nonburrowing mite species pierce the skin, causing inflammation, exudations, pruritus, and scab formation. The word “mange” is used loosely in reference to both types of mite infestations.”
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