Mucking with Mange – Treatment Options for your Cat

The following article covers a topic that has recently moved to center stage--at least it seems that way. If you've been thinking you need to know more about it, here's your opportunity.

Mange is a skin contagious skin condition caused by mites and parasites in animals. Most of the time, cats that are affected by mange are outdoor cats. Left untreated, the cat can become very ill and can lose their fur. Mange can cause discomfort, scratching and itching. There are several options for treating a cat for mange.

Mange in cats is fairly uncommon; however it is possible for a cat to contract mange. If your cat is loosing fur, you should always take your cat to the vet. Other diseases and problems other than mange can cause hair loss. A vet can look at a sample of the cat’s skin or fur under a microscope to determine whether or not your cat has mange.

There are a few different types of mange that are thought to affect cats. Ear mites are not usually considered mange, but the parasites that cause ear mites can also cause mange. Ear mites should always be treated with injections or prescription ear drops. When a cat has ear mites, the inside of their ears will look dirty. Black oily-looking dirt will cover the inside of the cat’s ears. These are not the actual mites, but are the dropping left behind from the mites.

Another form of mange is called Demodex Mange, also called “red mange”. This type of mange is not contagious. Cat and dogs do not pass this type of mange to each other. Most cats and dogs have small amounts of these mites living on their skin. This form of mange does not often bother the cat unless it becomes inflamed. It might show up on the cat as small patches of hair loss. In more serious cases, it can cause a bacterial infection on the skin. The skin can become inflamed, red and itchy. Demodex Mange usually starts causing problems in cats that are immuno-suppressed or that are aging. This type of mange can also adversely affect cats with poor nutrition. Hormones and stress might also cause this type of mange to cause problems. It can be seen in pregnant and nursing cats or male cats that are not neutered.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

There are treatment options for this kind of mange. When you take your cat to the vet for possible mange, you vet will perform a thorough health exam. This will rule out autoimmune diseases and other forms of parasites such as worms. An oral medication called Ivermectin can be used. Although this drug is not approved by the FDA to use for mange, many vets find this treatment extremely effective. Another treatment option is dipping your cat in a prescribed pesticide. This is highly effective, but can be cause problems such as vomiting and seizures in cats. Also, it is poisonous, so it should not be used with pregnant cats or by people who are pregnant. This dip is usually done weekly for up to six weeks.

Sarcoptic mange is another form of mange that can affect cats. This form of mange is highly contagious and very problematic. Cat that are affected by this type of mange are extremely itchy and the scratching can cause serious inflammation and sometimes bleeding of the skin. Mites will burrow into the skin and lay the eggs. When a cat has this, the excessive scratching can also cause scabbing and infections on the skin.

This form of mange is usually determined by examining the cat’s skin or fur under a microscope. If it is indeed Sarcoptic mange, your vet will want to wash the cat with a medicated shampoo and then treat the cat with a pesticide dip. Just as with “red mange”, this pesticide dip is very potent and extreme caution should be used when treating your cat.

If you suspect your cat has mange, you will have to take your cat to the vet for an exam. In order to treat the infection, it is necessary to know which type of mange your cat has. Also, it is not recommended to use “home remedies” for mange that are often found. These can be extremely dangerous to your cat. In many cases, hair loss is not mange. Hair loss can be caused by allergic reactions to foods, plants or even medications. Allergic reactions are treated much differently than mange so it is very important to seek medical care for your cat.

As your knowledge about cat care continues to grow, you will begin to see how cat care fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

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