Very soon warm days will come, fresh grass will appear, and mites dangerous to the health of pets will appear in it. Interestingly, not a single animal is safe from parasite infection. The ear tick in domestic cats, of course, is rarely diagnosed, but it can also be detected even if the animal does not go out at all.
Types of disease
Ear scabies is actually a very common disease, so there is nothing special in its detection. Naturally, ignoring the problem, the animal may even die or lose hearing, so owners of furry predators should more often examine their pets and observe their behavior in order to detect the problem in time.
The ear mite in cats can be of two varieties. Most often, pets are infected with otodectosis - the internal form, but sometimes parasites can live on the outer surface of the ear, the disease is called notothedrosis. These varieties of the disease are caused by all kinds of parasites, are diagnosed by various signs and are also treated differently.
Species of ticks
These parasites belong to tiny arthropods, and it is impossible to see them with the naked eye.
Ototdectes cynotus is a tick that lives in the ear of an animal. His body is oval, slightly elongated, the color is light yellow. The length of the mature parasite is only 0.2-0.6 mm. The ear mite in cats feeds on epidermal scales in the auditory opening and causes a terrible itch in pets. The products of his vital activity in the ear cause inflammation and excessive production of sulfur. The parasite's life cycle is 28 days in an ideal environment, while the tick is able to wait for “its” animal for more than two months in the grass, on human clothes or other places.
Notoedres cati - a parasite that lives on the outer surface of the ear. His vital activity causes the disease of notohedrosis, which is most often affected by small kittens. Their length is even shorter - 0.14-0.45 mm, and the body itself is colorless and rounded. The life span of these ticks is a maximum of 8 weeks, but if you ignore the problem, they spread throughout the cat's face.
Infection options
Pet owners should be aware that ticks are not able to fly or jump, which means they can get on the body of the animal only through direct contact. In the wild, many animals are susceptible to infection with these parasites, therefore, the mites themselves often live in the grass in anticipation of "their new home." Based on this, the ear tick in cats appears most often if the pet periodically goes outside. This occurs when contacting an infected animal, walking on grass, attics or basements where there are accumulations of parasites. Flies and even humans themselves can carry arthropods on their shoes or clothes. For us, these pests are not dangerous, but without knowing it, having stroked a dirty cat on the street, we can bring its parasites to our pet.
Why are ticks activated in the spring and summer? Yes, because at temperatures below -7 ° C they simply die. Under favorable conditions, they are able to live even without an animal for up to 1 month indoors and up to 2 months on the street.
It is important to know that external ticks can cause inflammation of the skin in humans.
Symptoms of an ear tick in cats
The main sign of parasite infection is intense itching in the ears of the animal. The pet will be restless, often shaking his head and scratching the infected ear. At the initial stage, the cat may simply try to shake out the parasite, after which its head will almost always be turned sideways so that the infected area will be below. Regular scratching leads to the formation of wounds and scratches, which become inflamed and disturb the pet even more. Ears look dirty, they form puffiness and scabs of brown color.
Ear mite waste from cats accumulates and, together with sulfur, form plugs that reduce the hearing of the animal.
In the last stages, purulent and bloody discharge with a terrible smell appears from the ears, parasites get to the inner ear, infecting the meninges. At the same time, the cat is tormented by nervous seizures, and she dies.
Diagnostics
To begin treatment of an ear tick in cats, it is necessary to diagnose it correctly. You can do it yourself as follows:
- With a cotton swab, take as much discharge from the auricle of the pet as possible.
- Slightly tapping to shake off particles from it on a dark surface (no parasites will be visible on white).
- Use bright light and a magnifying glass to look at the wand and fabric. If movement is noticed, then the pet is infected.
After this, you should immediately go to the veterinarian, since only he can determine the type of parasite and prescribe the appropriate treatment. The ear mite in cats in a hospital is diagnosed using a microscope and scraping of tissues from the inner surface of the ear or along the perimeter of the infected area if the disease develops on the outer surface.
Treatment rules
First of all, it should be remembered that the result of treatment of the ear tick in cats at home will be noticeable only if the duration of therapy is observed. The fact is that medicines, like folk ones, affect only adults and do not affect their eggs. To completely get rid of parasites, it will be necessary to carry out treatment for at least a month until new parasites hatch.
You will also need to protect the infected animal from contact with other pets, if any in the house. They can be temporarily relocated to relatives or at least to another room.
Every day before using the medicine, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the animal's ears with disinfectant solutions. Chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide will do. Ears should be treated inside and out with cotton buds, completely freeing organs from secretions and crusts.
To relieve itching, the cat should be given an antihistamine, and to prevent combing, put on a special collar on the head. After hygienic procedures, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly, and it is better to wear gloves and carry out cleaning and treatment.
It is equally important to strengthen the immunity of the animal, because it is on it that the speed of recovery and the chance to pick up parasites depend again. The pet should be fully fed, given vitamins and immunostimulants.
The treatment prescribed by the doctor must be strictly observed. In the middle and severe stages of infection, only medications can help the animal.
Ear cleaning
The ear tick in cats (the photo of the parasite can be seen above in the article) causes many negative consequences, and in the first stages of development can be completely invisible. As a prophylaxis of its appearance or for regular washing of the ear, not only medicinal antiseptics, but also green tea can be used during treatment. To do this, it is necessary to brew it cool and cool, and then put a little tea in a pipette or syringe without a needle. Before instillation, the ear must be slightly pulled up so that the channels open and the solution gets as deep as possible. For each ear, a few drops are enough, after which the ear needs to be pressed a little. Removing contamination after this will be much easier.
Drops from the ear tick for cats are applied in the same way, only after they get into the auricle, the ear must be folded in half and massage a little so that the medicine gets as deep as possible. If this is not done, the cat will immediately shake out the medication.
It is very important to treat both ears during treatment, even if only one infection has occurred.
Medications
All veterinary medicines for ticks are divided into several groups:
- Sprays
- ointments;
- drops;
- injections.
The first are made on the basis of "Dermatozole", "Acrodex" and "Tsiodrin". They are convenient to use, because they are sprayed at a short distance from the ear, but at the same time uneconomical and expensive.
Ointments are used in the initial stages of the disease, and drops - even with damage to the eardrum. The latter can be narrow-profile or a wide range of effects. Most often, drops are used in combination with antimycotic agents or antifungal ointments. In a complex form, the disease is treated with Gamavit or Tetravit injections. Most often, veterinarians prescribe such drops for cats:
- "Amitrazin."
- "Leopard".
- Aurikan.
- "Tsipam."
If the parasite provoked the development of otitis media, Genodex or Sofradex drops are additionally prescribed. You may also need the antibiotic Cefazolin or Cefuroxime.
Treatment of the external form of the disease
If the cat has developed notoedrosis, the affected skin should be treated with petroleum jelly or sedimentary sulfur 2-3 times a day for a week. Also, while bathing the animal, “Hexachloran Emulsion” can be added to the water. At the last stages of the development of the disease, a solution of 15-20% benzyl benzoate helps perfectly.
Folk methods
In the initial stages of treatment of ear mites in cats at home, many use proven folk remedies. Some experts recommend using them, but only as a supplement to complex drug therapy.
So, you can use the natural antiseptic properties of garlic to treat ear parasites. To do this, its cloves need to be insisted in any vegetable oil, and then use the prepared liquid as drops. Apply such a tool once a day, using for each ear only 2 drops.
You can bury the ears of a cat with celandine juice, in the summertime it is not difficult to find it. To obtain it, you need to carefully chop or twist the stems and leaves of the plant in a meat grinder. The resulting juice is dripped in each cat's ear 2 drops twice a day.
To disinfect the inner surface of the animal’s ears, you can prepare the following solution: combine 1 part alcohol iodine and 4 parts glycerol.
Scratched areas around the ears should also be regularly treated. Excellent for this is Konkova ointment, which you can buy at a pharmacy or cook at home.
Prevention
In order for the symptoms and treatment of ear mites in cats not to be a topical problem in the warm season, the condition of the animal should be carefully monitored. Prevention of the appearance of parasites will be regular processing of the pet's resting place and cleanliness in the house. Also, the cat must be fully fed so that the pet's immunity can withstand infection itself. As a supplement, you can periodically solder your pet with vitamins.
Well, and, of course, the main method of prevention is regular cleaning of the pet’s ears and their examination. To maintain cleanliness, you can use Otodepin drops, special products and lotions, or simply treat the auricles with disinfectant solutions, removing impurities. The main rule for the prevention of any disease is a strong immunity, cleanliness of the animal and order in the house.
It should also be remembered that it is small kittens that are most susceptible to infection. Most drugs are designed for their age, but not all folk remedies may be applicable to them, special attention should be paid to this. Also, not every method can be used in the treatment of pregnant or lactating animals.