Cat ear mites are extremely contagious.
Cat ear mites are something that most cat owners will probably come across at some time. If you’re new to owning a cat, you may not have ever dealt with ear mites on a pet before. It’s not something that should alarm you, but it does need to be dealt with as soon as possible. No one likes seeing their pet in distress. The mites are most often seen in kittens, though they can and do affect cats of any age. They are extremely contagious, and can be passed from cat to cat and even from a dog to cat.
If you notice your cat continually shaking its head, or twitching its ears or rubbing them frequently, you need to investigate. Ear mites are parasites, and as such can become a health issue for your cat. You may have had something crawl in your ear at some time in your life and know how frustrating and irritating it can be. You can do something about it, ask someone to look or get yourself to the doctor. You have probably used a cotton bud to try and remove it yourself. Your poor cat can’t do this. He is dependent on you noticing the problem and doing something about it.
If you suspect ear mites, try to inspect your cat’s ears yourself first. You can do this by holding your cat on your knee and gently moving the ear so you can look inside. If you see dark flecks or similar, these are mite’s droppings. I would suggest taking your cat to your veterinarian to have this confirmed and to find the best method of treating it.
Ear mites are an spider like external parasite and can cause your cat a fair amount of misery. Apart from seeing your cat shaking its head or continually rubbing its ears, other symptoms can include a discharge or blood coming from your cats ear, or an odour. Ear mites burrow into the ear and cause an inflammation. The body responds to this inflammation by producing wax, which the mites feed on.
Cat ear mites are a spider-like external parasite.
The most common type of mite that infects cats is Otodectes Cynotis, and they can live on any part of the body as well as in the ear.
If the infestation is not treated, permanent damage can be caused to the ear by scratching and infection, as well as thickening of the skin. As the ear mites burrow into the skin, scabs are formed. And as your cat scratches, the skin is torn and more scabs are formed. The ear produces more wax to deal with these problems, the mites feed off this wax and so the cycle continues. This buildup of wax can also cause damage to the eardrum and the ear canal, which could in turn lead to permanent hearing loss.
The treatment for ear mites depends on how severe the problem is. It could be as simple as some ear drops or perhaps an ear flush. Your vet is the best person to make this decision.
With the right treatment, most of the ear mites will be cleaned out of your cats ear immediately giving almost instant relief. Of course, the sooner the diagnosis is made and treatment commenced, the sooner your cat will be back to its normal self. Some form of ongoing treatment such as ear drops will undoubtedly be necessary for a month or so to make sure all eggs are killed and reinfestation does occur.
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