Cat Mange and Scabies: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Vanesa Farmer, DVM on March 16, 2023

In this Article

• What Types of Mange Can Cats Have?
• How Can I Tell If My Cat Has Mange?
• What Is the Treatment for Mange in Cats?

Mange is a skin problem that affects many animals, including cats, but it’s not an illness. Mange is caused by tiny parasites called mites that bite your pet’s skin and cause itching, flaking, hair loss, and inflammation. 

Scabies is a specific type of mange that is associated with the Sarcoptes species of mite, which causes sarcoptic mange.

Mange is uncommon in cats, so owners don’t always recognize it right away. It is highly contagious and can spread between pets, so it’s important to treat mites as soon as you can. There are several medicines that can effectively get rid of mange. Your veterinarian can help you find the best one for your cat.

There are several types of mange mites, which are tiny arachnids that burrow under the top layers of skin and cause discomfort to the host. Adult mites can lay eggs under the skin.

There are several types of mange in cats:

• Canine Scabies (Sarcoptic Mange): Despite the word “canine” in the name, these mites can affect cats as well. Cats usually get them from an affected dog living in the same house. They cause sores, hair loss, and itching.
• Feline Scabies (Notoedric Mange): Feline scabies are a different parasite than canine scabies, but the symptoms they cause are similar.
• Ear Mites (Otodectic Mange): Ear mites burrow inside your cat’s ears. They tend to be found inside the ear canal, but they can also affect the outer ear. They cause itching and can result in damage to your cat’s eardrum.
• Walking Dandruff (Cheyletiellosis): These mites get their name because they are small and white and move around a pet’s body. They affect many types of housepets and can also affect humans.
• Trombiculosis: These mites are more commonly known as chiggers. They attach themselves to your cat’s skin and feed on blood before dropping off. They look like small, orange ovals, and they may appear on your cat’s head, paws, or belly.

Feline demodicosis, which can cause itching and hair loss in cats that are already sick, is caused by demodex mites and is classified as mange.

Most cat owners suspect mange because their cat is scratching themselves more than usual. Mites are itchy and uncomfortable, so your cat will do whatever they can for relief. They will lick, bite, or scratch the affected spots. 

Your cat’s attempts to stop the itching can worsen the problem by irritating their skin even more. The mites, along with the scratching, can result in hair loss and inflamed skin. You might see scaly patches of skin, sores, or scabs on your cat.

With ear mites, cats shake their heads and lay their ears flat to relieve discomfort inside their ear canals. You may be able to see a buildup of heavy ear wax and mite residue in your cat’s ears.

You may also notice that you are being bitten by mites. Some mange mites can get onto humans and cause itching, redness, and swelling. However, these mites can’t breed on humans, so it’s much easier to get rid of them on yourself than on your pet. Talk to your doctor about treating mite bites on your skin.

If you suspect your cat has mange, you will need to take them to the vet for diagnosis and treatment. Your vet will take skin scrapings from the affected area and look at them under a microscope for evidence of mange mites.

There are several treatments for mange in cats, including some that are commonly used for preventing fleas and heartworm. However, the dosing for mites may be different, so make sure to speak with your vet.

Your vet may also suggest special shampoos or soothing medicines for any sores on your cat’s skin.

If you have other pets at home, your vet might tell you to treat them for mites or to isolate any affected pets so the mites won’t spread. You should also ask your vet for cleaning tips. Mites can linger on your pet’s bed, toys, or collar, as well as your carpets and furniture.

If your cat gets mange, make sure to follow your vet’s suggestions for treatment and follow-up care. 

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CDC – Scabies – Disease

When a person is infested with scabies mites the first time, symptoms usually do not appear for up to two months (2-6 weeks) after being infested; however, an infested person still can spread scabies during this time even though he/she does not have symptoms.

If a person has had scabies before, symptoms appear much sooner (1-4 days) after exposure. An infested person can transmit scabies, even if they do not have symptoms, until they are successfully treated and the mites and eggs are destroyed.

Common Symptoms

The most common symptoms of scabies, itching and a skin rash, are caused by sensitization (a type of “allergic” reaction) to the proteins and feces of the parasite. Severe itching (pruritus), especially at night, is the earliest and most common symptom of scabies. A pimple-like (papular) itchy (pruritic) “scabies rash” is also common. Itching and rash may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as:

• Between the fingers
• Wrist
• Elbow
• Armpit
• Penis

• Nipple
• Waist
• Buttocks
• Shoulder blades

The head, face, neck, palms, and soles often are involved in infants and very young children, but usually not adults and older children.

Tiny burrows sometimes are seen on the skin; these are caused by the female scabies mite tunneling just beneath the surface of the skin. These burrows appear as tiny raised and crooked (serpiginous) grayish-white or skin-colored lines on the skin surface. Because mites are often few in number (only 10-15 mites per person), these burrows may be difficult to find. They are found most often in the webbing between the fingers, in the skin folds on the wrist, elbow, or knee, and on the penis, breast, or shoulder blades.

Possible Complications

The intense itching of scabies leads to scratching that can lead to skin sores. The sores sometimes become infected with bacteria on the skin, such as Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic streptococci. Sometimes the bacterial skin infection can lead an inflammation of the kidneys called post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Crusted (Norwegian) scabies

Crusted scabies is a severe form of scabies that can affect the elderly, persons who are immunocompromised, or persons who have conditions that prevent them from itching and/or scratching (spinal cord injury, paralysis, loss of sensation, mental debility). Crusted scabies is characterized by vesicles and thick crusts over the skin that can contain many mites. Itching (pruritus) may be absent in crusted scabies because of a patient’s altered immune status or neurological condition. Because they are infested with large numbers of mites (up to 2 million), persons with crusted scabies are very contagious. Persons with crusted scabies may not show the usual signs and symptoms of scabies such as the characteristic rash or itching (pruritus).

Treatment of scabies in Moscow – prices, an appointment at the Yuzhny clinic

The most common skin disease among those caused by parasites is scabies. The cause of itching and changes on the skin in the form of an erythematous papulovesicular rash is a scabies mite – itching.

According to medical statistics, more than 300 million cases of infection occur annually worldwide. She gets sick not only in countries with a low standard of living, but also in the most progressive states in terms of medical provision.

Treatment of scabies involves isolating the patient from contact with others and the use of special anti-scabies ointments and preparations. It is divided into specific, preventive and trial.

specific method. It is used when the disease is identified and confirmed.

preventive method. It is prescribed to persons who have come into contact with an infected person.

trial method. Used when scabies is suspected. As a rule, it is used when the disease proceeds in a latent form.

How to identify?

Itching with scabies in humans occurs, as a rule, in the evening or in the first half of the night. This is due to the fact that female ticks living on the skin of an infected person become active at this time, gnaw passages in tissues, feed, lay eggs and excrete excrement.

If you or your friends have itching that occurs at this particular time of day, and red and indurated dots appear on the skin – especially where the hair follicles are located – you should immediately limit contact with others and immediately seek medical help.

The incubation period for scabies lasts about two weeks. It is during this time that the larva grows to the size of an adult tick, capable of causing considerable discomfort to its victim. If the cause of infection was not a larva, but an already formed female, then the first signs of the disease appear very quickly – the very next day.

Symptoms and signs

In adults and children, in men and women, in the elderly, the course of the disease and the signs of scabies are somewhat different. However, the most important symptom that appears in almost all forms is itching.

The second symptom that allows you to accurately diagnose the disease is the presence of an itch in the patient.

What scabies looks like

There are two forms of scabies: typical and atypical . The typical form involves “moves” characteristic of the tick and occurs in the same places. On the surface of the skin there are whitish-gray passages ranging in size from one millimeter to 1 centimeter. The tick is visible through the skin as a black dot. The disease is localized in places between the fingers, on the wrists from their inner side, in the elbows, on the folds of the limbs, around the nipples and on the genitals.

An atypical form is a deviation from the normal course of the disease. Patients experience:

1. The so-called “ hidden ” form. Absence of tick moves and other clinical signs.
2. Scabious lymphoplasia – soft itchy dark red bumps in the armpits, abdomen, genitals.
3. Scabious erythroderma – many small passages in atypical places and no pronounced itching. As a rule, it occurs in those who self-medicate, using unsuitable means for this.
4. “Clean” scabies , also called “incognito” – mildly manifested in those who overly follow personal hygiene, taking water procedures several times a day. The symptoms of the disease become minimal.
5. Norwegian – a severe form of the disease. It develops against the background of human immunodeficiency. Sometimes it is confused with psoriasis dermatitis due to a clear focus and whitish scales raised above the surface of the skin.
6. Complicated . There are signs of secondary pyoderma and dermatitis, sometimes – microbial eczema or urticaria.
7. Child . This form is characterized by a large spread of the process.
8. Scabies in the elderly . Single passages are observed, their intact variants predominate. Few vesicles and papules.

Diagnostics

From the point of view of domestic dermatology, the following typical symptoms of scabies are distinguished for diagnosing the disease:

1. Ardi’s symptom – pustules and crusts of pus are observed in the elbow area;
2. “Gorchakova” – the presence of bloody crusts;
3. “Michaelis” – in a patient in the intergluteal region and on the sacrum, crusts of clotted blood and an impetiginous rash appear;
4. “Cesari” – the final sign in the diagnosis – the presence of scabies that rise above the skin.

The doctor collects an anamnesis, examines the victim, finds out if there was contact with other patients, determines the presence of a tick and its larvae. The course is detected by applying an iodine solution to the skin or applying mineral oil and pressing with glass. Sometimes a microscope may be required for examination: the doctor takes samples of the affected tissue and examines them for signs of infection.

Treatment of scabies in Yuzhny clinic

In our institution, scabies has been successfully and effectively treated for many years. Qualified specialists have the latest equipment for diagnosing diseases and modern methods of therapy that do not contradict the standards of treatment adopted in Russia.

At the first signs of the disease, we recommend making an appointment with the doctors of the dermatological department of the Yuzhny clinic.

Which doctor should I contact?

The disease is treated by a dermatologist. After talking and examining the patient, the specialist prescribes treatment with anti-scabpocidic drugs that destroy the passages of ticks and kill them.

Scabies in adults

There are a large number of sebaceous glands in the areas of the neck, back and hair on the head. Therefore, in adults with scabies, as a rule, there are no passages in these places. For reproduction, mites need access to air, which is completely blocked by the produced sebum.

In children

It is much easier to get scabies in childhood than in adults. This is due to the fact that the skin of the child is much more tender, and the body is not yet strong. Therefore, scabies in children is common – they spend a lot of time in kindergartens, schools, and other institutions, where they become infected with various diseases from their peers. If quarantine measures are not taken in time, the disease can spread to the scale of a local epidemic.

Experts call a number of signs by which a parent may suspect scabies in a child:

1. Sleep disorders;
2. Capriciousness and weakness;
3. The appearance of cracks on the surface of the skin;
4. Itching in the evening and at night;
5. Pinkish or whitish rash.

Preparations and ointments for scabies

For the treatment of scabies, the attending physician usually prescribes the following drugs, the action of which is aimed at the destruction of the mites themselves, their eggs and larvae:

1. Benzyl benzoate as emulsion or ointment. It is prescribed for both adults and children from 3 to 7 years old, but in different concentrations (20% and 10%).
2. Spregal is an aerosol that does not require constant application and is applied once for mild forms of the disease and repeatedly for severe cases. The medicine is harmless and applies to all categories.
3. Sulfur ointment (33%) – used every day for a week. Dangerous for children under 3 years old, pregnant and lactating women.
4. Perimetrin (5%) – ointment, used in the evening before bedtime for 3 days. The drug is contraindicated in children under one year old, women during breastfeeding.
5. Crotamiton (10%) – also an ointment, is used every day until complete recovery.

To relieve itching, experts prescribe antihistamine tablets for scabies.

When treating and using external medicines, it is important to follow certain rules:

1. Skin must be clean before treatment;
2. No special equipment is required for application – all preparations are applied with washed hands with soap;
3. Bed linen is changed before the first medication and after the course is completed;
4. All persons who are close to the patient should also receive preventive treatment.

The specialist determines the choice of the drug, the duration of the course, the dosage based on the severity and type of the disease.

Prophylaxis

There are rules, following which, a person minimizes the risk of contracting a scabies mite after contact with a patient:

1. Bath, shower or sauna twice a day;
2. Use of laundry or tar soap;
3. Timely cutting of nails;
4. Having one sexual partner;
5. Hygiene items must be personal;
6. Regular handwashing;
7. Avoid using toilet paper, paper towels and other disposable and reusable items in public places;
8. Isolation of the patient in a separate ventilated room.

The infected person must be completely isolated from contact with people and suspended from visiting public places until complete recovery. At home, it is necessary to treat furniture and things that the infected person has come into contact with with antibacterial agents. For these purposes, anti-tick drugs are used.

Fabric items should be placed in airtight plastic bags for 3-5 days (the time during which female ticks die), and then washed.

All patients after recovery should be under dispensary observation – this allows you to avoid relapses, complications and prevent the spread of the disease.

As a preventive measure, medical institutions timely identify patients and establish the focus of an outbreak of the disease, organize and control measures for the disinfection of premises where infection has occurred.

Why we are trusted

We at Yuzhny Clinic have been successfully treating various types of diseases in Moscow since 1989 years old Behind us are tens of thousands of grateful patients who turned to the specialists of the clinic with their problems and received timely treatment.

An individual approach to each patient, a polite attitude, the use of modern and traditional methods, reasonable prices – this is what we meet with each patient.

We treat, not sell services. Therefore, people turn to us again and again, trusting the most precious thing that everyone has – health.

FAQ

Patients are concerned about many topics related to this disease. We have prepared answers to the most frequently asked questions. Before you ask a question, check if it has been answered below.

How long does it take for scabies?

It all depends on what drug the doctor prescribed, what stage the disease is in, the typical or atypical type of scabies in the patient.

On average, larvae die in 2-3 days during treatment, after 7-10 days the main symptoms of the disease disappear. Itching may continue for several days after therapy. If the itching has not stopped, new skin rashes have appeared – you have a relapse and you need to contact a dermatologist again.

What are the most effective ointments?

The most effective are considered to be permethrin, benzyl benzoate and sulfuric ointment. Medicines are effective only if they are used according to a given scheme, agreed with the attending physician.

Is it possible to be treated at home?

In no case. Remember that only a doctor can tell you how to treat scabies, diagnose it and prescribe certain drugs. Do not start the disease and seek medical help in time!

How is scabies contracted?

People who are in close contact with an itch patient are at risk. You can also get infected in public places – baths and saunas, toilets, hostels. The most susceptible to the disease are those who live with the victim under the same roof. The source of the disease is scabies itch – a mite that lays larvae in the skin. The more severe a disease is in a person, the more contagious it is.

Treatment of scabies | LDC №1 Lipetsk

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