Do cat ear mites spread to people? Ear mites in cats and kittens. How to treat a cat's ears for ear mites before starting treatment

Otodectosis is a common skin disease among street and domestic animals that affects the ears. The good news is that ear mites in cats are almost always easy to detect and treat. If your pet comes into contact with other animals or walks outside, there is a risk of infection.

Ignoring the disease leads to a deterioration in the general condition, which can have unpleasant complications for the animal. In addition, many owners are concerned about whether ear mites in cats are dangerous for humans and other animals, what is the likelihood of infection and how to protect their family from possible illness.

It is important to know! Ear mites do not bite easily; they penetrate the host's skin with their paws and proboscis. They feed on lymph, skin and intercellular tissue, and secrete waste products that are toxic in large quantities.

Note! There are more than 850 species of ticks on the planet that infect domestic animals, but within the framework of this topic, Otodectes cynotis and Notoedres will be discussed, as the most frequent “guests” of the ears of pets.

Read also: Main infectious diseases in cats: their symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Both diseases have similar symptoms - itching and restlessness, affects both ears, and is transmitted by contact to other cats, dogs and other animals. However, there are a number of important differences that are extremely important for diagnosis and subsequent treatment:

Domestic cats have partially lost the “invulnerability” given to them by nature; the situation worsened when breeders started working on new breeds through gene mutation. Unnatural nutrition and progressive veterinary medicine have been added to the constant “breeding” work, allowing individuals “hopeless for nature” to survive. No matter how cruel it may sound, the causes of almost all diseases atypical for animals lie in human intervention in natural selection.

Read also: Ligament rupture in a cat: we understand the types and causes

Diagnosing ear mites in cats

In the typical form of otodectosis, self-confirmation of the diagnosis is allowed. The disease occurs in several stages:

Primary infection– grains or stains of a dirty brown color are observed in the ear folds.

Acute form– the auricle is generously coated with brown “mush”, the consistency is most often wet with fragments of earwax. When an animal scratches its ear, a characteristic “smacking” sound is heard. If you run a finger or a cotton swab along the inner surface of the ear, a reaction from the hind legs is observed - tremor, imitation of scratching. A similar reaction to stroking from the outside indicates sarcoptic mange (subcutaneous mite) or notoedrosis.

Complicated form– there is pus, blood or black-green patches in the ear. Touching causes pain, the animal shakes its head. This degree of damage is most often accompanied by secondary symptoms - nasal discharge, tearfulness, severe scratching of the head.

In terms of general information, it is worth knowing why ear mites are dangerous in cats:

Epidemiological spread - the carrier infects all animals with which it comes into contact.

Scratching, self-injury, up to hematomas and traumatic brain injuries.

Spread of the lesion to other parts of the body (tail, croup, neck) if the cat likes to sleep in a ball.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes, as a result of a decrease in the level of the body's immune defense.

In complicated forms - deafness, central nervous system disorder, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, spillage of pus in the soft tissues of the head.

Let's figure out how to determine the presence of ear mites in a pet. You will need: a cotton swab, a sheet of black paper, a bright light, if you have vision problems - a magnifying glass. Algorithm:

We open the animal’s ear, take a cotton swab and in one movement grab the maximum possible amount of plaque (mush).

Hold the cotton swab over a sheet of paper and gently tap the plastic base with your finger.

We put the stick next to it and look carefully at the leaf. You are interested in a white dot, 2-3 times smaller than a grain of semolina porridge. The dot was found, lay in place, and then began to move - bingo! It's an ear mite!

We roll up the sheet and throw it away, and then we go to the pet store or to the veterinarian for advice.

By bringing a cat into your home, a person undertakes to properly care for it. These animals are susceptible to many different diseases, so the treatment process should be given maximum attention. Among the common diseases is ear mite infestation. Every furry animal owner should be able to correctly diagnose this disease in order to take immediate action.

Causes of ear mites

Most of the confusion arises among owners of domestic cats who do not go out for walks at all. But there are a large number of reasons for the appearance of such a disease:

the most common option is direct contact of a pet with an infected animal;
using the same combs, bowls, toys and other items for healthy and sick animals;
fleas can carry ticks;
Ticks enter the house on a person. He brings them on shoes, clothes or hands;
ear mites can be carried by flies.

How to identify ear mites in a cat

To effectively combat ear mites, it is necessary to properly diagnose them. This can be done at home. To understand that your cat is really infected, you need to know the main symptoms that accompany this disease:

(Video: “How to cure ear mites in a cat?”)

Many pet owners, faced with this problem, begin to use traditional methods of treatment. Of course, this option cannot be ignored, because in ancient times improvised means were used quite effectively.

(Video: “How to treat a kitten for ear mites at home?”)

Preventive measures will protect or detect the disease at an early stage. To avoid infection, try to limit your cat's contact with stray animals. You should also check your pet's ears regularly. To reduce the likelihood of infection, constant hygiene is necessary. Using moistened cotton swabs, periodically clean the ears.

Veterinarians recommend monthly use of hygiene lotions designed to treat the ear canals. They have a low price, but are an effective preventive measure. Such products are suitable for pregnant females, kittens and cats with weakened immune systems.

Healthy cats are not at risk. Of course, they can become infected, but this happens much less frequently than in sick animals. That is why it is necessary to regularly monitor the general health of the animal. Provide your pet with proper and balanced nutrition, which will have a positive effect on the condition of the whole body.

At the same time, you need to understand that any preventive measures do not provide a 100% guarantee of protection against infection. The combination of all these methods will only minimize the likelihood of infection with ear mites.

If you do not start treating ear mites in the initial stages of infection, this will negatively affect the tissues of the ear canals. Surgery may be needed. In general, ear mites are a disease that simply cannot be ignored.

If left untreated, inflammation spreads to the inner and middle ear and penetrates the meninges. In this case, you can observe the pet’s depressed state and an increase in its temperature. Often the cat begins to walk with a crooked head, tilting it in the problematic direction. The most advanced infection causes frequent seizures, which can cause death. In the initial stages, dealing with this problem can be quite simple. That is why treatment must begin when the first symptoms appear.

In advanced diseases, the integrity of the eardrum may be compromised. This leads to hearing loss. Often not only the ears, but also the membranes of the brain become inflamed. Without emergency medical intervention, this can lead to the death of the pet. If the initial stage is still difficult to identify, then an advanced case is visible immediately. In this condition, self-treatment should not be used. An experienced veterinarian will help here by prescribing the use of certain intramuscular injections and treatment with strong antibiotics.

Having discovered an ear mite on a pet, everyone wonders whether this infection is dangerous for humans. It is worth noting that no cases of human infection with ear mites have been recorded. Experts say that parasites can only appear in animals with fur: cats, dogs, rabbits, chinchillas and other pets. The tick can only be transmitted from animal to animal. If there are several pets in the house, the infected one must be isolated from healthy pets.

What is an ear mite, how to identify it, and why is it dangerous? There is only one answer to such questions: ignoring any discrepancies with the natural state of the ears is fraught with serious complications, even death.

The insect is a microscopic arthropod organism, whitish in color.
Oval body shape, approximately 0.3–0.7 mm in size.
They belong to the genus Otodectes cynotus and prefer a moist and warm environment, which is found on the inner surface of the animal’s ear, in the external auditory canal.
Peak of infections occurs in spring and autumn, it can live in the donor’s body for several years without causing any particular concern to the pet’s owners.
Feeds on skin particles , destroying its protective layer with lymph.
Transmission routes – infected animals, fleas.
Otodectes cynotus is also dangerous for other fur-bearing animals – rabbits, foxes, dogs, arctic foxes.
Infection most often occurs on both sides, very rarely only one side is affected.

Ear mite.

Are ear mites in cats contagious to humans?

Otodectosis is not dangerous for humans, due to the fact that it is typical only for fur-bearing animals.

Otodectosis is not dangerous to humans.

However, people can act as carriers of the disease, and taking all precautions is necessary.

Otodectes cynotus

Notoedres cati is dangerous to humans.

Once on human skin, the mite causes severe itching.

After some time, the symptoms disappear and no longer appear. When caring for sick animals, owners should exercise caution and adhere to asepsis rules and antiseptics. Irritated and inflamed skin is a favorable environment for the occurrence of secondary skin pathologies.

Symptoms of otodectosis

As a result of the itching, the cat shakes its head.

The main clinical picture of otodectosis at the initial stage is manifested in the atypical behavior of the pet.

As a result of the itching, the cat shakes its head, becomes nervous, and is reluctant to make contact with the owner. When examining the sink, the contents are dark brown with a fetid odor. In advanced cases, discharge is possible purulent in nature . Before a medical examination, it is prohibited to remove the contents so as not to complicate the diagnosis.

Symptoms of notohedrosis

Infection with notoedrosis occurs in the form of papules.

In contrast to otodectosis, the symptoms of notohedrosis are characterized by the fact that damage is possible not only on the outer surface of the hearing organs, but also spreads further, to the area of the superciliary arches and the base of the nose.

Further, as a result of scratching, the cat spreads inflammatory lesions throughout the body. Infection occurs in the form of papules, which eventually open up and become crusty. Young individuals are most at risk.

Ear mites in humans are not as rare as they seem at first glance. At the same time, lifestyle and social status are often not of fundamental importance. This problem is much more complex than the relatively harmless otitis media - infection leads to damage to the skin. How to recognize the presence of mites in people’s ears, and how dangerous ear mites are, will be discussed today.

Experts identify the following as provoking factors for the development of the disease:

severe illnesses;
severe or regular stress;
unbalanced or insufficient nutrition;
age-related changes in the body;
chronic lack of sleep;
pregnancy.

Any of these factors can weaken the body’s protective functions and lead to mite activation.

Treatment methods

Prevention

Answering the question whether ear mites are dangerous, we can say unequivocally: such a mite poses a much greater danger to humans than those arthropods that we sometimes “bring” from country walks.

Moreover, the symptoms and treatment of the disease cannot always be recognized immediately. We sincerely hope that every mother who has read this material has gained the necessary knowledge and will carefully monitor the health of her children in order to prevent such a problem.

What do ear mites look like in cats? (see photo below). At the initial stage of the disease, the most obvious symptoms of ear mites are the following:

The cat scratches its ears frequently and forcefully;
Shakes his head, trying to get rid of uninvited guests;
Dry gray-brown discharge appears inside the ear.

As a result of ear mite infection, fungal inflammation can develop, sometimes otitis media is added to this, and discharge from the ears can be accompanied by the appearance of brown scabs.

Treatment

Next, we will tell you how to treat ear mites in cats. If you notice similar symptoms in your pet, do not self-medicate. Although otodectosis is a fairly common disease, no one better than a veterinarian can correctly diagnose and prescribe treatment. The doctor at the clinic takes discharge from the ears for analysis, and then prescribes the necessary treatment.

Drops against ear mites

Typically used to get rid of ear mites in cats:

Drops Frontline;
And also Aversectin ointment;
Amidel-gel;
Amit Forte.

How to instill droplets, watch the video:

Treatment of the auricle

If the animal's ears are very dirty, before instilling the drops, it is necessary to clean the auricle, for which special lotions are used, for example, Otifri, or any other lotion that does not contain alcohol. In extreme cases, hydrogen peroxide can be used.

However, before treating your cat for ear mites at home, We strongly recommend contacting a specialist! To clean the ears, lotion - 5-10 drops - is dropped into the ears, massage the ear at the base, allowing the animal to shake its head, this way the lotion will penetrate deep into the auricle. Under no circumstances should you use cotton swabs when cleaning your ears, especially in the first days: trying to remove dirt from your ear, you can push it deeper, creating an ear plug. It is also better to entrust the first ear cleaning to a specialist in the clinic. Subsequent cleanings can be carried out independently.

How is the treatment carried out?

Treatment of a cat with ear mites (otodectosis), depending on the severity and severity of the disease, takes from 2 to 6 weeks. Against the background of advanced otodectosis, an animal may develop otitis media, so it is necessary to diagnose the disease in time and begin treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment must be carried out in a clinic, under the supervision of a veterinarian. This type of mite is not transmitted to humans, but can cause itching if it comes into contact with the skin.

Prevention

No animal is immune from ear mites. To minimize this possibility and detect the disease in time, regularly examine your cat and clean its ears, removing excess wax from the auricle. You can do this at home yourself, without the involvement of specialists.

If there is little wax discharge, it is enough to wipe the inside of the ear with a cotton or gauze swab. If a lot of wax has accumulated in the ear, first drip 0.9% saline solution into the cat’s ear, leaving it to act for 10-15 minutes. After the specified time has passed, place the cat on its side, allowing the solution to flow out, and along with it, excess sulfur and other contaminants will flow out. A cotton swab with a limiter can only be used on externally accessible surfaces of the auricle, so as not to damage the animal’s hearing aid.

Cleaning a cat’s ears should not be done more than once a month, because our pets know how to take care of themselves, and the task of caring owners is not to harm the pet, but to help our furry beauties maintain their beauty and natural health.

If you still have questions about treating ear mites in cats, ask them in the comments, we will try to answer them!