Cat lovers may have heard about scabies in cats. While this disease is more common in dogs, cats can also suffer from scabies. To recognize the signs of scabies in cats and learn how to treat it effectively, read the following information!
Scabies or mange is a contagious skin disease that can affect both humans and animals, including furry creatures like cats.
Scabies in Cats: Symptoms and Treatment
Explained in an e-Journal titled “Handling Scabies in Persian Mix Cats at Rafa Pet’s Care” by Adik Putri Fatma and team, scabies is a skin disease in livestock and pets caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei or Notoedres cati in the stratum corneum of the skin.
Sarcoptes scabiei, an ectoparasite, is one of the mites that can attack cats, residing in the skin by creating tunnels in the stratum corneum and living there.
As a result, scabies is a factor that can reduce a cat’s productivity. This is due to the parasite surviving in the host’s body, consuming body tissues, extracting needed nutrients, and sucking the host’s blood.
Cats affected by scabies may experience a decrease in body condition, trigger allergic reactions, and increase the number of leukocytes or white blood cells in the cat’s body. Moreover, scabies is negatively impactful for caregivers due to its zoonotic nature.
what is scabies in cats?
According to Pet MD, scabies is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei or Notoedres cati in the skin’s stratum corneum. It’s important to note that even initially healthy kitten can contract scabies. How is that possible?
So, scabies is a contagious disease. If your cat has recently been in direct contact with other cats affected by scabies, the chances of contracting the disease are quite high.
Moreover, your cat can also get scabies if its living environment contains sources of the Sarcoptes scabiei or Notoedres cati mites. Therefore, take care of your cat as best as you can and clean its living space regularly.
Scabies in cats is caused by an infection of the Sarcoptes scabei and Notoedres cati mites. In cats, this disease can cause discomfort, itching, skin irritation, and even crusted skin.
A cat can contract scabies through physical contact with other furry animals affected by scabies or contact with items containing Sarcoptes scabei and Notoedres cati mites.
Scabies in feline generally spreads more among fellow cats. However, sometimes scabies from feline can also be transmitted to humans. This transmission can also be caused by fleas or mites from cats.
Symptoms of Scabies in Cats
The initial symptoms of scabies in cats are often unnoticed by their owners. Therefore, it’s crucial for cat owners to be aware of the potential symptoms when their beloved pets suffer from scabies.
Here are some important symptoms of scabies in cats:
- Frequent scratching, biting, or licking of the body
- Shedding or bald patches
- Irritated and reddened skin
- Crusty or wrinkled skin, especially around the ears
- Presence of wounds or scabs on the skin
Usually, scabies symptoms initially appear on the cat’s ears or facial area. If not promptly addressed, scabies can spread throughout the entire body.
If you have more than one furry animal at home, such as dogs or other felines, scabies can easily spread.
Not only that, scabies in cats can also be transmitted to humans, causing symptoms such as red spots, itching, and welts on the skin.
Treatment of Scabies in Cats
If you observe symptoms like those mentioned above in your beloved cat, it’s advisable to promptly take your cat to the veterinarian.
To diagnose scabies in cats, the veterinarian can perform a physical examination and use a microscope to analyze samples from the affected skin area. This examination is conducted to detect the presence of mites causing scabies in cats.
If your cat is indeed affected by scabies, the veterinarian can treat the disease with the following steps:
1. Medications treatment
To treat a cat suffering from scabies, the veterinarian may prescribe antiparasitic drugs, such as ivermectin, either orally, topically, or by injection.
The choice of these drugs will be adjusted based on the type of mite, the affected body area, and the severity of mange in cats.
Additionally, the veterinarian may provide anti-itch medication to make your cat feel more comfortable and reduce excessive scratching. If there is a bacterial infection on the cat’s skin, the veterinarian may also prescribe antibiotics.
2. Use of Anti-mite Shampoo:
Besides prescribing medications, the veterinarian may also suggest using a special anti-mite shampoo during your cat’s bath. This shampoo can help alleviate inflammation and soothe wounds on your beloved cat’s skin.
By using prescribed medications from the veterinarian, mites on the cat’s body can die. However, it usually takes about a month after treatment for the cat to fully recover from scabies. So, you must be patient in caring for them.
If you have other furry pets at home, the veterinarian will usually ask you to isolate the cat affected by scabies from other animals. This is useful to prevent the spread of scabies to other healthy animals.
Moreover, it’s advisable to clean all items frequently touched by the cat with scabies, such as beds, collars, toys, and food bowls. This way, the mites causing scabies can completely disappear from the home environment.
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If you still have questions about scabies in cats, don’t hesitate to consult or chat directly with a veterinarian at Gen’s Pet Shop and Graha Raya Veterinary Clinic (Phone/WhatsApp: +62 8138 590 0063).
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