Otodectosis in cats (the more popular name is ear scabies in cats) is a very common and contagious disease. It is difficult to find a cat owner who has not encountered this disease at least once in their life. Otodectes cynotis is the enemy of all cats, including domestic pets, and treatment of otodectes in cats requires the owner’s time and effort.
The cause of the disease otodectosis is the mite Otodectes cynotis, which infects the ears of the animal. When a tick gets on the skin, it begins to actively gnaw passages in it, causing itching in the pet, and a warm environment and a small amount of hair in the ears create a comfortable breeding environment for this type of tick, so both ears are affected, and when an infected animal comes into contact with healthy cats and Infection with dogs is almost inevitable. In addition, the tick can also be transmitted through the owner of the animal - on clothes, shoes, hands.
Symptoms of otodectosis
- Anxiety in a cat
The main symptom that you should always pay attention to is your pet’s anxiety. Ticks gnaw through passages, feeding on the epidermis, sulfur and blood of the animal, this causes anxiety in the cat, it begins to shake its head and meow pitifully.
- Itching in the ears and head
- Unpleasant odor and discharge on the inner surface of the ears
The waste products of mites have an unpleasant odor and accumulate en masse on the surface of the ears. Outwardly, they resemble grated chocolate or coffee and can be wet or completely dry. When trying to clean the skin of dirt, the cat experiences pain, and blood and lymph may be released.
- Ear scratching, redness
Due to active attempts to clear ear canal The cat may scratch and scratch at the ears, causing noticeable redness and blood. For this reason, otodectosis can cause severe discomfort in the animal.
If your pet exhibits at least one of the symptoms of otodectosis, you must have it examined! If you notice discharge or blood in the ears, you should immediately contact a veterinarian for assistance. Ignoring the disease can lead to hearing loss, as well as the death of the pet from exhaustion or inflammation. meninges.
Treatment
Treatment of otodectosis is carried out in several stages and can last more than one week. First of all, the main task of the doctor and the owner of the animal is to cleanse the ear canal and relieve inflammation. During the treatment period, it is necessary to clean the cat's beds, since mites can remain in the fabric, and because of this, otodectosis will torment the animal much longer.
For this, special lotions based on chlorhexidine and plant extracts are used. They quickly soften the secretions and allow them to be removed painlessly for the animal, disinfecting and cleaning the surface of the ears. This step should be repeated before each instillation of drugs and when discharge accumulates.
Stage 2: Treatment and relief of inflammation.
Stage 3: Support your pet’s body.
Vitamin and mineral complexes are perfect to support the body. Ticks feed on the blood and lymph of the animal, so during the treatment period it is worth supporting your pet with vitamins, minerals and proper nutrition. One of the most common consequences of otodectosis is exhaustion.
The entire period of treatment for otodectosis must be monitored by a veterinarian, since improper or insufficient treatment can lead to the death of the pet from exhaustion, inflammation of the meninges, and infections. The treatment period should be three to four weeks to completely get rid of mites and relieve inflammation.
Prevention of otodectosis in cats
In order not to treat inflammation caused by the Otodectes mite, you should follow a number of simple recommendations:
The health of your pet is entirely in your hands, so you need to carefully monitor it! Otodectosis is an unpleasant but treatable disease. Therefore, under no circumstances should you give up; you should fight for the health of your cat.
VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Your pet is scratching its ears and shaking its head; it may have otodectosis.
What does an ear mite look like?
The causative agent of otodectosis in cats, the mite otodectos cynotis, has microscopic dimensions. The owner of the animal can see with the naked eye not the ticks themselves, but the products of their vital activity. When cleaning the ear of an animal infected with otodectosis, you will see dark brown crusts and fluid, and you will also smell an unpleasant odor.
Kittens and young cats are especially susceptible to otodectosis, but adult animals are also affected.
Causes of occurrence and ways of spreading otodectosis
A pet can become infected with otodectosis from a sick animal through contact with it or through grooming items (comb, bowl, bedding). Otodectosis affects not only cats, but also dogs, ferrets, raccoons, arctic foxes and many other predators. The owner can infect a stay-at-home cat after contact with an infected animal, bringing the pathogen on his hands or clothes. In addition, insects can become carriers of otodectosis. For example, a flea, jumping from a sick animal to a healthy one, will transfer an ear mite to it.
How can you tell if your cat has ear mites? Symptoms of otodectosis
On initial stage development of otodectosis, the cat experiences severe itching. Dirty brown discharge accumulates inside the ear with unpleasant smell. The cat scratches its ears furiously. Due to constant scratching in the ear area, long-haired animals develop mats.
Signs that the owner should pay attention to:
- Redness, peeling and scratching inside the ear;
- Restless behavior of the pet;
- Dark brown scabs and discharge from the ear;
- Unpleasant odor from the ear;
- “Bowheadedness” (the cat tilts its head to one side).
Please note that otodectosis in a cat, if left untreated, can lead to severe consequences:
- Inflammation of the middle and inner ear;
- Hematomas in the ear;
- Inflammation or perforation eardrum;
- Partial or complete hearing loss;
- Inflammation of the membranes of the brain.
How to diagnose otodectosis in a cat in the clinic
The diagnosis of otodectosis in a cat is made comprehensively: based on a clinical examination of the animal and laboratory research. The veterinarian takes a skin scraping from the ear and conducts a microscopic examination. If mites are found in the samples, the diagnosis is confirmed.
How to get rid of otodectosis. Treating a cat at home
Only after these procedures are drops placed in the cat’s ears. medicinal product from otodectosis. Then auricle massage for better distribution of the product. The procedure should be repeated after a week. If several animals live in the house, all pets are treated for prevention.
The effectiveness of treatment is checked by laboratory methods. To do this, examine scrapings from the auricle. Simultaneously with the main therapy, it is recommended to treat the entire animal with an anti-tick drug.
If a secondary infection develops in the ear, in addition to treatment, the veterinarian prescribes antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs. Also, don’t forget to strengthen your cat’s immune system. Vitamin and mineral supplements should be included in your pet's diet.
To treat otodectosis in animals, veterinary specialists use the insectoacaricidal drug BlochNet max.
To prevent disease, follow these rules:
- Fence pet from contact with sick animals;
- Regularly inspect your cat’s ears and treat them hygienically with special lotions;
- Regularly treat your pet with insectoacaricidal preparations, for example, drops on the withers of BlochNet max. The procedure should be carried out once every two months.
- Boost your beloved cat's immunity with balanced feeding and vitamins.
NVP "Astrapharm" wishes your pet health!
The length of the tick's body ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 mm; it is impossible to see it with the naked eye. Otodectes cynotis feeds on scales of the epidermis of the skin of the external auditory canal. As a result of its vital activity, the tick secretes secretions and feces, leading to overirritation and itching, as a result of which the animal develops inflammation of the outer ear.
How is otodectosis transmitted?
The disease is not seasonal; at any time of the year, cats, dogs and ferrets become infected through close contact with a sick animal or with its belongings and objects (carrying bag, bedding, comb, toys, etc.). If there are several cats in the house and one of them is diagnosed with ear mites, then the rest are most likely infected.
Is otodectosis transmitted to humans?
Symptoms of the disease
In the photo: the contents of the ears with otodectosis Before visiting the doctor Under no circumstances should you clean plaque from your ears yourself., this will complicate the diagnosis of the disease.
Diagnosis of otodectosis
When otitis has developed, diagnosing ear mites is difficult, because living individuals die in an acidic inflammatory environment and microscopy will not give a reliable result.
Treatment of ear mites
Treatment of otodectosis does not present any problems at present.
Amitraz preparations (for example, "Amitrazin", "Tsipam", etc.), hexachlorane ("Aurikan"), as well as preparations for the acaricidal and insecticidal treatment of farm animals ("Neostomozan") are effective in destroying ticks.
For greater effectiveness of treatment, the drug must not only be dripped into the previously cleaned ear, but also massage the ear for better distribution of the drug, and also moisten the hair on and around the ear.
Treatment with "Tsipam" and "Amitrazine" is carried out 3-5 times with an interval of 4-5 days, "Aurikan" is instilled into the ear every day for a week, then several more procedures may be required 2 times a week for a month.
When treating with Neostomazan, an active solution is first prepared, which is used to moisten the hair on the auricle and instill it into the ear. Repeated treatment is carried out after 7-8 days.
Also, drops on the withers ("Frontline", "Stronghold", "Bars", etc.) are successfully used to treat ear mites. The drugs are used in doses recommended by the manufacturer, based on the weight of the animal. It should be borne in mind that these drops are used only to kill ticks. To treat the consequences of otodectosis, it is necessary to examine veterinarian and prescription of complex therapy.
Complications caused by ear mites
At timely diagnosis and treatment complications do not arise.
If the disease is advanced, complications such as purulent otitis media, hematoma of the auricle or lymphatic extravasation.
Otitis develops as a result of the spread bacterial infection and manifests itself in purulent inflammation the surface of the skin inside the ear. The complex of treatment for otodectosis complicated by otitis media includes both the destruction of the pathogen (mite) and measures aimed at combating microbes - rinsing or cleaning the ear with antiseptic solutions(chlorhexidine, dioxidine, etc.), antibiotic therapy wide range actions.
In case of complex otitis, it may be necessary to culture the microflora in the laboratory and titrate it with the selection of the most effective antibiotic.
When not enough effective treatment, otitis media can develop into chronic form and appear seasonally.
Hematoma or lymphoextravasate auricle as a complication of otodectosis most often develops in cats. As a result of constant injury to the ear when trying to scratch it, a blood or lymphatic vessel under the skin of the auricle may burst. If damaged blood vessel blood comes out under the skin and a hematoma forms. If damaged lymphatic vessel lymphatic extravasate accumulates.
Treatment in both cases will most likely be surgical. Moreover, under the general or local anesthesia The skin inside the auricle is opened, the contents are removed, then treatment is prescribed as for purulent wounds. As a result of treatment, the auricle loses its shape and “shrinks.”
Conservative treatment of auricular hematoma is not always effective - blood clots cannot be pumped out with a syringe.
Lymphoextravasate can be treated conservatively by pumping out the contents of the cavity and injecting medications inside through the same syringe. However, this method is not always effective, because lymph does not have a mechanism for thrombus formation and the damaged vessel is always open. After several unsuccessful attempts, the doctor may still decide to surgical treatment pathology.
You can find out what an ear mite looks like in cats only by examining it under a microscope. Otodectes cynotis has an exoskeleton, eight legs, one pair slightly longer than the others. Females are slightly larger than males. There are no jaws, instead there are chelicerae - oral appendages.
Before mating, the female usually moults. Each mite lays about 5-6 eggs in the ear canal. Ticks are born six-legged, do not immediately mature, but first go through the eight-legged nymph stage.
Otodectes cynotis feeds on lymph and tissue fluids. To get to nutritional fluids, the mite uses chelicerae to damage the upper layers skin its owner.
Cases of human infection from a cat are very rare. But this happens if a person has a weakened immune system. Otodectosis in humans occurs in a more pronounced form, with symptoms of external otitis.
Clinical picture
- dark discharge that looks like dirt;
- redness and peeling of the skin;
- unpleasant odor from the ear.
These symptoms may be mild if the cat is well-groomed. But it will still itch, and an attentive owner will definitely notice that the ears “get dirty” much more often than before. 
It is important to diagnose otodectosis in cats as early as possible to make treatment easier.
Treatment
On early stage When the tick has not yet penetrated the middle ear, treatment will not be difficult. Any ointment against ear mites in cats during this period will have a positive effect, provided that the doctor’s recommendations are followed and the ears are properly treated. It should be remembered that both ears need to be treated and treated, even if only one is affected.
Treatment against ticks If the process is running, it will take more long-term treatment otodectosis in cats, in this case drops will be more effective. You may need injections of specific medications: otodectin is most often used for ear mites in cats; antibiotics may be prescribed to enhance the effect of the main drug and prevent the development of a secondary bacterial infection.
Choice of medicine
Currently, the pharmacological industry offers a huge selection of drugs for ear mites in cats and different shapes- ointments, creams, drops, sprays and aerosols, powders. Main mistake The problem is that many owners do not know how to use them: they instill the medicine incorrectly, violate the recommended doses and treatment schedules, and do not take into account the characteristics and condition of their pet when purchasing. Of course, many people immediately buy sprays and aerosols, thinking that this form is the most convenient for use - and miss out on others, no less important nuances treatment. For example, spray or drops on the withers are not the main form of medicine; they are used additionally, along with drops or ointments for the ears. Without treating the auricle, sprays are useless, and their uncontrolled use is even dangerous, since any insecticide is toxic. Therefore, how to treat ear mites in a cat should be decided by the doctor after a comprehensive examination. In addition, it would be a good idea to ask how to use the prescribed medicine.
How to put medicine in the ear?
Usually two or three drops are enough. The main thing: try to prevent the cat from shaking out the medicine. 
To do this, you need to hold the ear being treated upward, after instillation, carefully fold the auricle and massage it lightly. Both ears need to be treated. The procedure must be repeated after 5-7 days, but not earlier, since all anti-tick medications are toxic. After instillation, moisten a cotton swab with the medicine and wipe inner side auricle and skin around the ear.
How to clean your ear?
Important! You cannot clean your ears with cotton swabs!
You should always clean your ears when they get dirty. But when treating otodectosis, it is imperative to clean the ears before instilling or applying the medicine. Even if the instructions do not indicate this, dirt accumulated in the ear will weaken the effect of the drug.
Prevention
There is no specific prevention. Mainly, all efforts should be aimed at eliminating contact with potential tick carriers and disinsection of the premises and household items. You should also not forget about the hygiene of the ear canals - this will not only reduce the risk of infection, but will also allow you to immediately notice that something is wrong.
Pet lovers are sometimes forced to let their pets go for a walk. There is a risk of infection when contacting stray animals various diseases, such as otodectosis. Most often, representatives of the cat breed become infected with it. Otodectosis in cats - what is it, and why can the disease lead to the death of the animal?
The reasons for the development of otodectosis include various options ear mite infestation. This may happen:
Otodectosis in cats is not a seasonal disease. Ticks can get into an animal's ears regardless of the time of year and weather conditions.
Symptoms of otodectosis
Based on the cat's changed behavior, the owner may suspect an infection with ear mites.
The animal has:
- anxiety;
- scratching ears;
- frequent shaking of the head;
- refusal of food.
If you look into the ear of an animal, you can see a large amount of dark brown sulfur. This substance has a dried out appearance and an unpleasant odor. In more advanced cases, pus accumulates in the ear canal. The activity of ticks leads to severe itching, and then the cat scratches the ears with its claws until they scratch.
Inexperienced owners may think that the cat has accumulated dirt in its ears and 
pursue diligently hygiene procedures for the cleaning. This is absolutely impossible to do. This biological material is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, and rough intervention in the auricle can increase inflammatory process. And this is already fraught with complete loss of hearing in the animal.
You can try to check your guesses about “ear scabies” at home. To do this, you need to lightly press your fingers on the base of the ear, being careful not to cause painful sensations at the cat. If ear mites are present, then when pressed, a quiet sound similar to a squeak will occur.
Ear mites that lead to otodectosis, although small in size, are visually distinguishable. But you can’t stop at visually examining the cat’s ear; medical confirmation of the diagnosis is necessary. To do this, your veterinarian will need a microscopic examination of ear discharge and skin scrapings. 
Using cotton swabs, a specialist will carefully take biological material from the animal, place it on a special glass, and mix it with a drop of Vaseline. With this technique, it is possible to detect the presence of not only adult ticks, but also tick eggs. Only after examining the earwax and identifying all the symptoms will the veterinarian make a diagnosis of otodectosis.
An erroneous diagnostic result is possible if the material is collected incorrectly. This happens when the owner, for some reason, does not want to take the animal to the veterinarian, and collects ear discharge on his own.
Treatment of a cat can be carried out at home, but the results must be monitored by a veterinarian. Before you start treating your ears, you should clean the ear canal of dirt, scabs and pus. This procedure is done cotton swab, soaked in camphor alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
For greater effect, repeat the procedure after 10 days, if not positive result, then the product is used until all ear mites are destroyed. This can be determined by repeated microscopic examination. 
It is up to the owner to speed up the recovery of a beloved pet. After all, a cat’s health and future life depend on its immunity. Therefore, it is important to provide the animal with fortified and high-protein food during treatment.
Prevention
Every pet owner must constantly monitor the condition of the pet and provide favorable living conditions. Cats, just like people, need a warm, well-ventilated and humidified environment. Necessary 
frequent wet cleaning, carpet cleaning, daily airing. After all, a person can bring ticks into the house himself and thereby unwittingly infect a cat.
It is also important to maintain the cleanliness of objects with which the animal comes into contact the most. These are bowls, carriers, scratching posts and hygiene products. They must not only be washed regularly, but also treated disinfectant. And, of course, protect your pet from contact with stray animals.
