What Causes Ear Mites In Cats
The cause of ear mites in cats is coming into contact with other cats that have the mites.
What causes ear mites in cats. Cats can be allergic to pollen dust dust mites food ingredients and any number of substances in a home. Ear inflammation and debris infected ears tend to be red from the scratching and the body s natural inflammatory response to the mites. Although might can be brought about by more than a single problem ear mites are a very common culprit. The two species of mites that cause ear infections are otodectes and notoedres.
They get inside your cat s ear canal where they feed on the ear wax and skin debris. Many cat owners overlook the other common cause of ear inflammation in cats. Although ear mites don t seem dangerous their presence can be extremely harmful to your cat. This will help determine if the symptoms could be caused by some sort of hereditary ear disorder.
Their presence causes inflammation and can also lead to secondary ear infections. They like to live in the warm dark environment of the ear canal where they feed on skin debris. These mites can cause significant inflammation and swelling in the ear canal and are very itchy. They are most common in kittens younger cats strays and outdoor cats though any cat can catch ear mites.
Otodectes cynotis mites in cats otodectes cynotis mites most commonly called ear mites are a common and relatively mild external parasite infection. This requires draining at the veterinary clinic. Notoedres infect cats usually the body and sometimes the ear. Aural hematomas are common among ear mite infested cats due to the rupture of blood vessels within the ear.
Otodectes infect dogs cats foxes and ferrets. What are the symptoms of ear mites in cats. The most common ear mite of cats is otodectes cynotis and therefore an infestation with ear mites is sometimes called otodectic mange 1 ear mites primarily live in the ear canal where they feed on skin debris. When diagnosing a cat with ear mites a veterinarian will first ask for a medical history.
What are the symptoms of ear mites in cats. Complications may arise when an animal has an immune hypersensitivity reaction that results in intense irritation of the external ear. Cats of all ages and breeds can be affected with outdoor felines being the most susceptible to an ear mite infection. Whether your cats are always indoor cats or outdoor you might also notice head shaking or even an excessive ear scratching.
Certain forms of bacterial infections can easily be mistaken for ear mites by the untrained eye and the treatments are very different. Ear mites or otodectes cynotis are microscopic parasites which can infect the ears of a cat. A common mite that causes skin infection and may involve areas of the head around the ears is demodex.