Face Mange in Cats

Feline face mange--known as notoedric mange--is a disfiguring, contagious disease largely affecting feral cats or colonies. Advanced face mange is easily diagnosed, though affected cats can take a long time to recover.

  1. Symptoms

    • Face mange results in significant facial hair loss, itching, and encrusted or visibly thickened areas that may be oozing. Affected cats scratch incessantly and may develop baldness and wrinkling on the ears, neck and head.

    Cause

    • Bald, encrusted patches cover the faces of cats with mange.

      Face mange in cats is caused by a mite called Notoedres cati, similar to the mite causing sarcoptic mange in dogs. The disease is also referred to as feline scabies, and is highly transferable among cats, other pets and humans.

    Diagnosis

    • Mange has significant and recognizable visible skin symptoms. A vet will take a skin scrape for microscopic analysis, and mites will be seen under examination.

    Treatments

    • Lime sulfur dips are effective, but as cats dislike bathing this isn't ideal. Vets recommend "spot-on" flea treatments containing selamectin or ivermectin; these aren't FDA-approved specifically for notoedric mange, although they are widely used safe flea treatments.

    Warning

    • Notoedric mite mange is zoonotic--transferable to humans and other pets--so isolate affected cats and wear gloves when administering treatments. Ask your veterinarian for a spot-on product for other pets.