Mites Under the Skin in Cats

Three types of mites can infest a cat: cheyletiella mites, demodectic mites and sarcoptic mites. These mites all cause a condition in cats known as mange. Ear mites can also live outside the ear canal on any part of the feline body, though they do not burrow beneath the skin like mange mites do.

  1. Cheyletiella Mites

    • Cheyletiella mites are nicknamed 'walking dandruff' because upon close examination, the owner or veterinarian may be able to see movement of flakes of skin, or dandruff, due to the mites' activity beneath the skin. Cheyletiella mites live for approximately three weeks from egg to adult. An infected cat may not show any symptoms, so an owner may not be aware of an infestation until the cat sees a veterinarian for a routine examination. Potential symptoms may include excessive or unusual dandruff, itching, hair loss and general irritation of the skin.

    Demodectic Mites

    • Demodectic mites are highly contagious, but fortunately are fairly uncommon in felines. Some cat breeds, such as the Siamese and the Burmese, seem to catch these mites more often than other breeds. There are two types of demodectic mites: one of which lives within the hair follicles and the other which lives in the outer layer of the skin. An infested cat may show various symptoms including itching, red and irritated skin lesions, hair loss and scales.

    Notoedric Mites

    • Notoedric mites cause a condition known as feline scabies or notoedric mange. These mites live for approximately three weeks from egg to adult. Notoedric mites can affect cats of any age, gender, breed or color. Feline scabies causes symptoms slightly different from cheyletiella mites or demodectic mites and can include thickened skin, wrinkles, crusty skin and secondary infections.

    Diagnosis

    • At the veterinarian's office, the veterinarian will be able to examine the cats and see the cheyletiella mites with a microscope or magnifying glass. There may also be microscopic examinations of dandruff, the hairs or skin scrapings so that the veterinarian can correctly identify the type of mite present. Like cheyletiella mites, demodectic mites and notoedric mites are both positively identified in the same manner through the use of skin scrapings and examination beneath a microscope.

    Treatment

    • Cheyletiella mites can be killed off using insecticides that contain pyrethrins or fipronil as ingredients. This species of mites can live off the host for several days, so a thorough cleaning of the home is also necessary. Demodectic mites have more treatment options available including topical medicated solutions, oral ivermectin and lime-sulfur dips. Cats with notoedric mites will require their fur to be clipped short prior to any type of treatment. Once the fur has been cut, a cleansing shampoo followed by a lime-sulfur dip is required daily for up to eight weeks until the mites are fully killed off. If a secondary bacterial or fungal infection has occurred with any of species of mites, this will require either antibiotics or antifungal medications.