Ear mites in cats - are they dangerous for humans?

12174Administration

Otodectosis is a very unpleasant disease caused by the appearance of ear mites in an animal. It happens quite often in pets, mainly cats and dogs. Other animals also suffer from it - for example, foxes and other fur-bearing animals. The question of whether ear mites in cats are dangerous for humans worries many owners who have encountered the disease in their pet.

What a parasite is, how an animal is infected, what symptoms are typical, and whether the disease is transmitted to humans is important to know for everyone who has dogs or cats in their home.

Are ear mites in cats dangerous for humans?

Having diagnosed otodectosis in a pet, people ask a lot of burning questions. First of all, they are interested in whether this tick is transmitted to humans and what harm it can cause to a pet.

Cats very often have direct contact with apartment residents: they climb onto beds, sleep with their owners, and come into contact with them during the day.

Small children communicate closely with furry pets : they squeeze them for a long time, stroke them, and carry them in their arms. Therefore, the concern that the child could become infected from sick kittens is quite natural.

Fortunately, these fears have no basis - ear mites are not transmitted from pets to people. There are parasites that settle in the human ear canal, but they get into the house in a completely different way.

These insects are brought by tourists from hot countries : Thailand, Nepal, India. Large insects can be seen with the naked eye; they live in the ear canal for a limited time and are easily removed with an oil solution.

Another thing is the pets themselves. Ticks are transmitted quickly between animals; a single contact is sufficient.

In nature, there is a scabies mite that can be transmitted from person to pet and vice versa. However, this parasite does not penetrate the ear canals.

Can a person become infected from an animal?

So, you have discovered a skin disease in your pet and are confused - how to determine the type of parasite, how to remove subcutaneous mites, is it dangerous to contact the animal? Let's figure out what to do, our first task is to do no harm! The second is to rid the animal of the parasite. First, don't panic, ticks are not fleas or bedbugs, they do not carry encephalitis or other diseases, and do not survive on furniture or bedding. Secondly, you need to understand how affected the animal is and decide how to treat the disease. The algorithm is as follows:

• Using a magnifying glass, inspect the bald patches or places that the cat constantly scratches, you are interested in: the presence of tubercles, small holes, blood or lymph discharge, the general condition and color of the skin, parasites visible to the eye (color, size).

• Oral or injectable antihistamine, the sooner the better. All products that relieve allergic reactions eliminate itching. You kill two birds with one stone - you reduce the animal’s discomfort and prevent infection when scratching.

• Treatment at home involves the use of commercially available veterinary medications, ointments, and sprays. Read the composition and purpose, if it lists Demodex and several other families - this is a broad-spectrum medicine for subcutaneous mites. Follow the instructions and observe. Make sure that the cat does not scratch the skin, depending on the type of action, the course of treatment lasts 7-10 days, after which severe itching should subside.

• Treatment with folk remedies is quite effective, but has a wide range of negative consequences. To eliminate parasites, you need to create conditions in which they will not survive, most often this means drying out the skin. A cat's skin is much more delicate and sensitive than a human's, and the main folk recipes include sulfur, laundry soap, tar, and used motor oil.

If in doubt, you do not understand what is happening to the animal, you observe suppuration, an increase or decrease in temperature, signs of anemia, pallor of the mucous membranes, refusal to eat and drink, lethargy, apathy, irritation, aggression - you are dealing with intoxication or the development of secondary pathology. In such cases, independent treatment is not advisable and dangerous - contact a veterinary clinic!

By contacting a doctor, you do not risk wasting time while you treat your animal for all known parasites. Using a scalpel and local anesthesia, a skin scraping is taken from the cat. Laboratory studies make it possible to accurately determine the type of parasite and the depth of the lesion.

If the parasite has not managed to reach the deep layers of the skin, the cat is given external treatment - bathing in solutions, compresses, ointments and comprehensive supportive therapy - rest, vitamins, immunostimulants. In more advanced cases, injections and droppers are added, the main goal is to cleanse the blood of toxins.

Cats, like many other representatives of the animal world, are susceptible to infection by parasites, not only those that live inside, but also those that settle in their fur. Not only can they cause discomfort to cats, but they can also be a threat to their health, as they are carriers of many serious diseases.

How to detect that an animal has parasites, determine their type and how to deal with them? You don’t have to do anything special to identify an insect infestation—in some cases, it’s enough just to carefully observe your pet’s behavior and examine it.

This type of blood-sucking parasite can be infected without contact with an infected animal: although these insects are quite small, they can make giant leaps and live for several months in the grass, on the leaves of bushes. Therefore, if a few days ago an infected stray cat was running around the site, then a walk with the cat there can “give” a new tenant to your pet. And, most likely, he may not be alone.

Symptoms of flea infestation:

• Restless behavior.
• The cat will begin to scratch its chest, back, and neck.
• Due to constant trauma to the skin, wounds may appear. In addition, the surface of the skin becomes grainy.

Moreover, skin manifestations are not all: the cat will become restless and may lose its appetite. She will look for cooler places, since fleas begin to become more active in the warmth, rather than causing suffering to the animal. If your cat is not treated, fleas will multiply very quickly. But what’s more dangerous is that they can spread various intestinal infections that can be transmitted to humans.

A collar with special impregnation also helps a lot, but its effect can only be noticed after a few days. In addition, you will need to treat all places in the apartment where the animal walked.

This type of external parasite most often affects young animals. The hosts of coccidia are small rodents. Having caught, for example, a mouse or other rodent infected with coccidia, the animal could easily become infected itself.

Symptoms of infection are similar to those of other similar diseases:

• Lack of appetite.
• Diarrhea.
• Change in the appearance of the coat - it will become dull and brittle.

Moreover, the symptoms in adult animals are mild, unlike in kittens. Parasites can only be identified through laboratory testing of stool.

For coccidia, radical treatment is not required. It will be necessary to introduce into the diet with feed additives any product that contains toltrazuril.

1. Ensuring the cleanliness of the place where the pet lives.
2. Excluding raw meat from their diet. You can only use meat that has been frozen for a long time.

Cats can become infected with lice only through direct contact with a sick animal, since this type of insect cannot survive outside the body. There have been cases when felines became infected during grooming, after treating sick animals. Fortunately, cat lice are not transmitted to humans.

• Hair loss.
• Scratching.
• Loss of silkiness of the cover.
• Manifestation of crustose dermatitis. It is possible that other skin diseases will appear.
• Anemia.

A complication of infection is bacterial infections. To diagnose, an examination by a specialist or the owner himself is sufficient. Treatment is the same as treatment for flea infestation. But there are also products designed to kill lice. These are medications containing pyrethrin. Moreover, drugs with this component can be used both for treatment and for preventive purposes.

It is not difficult to understand the concern of owners about whether ear mites can be transmitted to humans, because among animal diseases there are those that are transmitted to people, so it is quite natural to want to protect yourself and your loved ones, especially children, from danger.

The misconception that ear mites in cats are contagious to humans is common. Fortunately, there is no need to worry about this - it is not transmitted to humans. Some other types of ear mites are occasionally found in humans - mostly, they are brought by tourists from hot exotic countries, but cats are not infected with such mites either, they only infect humans. One type of parasite that affects both domestic animals and humans is the scabies mite.

READ Munchkin cats: features of the breed, photo of a short-legged kitten and an adult cat, care and maintenance of a pet

There is not a single case reported in the world where ear mites in cats are transmitted to humans. However, cat mites can still cause some health problems. First of all, it can cause allergies in a person who has a predisposition to it.

Danger of ticks to humans

Since cat ear mites are not transmitted to humans, humans are not at risk of hearing loss as a result of the parasite. However, if the insect gets on the surface of the skin, the victim may experience some discomfort.

The ear mite bites through the upper layer of the epidermis, causing itching, redness or even inflammation if the skin is particularly sensitive.

After some time, the symptoms disappear and do not appear again. The situation does not require specialized treatment or medical intervention.

An exception may be people with a pronounced allergic reaction. Itching, redness, and inflammation are much more noticeable in them than in others.

By scratching the skin, the victim can get an infection, which can lead to complications, in particular, it can lead to external otitis.

However, despite the widespread distribution of the parasite in domestic animals, cases of attacks on humans are rare. In fact, the only thing that ear mites are dangerous for people is short-term discomfort.

Prevention

When pets suffer from these parasites, not only the animals, but also their owners experience stress; it is better to avoid such situations and prevent the onset of the disease. To do this, you need to take preventive measures:

• keep the house clean;
• limit contact between your pet cat and any other animals;
• treat the cat with protective agents against ticks and other parasites;
• Regularly inspect your cat's ears for signs of parasites;
• maintain animal hygiene, treat your pet’s ears with a special lotion;
• Do not use household items from other cats.

Following these simple rules can protect your pet from ear mite infection. Based on the above, it can be noted that the risk of human infection with cat ear mites is minimal, but this disease can lead to unpleasant health consequences not only for the animal, but also for its owners, due to the possibility of allergic reactions and violation of sanitary conditions in living space as a result of the cat’s illness.

What does an ear mite infestation look like?

In order to navigate in time and choose the appropriate treatment method, it is necessary to diagnose the disease in a timely manner.

At the initial stage, this is quite problematic; the only thing the owner can notice is redness and swelling on the inside of the ear and slight restlessness of the animal.

After a few days, the first signs of damage appear - brown crusts that look like dried dirt or grains of coffee. If you clean them with a cotton swab, they quickly form again.

As the population develops and the number of insects increases, the following symptoms appear:

1. The animal behaves restlessly, constantly scratches its ears, and rubs them on the furniture.
2. The fur in the ear area becomes wet and sticks together.
3. The cat tilts its head to the side, shaking it, trying to get rid of the tick.
4. Discharge in the ear has an unpleasant rotting smell.
5. Crusts, wounds, and scabs form on the head.
6. As a result of the chronic inflammatory process, liquid discharge appears, which dries to form brown crusts.
7. Body temperature rises.
8. Hearing is impaired, the cat stops responding to loud sounds, and does not respond to its name.
9. Seizures begin if the disease reaches the membranes of the brain.

It is quite difficult to detect insects during visual inspection - the size of an ear mite does not exceed 0.5 mm. Only a veterinarian can diagnose the disease.

How does demodicosis occur?

Once on human skin, the demodex mite may not show itself for a long time or even a lifetime. However, any violation of the symbiosis with skin microflora and bacteria can provoke the proliferation of this microorganism. This most often occurs when immunity is weakened, after severe physical and emotional stress, due to hormonal imbalance, or due to a lack of any substances.

Any of the above reasons can provoke the active reproduction of demodex mites on the skin of the face or scalp, as a result of which it begins to secrete a large amount of harmful substances. The latter, accumulating in the pores of the skin, cause a severe allergic reaction in the form of rashes, peeling and redness.

Demodicosis can be recognized by an uncharacteristic number of pimples and blackheads, severe redness and flaking of the skin, as well as itching. At this time, it is important to contact a dermatologist in time, who will confirm the presence of the parasite after examining a scraping from the skin - under a microscope, demodex or traces of its vital activity will be clearly visible. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor will prescribe the necessary treatment, which is usually aimed at strengthening the immune system and reducing the activity of demodex mites.

Treatment

If diagnosed in a timely manner, treatment will take about 6–7 days.

As a rule, to get rid of a tick, the following manipulations are performed::

1. clean the ears with cotton swabs using antiseptic preparations. Before treatment begins, the crusts and earwax are softened.
2. The ear canals are treated with drops, medicinal ointments or sprays that destroy the parasites themselves.
3. To speed up recovery and recovery, general strengthening drugs are used.

Antibiotics are not prescribed at the initial stages; they can be prescribed by a doctor if a secondary infection has entered the body and infection has begun. To increase the therapeutic effect, the drugs are mixed with painkillers and injected into the base of the ear.

Decomposition products, being absorbed into the blood, cause intoxication of the body. To quickly remove toxins, cats are given injections of saline solution, 5% glucose.

If the disease has been advanced, hearing will not be restored immediately, but only after 2 months.

Are ear mites contagious to pets?

Otodectosis is a highly contagious disease. A cat can pick up the parasite without even having contact with a sick animal. Trying to get rid of ear mites, pets scratch the wounds, rub their heads against objects, leaving microscopic insects on them.

The parasite can live for about 25 days without food, so all objects touched by a sick animal can become a potential source of infection.

The prerequisites for the development of the disease are:

1. long, drooping ears, which make natural cleaning difficult.
2. General weakening of the immune system.
3. Abundance of fur in the ears.

Most often, small kittens under 1 year of age and older individuals are susceptible to the disease. In the younger generation, the immune system has not yet been formed, while in older cats, on the contrary, it is weakened.

The main source of infection is animals living outside. Up to 80% of homeless pets suffer from otodectosis. The source of infection can be not only cats, but also other furry animals, for example, ferrets, martens, foxes.

An adult can be picked up through direct contact; a larva or egg can be brought from the street.

Causes and symptoms of infection

An animal can become infected with cat ear mites in the following ways:

1. By domestic means, that is, through bowls, toys, bedding of an infected animal.
2. Lack of hygiene, if you do not regularly monitor the cleanliness of your pet, then favorable conditions will be created in its ears for the existence and development of mites.
3. By contact, if a healthy animal is in direct contact with a patient with ear scabies.
4. This type of tick can be carried by flies and fleas, as well as by people on their clothes and shoes.
5. Naturally. While walking outside, there is a possibility that the cat may be attacked by a parasite.

We recommend reading: Giardia in Dogs Signs Treatment

It is not difficult to notice that an animal has become infected with a tick, since this disease has pronounced symptoms:

• the cat constantly scratches its ears, tilts its head to the side, rubs its ear against the wall or other objects;
• meows nervously, shakes his head;
• copious amounts of earwax appear in the cat’s ears;
• the animal becomes tired and lethargic, body temperature rises, appetite disappears;
• there may be pus discharge from the ears.

All these terrible symptoms are caused by the fact that the parasite, settling in the auricle, damages the internal tissues, reaching the ear canal and eardrum. These actions of the parasite cause severe itching, which can drive the animal into a state of madness. Therefore, if these symptoms are noticed in your pet, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. Otherwise, if this disease is neglected, at best the animal may lose its hearing.

Ear scabies in cats are treated according to the regimen prescribed by the veterinarian, using special preparations in the form of ointments, drops, aerosols, powders and sprays. People also use folk remedies to treat pets.

For example, using a pipette, a few drops of warm sunflower oil are dripped into the affected ear of a cat, and similar actions are repeated until the symptoms disappear. In this case, it is better not to risk your pet’s health and seek qualified help.