Ear Mites In Cats
Though there are several different types of ear mites that can affect cats the most common one is otodectes cynotis which essentially resembles an eight legged crab.
Ear mites in cats. The most frequent ear mite infestation in cats is otodectes cynotis. Mites on cats can travel all over the cat s body. In extreme cases untreated ear mites can cause a ruptured eardrum or permanent hearing loss. Their presence causes inflammation and can also lead to secondary ear infections.
Ear mites are nasty little parasites that enjoy the environment inside of your cat s ears. 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. So tiny you usually need a microscope to see them ear mites are the most common cause of cat ear problems and they can be very irritating to your cat. The ear canal is where these parasites thrive.
Ear mites think other species are tasty too and they are very contagious. Some cats will shake their heads so much that an hematoma of the ear will form with blood pooling in the ear due to breakage of a blood vessel. These mites create irritation and itchiness which cause the cat to scratch its ears. Highly contagious and as common to cats as fleas ear mites can lead to bacterial and fungal infections and cause inflammation of the cat s outer ear canal.
An ear mite infestation can get. Ear mites in cats are not just found in the ears. Treatment of ear mites involves removing the debris from the ears and using a topical insecticide in the ear canal to kill off the remaining mites and new mites that hatch out of eggs left behind. Ear mites are microscopic parasites which infect the ears of a cat.
Ear mites or otodectes cynotis are microscopic parasites which can infect the ears of a cat. They also like to live in warm dark environment of the ear canal where they then feed on the skin debris. While cats of any age are susceptible to ear mites they are most often seen in kittens. Ear mites are very contagious especially to other cats and dogs and are very common.
Cats that are afflicted with ear mites will typically scratch at the ears excessively and shake their heads even pulling out their own hair and drawing blood as they scratch. They like to live in the warm dark environment of the ear canal where they feed on skin debris.