Ear Mites In Cats: Symptoms And Therapy

Ear mites affect a wide variety of animal species, sometimes there are different pathogens. In this article, you will learn more about ear mites that affect dogs, cats, and even ferrets.

Pathogen: Otodectes cynotis

Occurrence: cat, dog, ferret, fox, and other carnivores (marten-like)

Development And Transmission

The overall development from the egg to the larva and the nymph stage to the adult mite takes about 3 weeks and takes place entirely on the animal. The ear mite occurs worldwide in the animal species mentioned above. As such, they are not host-specific and are so commonly transmitted between dogs and cats, particularly to kittens. Since the mite is not host-specific, it also has zoonotic importance (i.e. transmission between humans and animals is possible). In very rare cases, it can temporarily settle on the skin of the owners and cause dermatitis.

About 50% of ear infections in cats and < 10% in dogs are caused by the ear mite (O. cynotis).

Illness

All stages of the mite feed on the animal’s outermost skin cells (epidermis) and, after piercing the skin, on lymphatic and other tissue fluids.

The mites sensitize the skin of dogs and cats with the substances they release during meals and trigger a local allergic reaction. The skin is red and the outer ear canal fills with earwax, dust mites (including mite feces), and blood. This mixture forms a typically dark, brownish, greasy, waxy to crumbly mass in the pinna.

However, living mites are not only found in the external auditory canal and in the auricle (the main living area) but can also be found in the fur of the neck and upper body region and cause itching, fur, and skin changes there.

If left untreated, the scratching and excretions of the mites can often lead to an infection with bacteria and/or yeast fungi (Malassezia) and as a result to the middle ear or, rarely, even the inner ear infections.

Symptoms In Cats

There are cats with massive deposits in the ear canal without itching, but also with severe itching without the cat carrying a lot of deposits in the ear.

Dermatitis can also spread from the ear to the surrounding scalp.

Symptoms In Dogs

Often show small deposits with mostly severe itching of the ears.

Diagnosis

1. Previous report/medical history: ear infection, skin diseases, e.g. B. Allergies, hormonal diseases, itching except on the ear, parasite prevention
2. Otoscopy (looking into the ear with a funnel and a lamp): Often the mites can already be seen in the ear canal
3. In addition, a sample of the earwax is taken, e.g. B. with a cotton swab soaked in oil on a slide and subsequent examination under the microscope.

Therapy And Prophylaxis

First of all, the ears must be carefully cleaned with a disinfected solution, only as instructed by your veterinarian or directly in the practice. This is followed by therapy with so-called spot-on preparations (including the active ingredient selamectin). A therapy that treats the whole body is preferable to a local one (preparations that are only placed in the ears) since the mites can also live on other parts of the body.

A repetition of the treatment at 4-week intervals is recommended until mites can no longer be detected on the animal. Contact animals must also be treated.