Mary Allen
Mange mites are parasites that live in the superficial layers of the skin and can cause itching and rashes.
What Are Mange Mites?
There are different types. In dogs and cats in Germany, predatory mites (Cheyletiella) and autumn grass mites (Trombicula), ear mites (Otodectes) are common; in dogs also grave mites (Sarcoptes). Hair follicle mites (Demodex) are not treated here.
Sarcoptic
These mites cannot be seen with the naked eye. The females burrow into the superficial layers of skin and lay their eggs there. They are transmitted through direct contact with other dogs or foxes, or from the environment where previously infected dogs or wild animals have been. Many dogs develop an allergic reaction to the mites and then often show severe itching. However, there are also so-called carrier animals that do not have any symptoms themselves but can transmit the mites to other dogs.
Cheyletiella
These mites live very superficially and can sometimes be seen as tiny, moving scales with the naked eye. They attack mainly dogs, cats, and rabbits. The severity of the itching varies greatly so that sometimes only dandruff is noticeable.
Autumn Grass Mites
The larvae of these mites live in decaying greens and can infest animals at contact points when they lie down there. They come in some regions in summer/autumn heaped before and in others not at all. If you look closely, you can sometimes see the mites as very small red dots. They are most commonly found in the skin between the toes, the crease in the ears, and other sparsely hairy areas that make contact with the ground.
Ear Mites
These mites infest the outer ear canal up to the eardrum. They are particularly common in young animals (especially cats). The animals then frequently shake their heads, scratch their ears, and have earwax that looks like coffee grounds. In rare, severe cases, the skin on the face is also affected.
Are The Mites Also Contagious To Humans?
In rare cases, mites can also infect humans. In most cases, however, it is sufficient to treat the animals and, in the case of some mite species, the environment as well.
How To Diagnose Mange Mites?
With a bit of luck, mange mites or their eggs can be found in a skin scraping or scotch tape preparation, ear mites on a paraffin preparation. There is also a blood test for sarcoptic mites that detects antibodies against the mites. However, since these antibodies persist for a long time, they can also come from a past silent infection.
However, if the mites cannot be found under a microscope, this is not proof that they are not causing the problems, as they can be quite difficult to find. Grave mites in particular are found in only a third of affected dogs. This means that diagnostic therapy must often be carried out to be sure that mites are not causing the problems before more complex procedures such as allergy work-up are carried out.