Answer: As well as fleas and mange mites, dealt with above, suggestions have already been given for eliminating infection caused by the ear mite, Otodectes cynotis, which occur commonly in cats.
The fur mite, Cheyletiella blakei, is a similar size to the ear mite, i.e. just large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and occur all over the body from head to rump. Often it produce no itching (pruritus) and the most consistent feature of its presence is a very scurfy, slightly greasy coat. The white mites and their eggs give the appearance of extensive dandruff, though close observation with the magnifying glass reveals that it is moving hence the popular name ‘walking dandruff’.
The cat louse, Felicola subrostratus, is a flat, wingless insect which feeds on hair and skin debris, and glues its eggs onto the cat’s hairs. The nits will later hatch out into a new crop of lice and can be most easily removed by clipping off the effected hairs. Although it may prove difficult to find them, the lice are intensely irritating to the cat and in young animals may cause anemia. In Britain infection is rare, except in farmhouse cats.
Both Cheyletiella and lice are transmitted by directed and indirect contact and they are treated with similar preparations to those used for the moving fleas. It is always worthwhile seeking veterinary advice about the correct preparation to use because all of them are toxic to some extent and nor all are equally suitable for every purpose. Any instructions and precautions should be carefully observed. As a general rule, special care should be taken with very young, very old, pregnant, nursing and ill cats, and those which require repeated treatment. Unless advised otherwise, avoid using number of preparations simultaneously because of the increased toxic effect.
The cat louse and all mites, except the harvest mite, differ from the flea in that they spend their entire life on the host. The harvest mite and the North America chigger are parasitic larvae which attach themselves to thin-skinned regions, usually the ears and between the toes, as the cat walks through vegetation. They need animal protein in order to develop further; after feeding they drop off and ultimately become adult mites which are non-parasitic and live on decaying vegetable matter. The larvae appear as small orange or red spots, and cause considerable irritation. As its name suggests, infections with the harvest mite are associated primarily with the summer months. Parasiticidal preparations are require for treatment.
Callophorid flies, otherwise called blow-flies may lay their eggs in open wound or in the soiled coat of the ill or elderly animal. The maggots (leave) which hatch from the egg feed from the living animal just as they would from a carcase or piece of meat. The secrete enzymes which digest proteins in the skin producing craters on the surface. This condition requires the area to be clipped thoroughly, cleaned, and treated with insecticide; treatment for shock may also be necessary.
In the southern and western United States, during the third quarter of the year, the fly Cuterebra maculate lays its eggs in soil. The larvae which hatch can attach themselves to the skin of cats, usually kittens or debilitated animals, that lie on the ground and eventually they are able to penetrated the skin. Each larva then grows inside a cyst-like cavity to be three-quarters of an inch long. An opening remains in the skin because this grubs need to breathe. Treatment requires removal of the grub with forceps and antibiotic treatment to combat secondary bacterial infection.
