What causes cheyletiella mange in cats?
Cheyletiella mange rarely affects cats. It is caused by the mite named Cheyletiella blakei. Unlike the demodex, sarcoptic and notoedric mites, this mite does not either tunnel into hair follicles or into the cat’s skin. Instead, these mites move rapidly on the surface of the cat’s skin in pseudotunnels of epidermal debris and spend their entire life cycle on the host’s skin. The female Cheyletiella blakei mite lays eggs, which are small and loosely attached to the cat’s hairs.
Cheyletiella mange in cats is often called “walking dandruff” because the mites are large enough that you can see them as they move around the scale of the cat’s skin.
How does a cat get cheyletiella mange in cats?
The main way cheyletiella mange is transmitted is by direct contact with an infested animal. Female mites can live several days off a host, so your cat could become infested through environmental contamination, e.g., bedding. This means that the best way to prevent your cat from getting cheyeletiellosis is to keep it away from other cats – especially strays – that could be infested with the Cheyletiella blakei mites. If you board your cat or have it groomed, make sure the facility where you board the cat is very clean and that the groomer keeps his or her scissors and brushes disinfected.
Symptoms of cheyletiella mange in cats
If you notice your cat has developed very itchy, dry lesions that have a central area of necrosis (dead skin cells), you can just about bet it has Cheyletiella mange as this is the chief symptom of this form of mange. These lesions cause pruritus or itching, which can be mild to moderate. Another symptom of Cheyletiella mange in cats is dandruff along its back.
Diagnosis of cheyletiella mange in cats
Your vet will need to examine the mites under a microscope to make a really definitive diagnosis. However, she or he should be able to make a tentative diagnosis just by finding mites on the cat and by examining its skin for lesions.
Treatment for Cheyletiella mange in cats
For the treatment of Cheyletiella mange in cats, your vet will most likely prescribe weekly dipping in an insecticide - such as a lime sulfur dip - to eliminate the mites. You will need to do this six to eight times, at weekly intervals. As an alternative, you might be able to use Fipronil (Frontline® Flea Spray), spraying the cat twice at two-week intervals. Your vet might also treat the cat with a topical, oral or injectible medication to kill the mites and antibiotics to control any secondary bacterial infection.
Preventing Cheyletiella mange in cats
Since the mites that cause Cheyletiella mange in cats can be transmitted only through direct contact with an infested animal, the best way to prevent your cat from developing this disease is to keep it away from cats carrying the mites. This is no problem if your cat is an indoors cat. However, if it’s an out-of-doors cat, you’ll have to be very watchful to keep it away from other cats, especially strays. If you have your cat groomed, make sure the groomer uses only scissors and brushes that have been thoroughly disinfected. Do you ever board your cat? If so, make sure the facility is clean and well maintained. It is also a good idea to thoroughly clean all bedding and brushes, etc. to remove any mites from these areas.
Cheyletiella mange and humans
Cheyletiella mange is contagious and can affect humans as well as cats. They infest humans only temporarily but will cause a mild skin irritation and some itching. If the condition becomes severe, there may be open lesions.
If your cat does become infested with cheyletiella mange, you need to make sure neither your kids nor you come in direct contact with it. If you do contact the mites that cause this type of mange, there is good news. The cheyletiella mites cannot live on humans as hosts and will eventually die off. If the itching is serious and you cannot wait for this to happen, your doctor can treat the condition using one of several different topical lotions such as permethrin (Nix, Elimite), lindane (Kwell, Scabene), and crotamiton (Eurax). The Ivermectin (Stromectol) is an oral medication that is sometimes prescribed to treat mange in humans. You may also be able to relieve the itching yourself with the topical agent, calamine lotion.
Cheyletiella mange in cats is not life threatening
Cheyletiella mange in cats is not a life threatening disease. But it can cause your cat a lot of discomfort. Treating your cat for Cheyletiella mange requires only time and a modest amount of money and will free your cat from the itching and lesions caused by this disease.
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