Feline Scabies (Notoedric Mange) Symptoms and Treatments

Feline scabies is caused by a tiny mite called Notoedres cati. This mite affects cats very much like the sarcoptic mange mite affects dogs; in fact, their life cycles and treatments are very similar. While many cat owners do not realize that cats get mange, as veterinarians, we see and treat this on a regular basis. If your cat suffers from severe itching or hair loss on the head and neck, you should consider having your kitty examined for this mange mite.

Although it is a parasite that affects cats, this mite can occasionally infest dogs and can cause temporary, minor itching in humans. The mite causes severe pruritus (itching) and infested cats can cause significant harm to their skin by chewing and scratching. The disease begins at the base of the ear and spreads up the ear pinna, around the face, and down the neck. Eventually, the lesions may reach all the way to the feet and to the anal area, possibly due to the cat's normal grooming behavior.

Feline scabies typically begin with itchy crusts and scales on the ear margins. Notoedric mange progresses to involve the face and ultimately, if the skin disease is ignored, it will eventually cover the cat’s entire body. The term "scabies" is somewhat colloquial and refers to a mite infection with any of the mites in Sarcoptidae family. In the United States, this infection is considered rare with regional "hot beds" of infection. Many veterinary dermatologists never see this condition in their entire careers. The Southern California area, however, is such a hot bed and here the infection is very common.

The symptoms usually start with hair loss, and itching on the ears and then spreads rapidly to the face, eyelids and neck. The mites can also spread to the feet and lower abdomen. This characteristic spread probably occurs from the cat's habit of grooming, and sleeping curled up in a ball. As the disease progresses the skin will become thickened, wrinkled and covered with grayish/yellow crusts. Because of the intense itching the infected cat will often scratch and irritate the skin causing secondary infections to develop. The surrounding lymph nodes may also become enlarged as the problem worsens.

The current recommended treatment for cats is to clip all long hair and then bathe the cat with a gentle cleansing shampoo. After the shampoo a 2 to 3% lime sulfur dip (Lymdip) is applied to the entire surface of the cat. Some cats may require a sedative to be properly bathed and treated. This is repeated every seven days until the condition resolves and may require 6 to 8 weeks of treatment.

Some veterinarians have successfully used an Amitraz dip to cure this disease but this is an off-label use of this product and may make some cats sick. Recently Ivermectin has also been used successfully, much as it has been for sarcoptic mange in dogs. Ivermectin is not approved for use in cats but under close veterinary care it may provide a viable form of treatment. If there are multiple cats in the household it is often recommended that all cats in the household be treated because they may be harboring the mites.

Other Cat Mange:

• Otodectic Mange - Otodectes cynotis mites are a common cause of otitis externa especially in cats.
• Cheyletiellosis (Walking Dandruff) - Cheyletiella blakei infests cats, C yasguri infests dogs, and C parasitovorax infests rabbits, although cross-infestations are possible.
• Feline Demodicosis - Demodex cati and Demodex gatoi are the two demodex mites of cats.
• Trombiculosis - This common, seasonal non contagious acariasis is caused by the parasitic larval stage of free-living mites of the family Trombiculidae.

Next article: Cat Roundworms (Ascarids) Symptoms and Treatments