There are many types of parasites that can affect the well-being of our pets. One of the most common parasites in cats is ear mites, an easily detectable problem that sometimes goes unnoticed if we don’t do a proper health check on your cat.
Mites are, together with fleas, the most frequent external parasites in cats. Young cats and long-haired cats are the most likely to experience this type of infestation, suffering its consequences without us noticing until it is too late.
We will tell you everything you need to know about ear mites in cats, how to detect them and treat them in time in the most effective way.
What are ear mites in cats?
Mites are parasites in the shape of tiny spiders, which look like whitish or light brown dots. They are small bugs found naturally in the environment, causing a major infestation when there is inadequate cleaning of the cat’s ears or ear canals.
Without us noticing, they settle on the skin of animals to feed on the dead cells and earwax, causing more serious damage when the population increases in a very short time.
How to detect them
Regularly checking your pet’s ears may help you detect ear mites early on. In order to do this, there are some symptoms and physical characteristics you can look out for:
- Dark wax visible in the ears.
- Swelling and redness of the ear.
- Unpleasant smell coming from the ears.
- Scabs and wounds behind the ears, caused by scratching.
- The cat is constantly shaking its head.
Diagnosis of ear mites
If you suspect that your pet has ear mites, it is advisable to make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. This infestation is one of the most frequent in animals, and to detect it, there is a very simple detection protocol.
The vet will examine the ear canal to rule out any other health problems in your cat. Mites can be seen with the naked eye and are easy for an experienced person to detect.
In addition to this detection protocol, your vet will also make an analysis of your cat’s state of health, in order to see what damage it may have suffered and what the level of infestation is before resorting to the most appropriate treatment.
Treatment for mites in cats
To get rid of ear mites, the treatment for cats consists of several steps. On the one hand, there is the use of oil cleaners for removing secretions from the ear and deep-cleaning the ears at least twice a week.
The use of a cleaner forces the parasites to come to the surface, thus increasing the results of the acaricide product. This antiparasitic is applied daily until the mite population is completely wiped out.
There are also deworming treatments that are applied like a pipette on the skin, acting from the inside. Mites feed on the blood of pets, where the topical treatment is diluted to kill them effectively.
If you suspect that your cat may have ear mites, don’t hesitate to contact your vet for early detection. At Sepicat we care about pets’ health by providing the best health and care advice.