Mange is the generic term for several skin conditions cause by various species of tiny arthropods called mites.
They eat skin debris, hair follicles, and tissue, and cause severe itching, hair loss, and often a flaky crust on the skin.
Animals with mange usually scratch themselves raw, making it easy for viral, fungal, or parasitic infections to take hold.
Three types of mange occur in cats: - Demodectic mange occurs rarely, and it is thought that the cat's immune system must be compromised before the mites that cause demodex in cats can get a foot hold.
- Notoedric mange, also known as sarcoptic mange or scabies, is cause by a microscopic mite that burrows beneath the skin to lay eggs.
The eggs hatch in less than three weeks, and the larvae quickly develop into adult mites and begin to lay their own eggs.
Scabies can cause extensive hair loss, and it can be passed back and forth by cats, dogs, and people.
- Cheyletiella mange is also known as walking dandruff because the mites that cause it look like dandruff on the animal's head, neck and back.
Although unattractive and highly contagious, cheyletiella is the least serious of the mange because it is easy to treat and is short lived.
Treatments for mange caries with the type of mite, so if you suspect that your cat has mange, see your vet.
Be sure to ask whether you need to treat your other pets or take any special precautions for human members of the family.
Not all heartworm medications are the same.
Both cats and dogs are vulnerable to heartworm, and both need preventive medication.
However, the dosage requirements are very different in the two species.
Do not treat your cat with your dog's heartworm medicine, or vise versa.