How to spot mange on your cat: here is where it first presents

Mange is not as common in cats, who are usually infected due to a regional epidemic. However, all owners should know the symptoms, especially if the cat is an outdoor cat or can go outdoors.

Symptoms and treatment of mange in cats are shown below on the PetMD veterinary website.

This causes mange and these are the symptoms

Cats get mange from coming in contact with other animals with mange (which is a general term we use to describe mite infestation) and become infected themselves. This infected animal is usually another cat, but not exclusively. Cats can also become infected with canine mange through contact with mangy dogs. It is a highly contagious disease, so if contact has occurred, the animal is almost certain to get mange.

The first and most common symptom that the owner may notice is itching and soreness around the edges of the ears. But the following symptoms are also likely to appear:

• intense itching
• peeling of the skin;
• hair loss
• inflamed skin.

If left untreated, mange will usually start on the cat’s head and then spread to the whole body.

Treatment of mange in cats

Mange will not cure itself. If you don’t take your pet to the vet, you can be sure you’re putting them through long and pointless suffering.

The veterinarian will take a skin sample from the cat, which will be analysed to make an accurate diagnosis and rule out the presence of other diseases. Once the diagnosis is made, it is likely to be easily treated with spot-on drugs. There are, however, some types of these mites that are better treated locally. Only the vet can accurately assess this, we cannot treat the animal effectively at home with home remedies!

If you have a pet with mange in the household, it is recommended that you treat other susceptible pets as well, because as mentioned above, it is a highly contagious condition.

The recovery

Response to treatment usually takes a few weeks depending on the medicine used and the number of affected animals in the household. There are already products that protect against reinfection after use. Your vet will be able to give you more information on this.

It is possible that people living with infected cats contract scabies, but as we are not the primary host, the chances of this happening are small. If it does happen, the symptoms are very mild.