feline scabies and treatment

1. Feline scabies
GUIDED BY- DR. SANDHYABHAVANI
B.V.SC ,M.V.SC
PRESENTED BY-ADITYA KUMAR
BVM-12002 , FINAL YEAR B.V.SC
SOURCE-MADRAS VETERINARY COLLEGE TEACHING HOSPITAL ,SMALL ANIMAL DERMATOLOGY COLOUR
ATLAS BY LINDA MEDLEAU , ARTICLES AND JOURNALS

2. SIGNALMENT
 ANIMAL – FELINE
 BREED – ND
 SEX – FEMALE
 AGE –owner don’t know
 COLOUR – BLACK AND WHITE
 BWT -1.5 KG

3. AMANENSIS
 SEVERE ITCHING
 ALOPECIA
 CRUST OR SCALES
 IN APPETANCE

4. Physical examination
 G/A – EMACIATED
 B/H – DULL
 F / H – INAPPETANCE
 EXAMINATION OF SKIN – GREYISH CRUST , PRURITIS , ALOPECIA ,
THICKNING OF SKIN OF EAR
 SKIN SCRAPPING - POSITIVE
 COMB BRUSHING – NO ETIOLOGICAL AGENT SEEN
 EAR SWAB- NEGATIVE
 TAPE IMPRESSION - NEGATIVE
 WOODS LAMP- NEGATIVE

5. DIAGNOSED BY-
 SKIN SCRAPING FROM EAR- MITES NOTICED (Notoedrus cati)

6. Treatment given
 Inj ivermectin 0.02ml S/C
 Lotion benzyl benzoate
 Owner was advised to come again after one week..

7. CASE DISCUSSION

8. ETIOLOGY
 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.
 Feline scabies is very rare
 DISTRIBUTION – Europe ,india,(1994), japan ,Indonesia , Australia , north and
south America.

9. LIFE CYCLE
 The mites spend their entire life on a cat. The female mite burrows into the skin
and lays eggs several times as she continues burrowing.
 These tunnels can actually reach the length of several centimeters. After she
deposits the eggs, the female mite dies. In 3-8 days, the eggs hatch into larvae
which have 6 legs. The larvae mature into nymphs which have 8 legs.
 The nymph then molts into an adult while it is still in the burrow. The adults mate,
and the process continues. The entire life cycle requires 2-3 weeks

10. Who get feline scabies
 Notoedres can infect cats of all ages, breeds, and colors. It infects both males and
females and often will infect an entire litter of kittens.
 Because this mite is transmitted directly from cat to cat, it is more common in
outdoor cats that come in contact with strays.
 The mite only lives a few days off of the cat, but transmission through grooming,
boarding, and sharing bedding is possible.
 N. cati can also infest foxes, dogs rabbits and humans.

11. CLINICAL SIGNS
 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.
 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.

13. DIAGNOSIS
 CLINICAL SIGNS – thickening of skin , alopecia , itching, yellow greyish crusts,
wrinkled skin
 SKIN SCRAPPING-

14. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
 ear mites,(otodectus)
 dermatophytosis,
 demodicosis,
 hypersensitivity (flea bite, food, atopy),
 and autoimmune skin disorders

15. Canine vs feline scabies
Canine scabies
 Initially, less-hairy skin is involved, such
as on the hocks, elbows, pinnal margins,
and ventral abdomen and chest. With
chronicity, lesions may spread over the
body, but the dorsum of the back is usua
lly spared.
 terminal anus, dorsal pegs and spines
seen on Sarcoptes species
Feline scabies
 with hair loss and itching on the ears and
then spreads rapidly to the face, eyelids,
and neck.
 Notoedres mites are smaller
than Sarcoptes
 have ‘thumb print’-like dorsal striations,
shorter limb stalks and a dorsal anus

18. TREATMENT
 While the Notoedres mite can be killed with many of the same products used to
treat dogs with scabies, most of them are NOT safe to use in a cat.
 Cats are much more sensitive to some of the insecticides that are safe to use in
the dog.
 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. . This is repeated every
seven days until the condition resolves and may require 6 to 8 weeks of
treatment.

19. TREATMENT CONT……
 Alternative therapies include the following:
 • Ivermectin 0.2-0.3 mg/kg S/C once in a week
 Do not go beyond 0.3mg/kg
 Benzyl benzoate lotion
 • 0.015% amitraz solution applied to entire body q 7 days for 21 days
 Treatment with ivermectin lasts for 2-3 week in severe cases upto 4 weeks..
 Prognosis is good.

20. 97.8%
12.5 %
3-4ml/l

21. PREVENTION
 Prevention is best accomplished by preventing your cat from coming in contact
with stray or infected cats.
 Indoor cats are much less likely to contract this disease.
 Avoid boarding or grooming your cats at locations that do not provide good
sanitation and insist that all grooming tools be disinfected between use.
 At the first signs of infection, seek prompt treatment and isolate the infected cat
from other cats in the household
 Advice was given to the owners to wash all inanimate objects like feeding and
watering bowls, cloths, bedding and towels those were in contact with the cats
and owners with hot water
 It was also advised to spray the floor and walls with cypermethrin at 4 ml/l of
water monthly twice.

22. CAN YOU GET Notoederes from cat?
 Yes Notoedres can infect humans.
 The disease, though, is generally self-limiting, causing only temporary itching.
 Severe problems in immunocompromised individuals

23. Ivermectin
 Ivermectin is known to act on GABA neurotransmission (agonist) at 2 or more
sites blocking interneuronal stimulation of excitatory motor neurons, leading to
flaccid paralysis by hyperpolarisation.
 Ivermectin was sold commercially on the international market in 1981 and was
licensed for sale in the United States in 1983. The drug was approved as a feline
heartworm preventative in 1996.
 Ivermectin is approved by the FDA for use as a heartworm preventative in cats.
 The recommended minimum dose in cats is 24 μg/kg of body weight
 Later it was used as a ectoparaticides.

24. Ivermectin toxicity in cats
 Ivermectin having fairly high margin of safety in cats.
 Use it cautiously in below 6week of age .
 Cats: Ataxia, vocalization, disorientation, dementia, whole body tremors, dilated
pupils, apparent blindness, circling, head pressing, slowed heart
rate,hypothermia, coma, and death.
 Owners and veterinarians should monitor these signs and treatment should be
given according to the condition.
 General treatment: For oral exposures, the induction of vomiting may be
continued, gastric lavage is performed,iv fluids (5% dextrose) and activated
charcoal is administered.
 Specific treatment – physostigmine and neostigmine

25. Amitraz toxicity in cats
 General Information
Amitraz kills mites and ticks by interfering with their nervous system. It will also affect
the nervous system of cats if overdosed. use Amitraz cautiously on cats. Amitraz is a
monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).
 Severe toxicity may occur if amitraz-containing collars( anti tick collars) are ingested.
 Clinical signs - Serious side effects include low blood pressure, decreased body
temperature, elevation of blood glucose, dilated pupils, slow heart rate, slowed
intestinal rate, ataxia, prolonged sedation, vasoconstriction, vomiting, diarrhea, and
seizures. Death may occur.
 Antidote – yohimbine - is an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist. It competitively
blocks and antagonizes central nervous system depression or sedation and the
bradycardia and respiratory depression caused by xylazine.

26.  For amitraz toxicity, yohimbine is dosed at 0.05 mg per pound (0.1 mg/kg)
intravenous.
 Yohimbine is available in an injectable form in a 2 mg/mL or 5 mg/mL
concentration
 Yohimbine can also be given to reverse the effect of xylazine.