Feline demodicosis
Definition
Feline demodicosis is an uncommon parasitic disease due to increased numbers of democid mites in the skin.
Etiology
Feline demodicosis is caused by a follicular mite demodex caty or a surface mite demodex gatoi. An inapparent carrier state and contagious between cats has been reported with demodex gatoi.
Patophysiology
Some cases of Feline demodicosis have been associated with other disease. These have include food allergy, felline acne, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), diabetes mellitus and actinic dermatitis
Clinical presentation
Cats may present with pruritis an fur pulling, localized or symmetrical alopecia, erythema and excorations.
Diferential diagnosis
Bacterial folliculitis/furunculosis, psycogenic alopecia, dermatophytosis, atopic dermatitis, food hypersensitivity, flea bite hypersensitivity, infestation with cheyletiella spp. Or notoedres cati, contact dermatitis.
Diagnosis
If skin scraping are negative, topical treatment with lime sulfur should be considered in any cats that presents with the above symptoms.
Treatment and management
Most cases respond to weekly dips with 2% lime sulfur for 4-6weeks. Failling this, 0.0125% amitraz may be used weekly as a dip and continued for three weeks after a skin scraping has given negative result. All cats in the house hold should be treated simultaneously when demodex gatoi is found or suspected.
source: Feline demodicosis
