Mange: Cause, Signs, and Symptoms

Warning:

Mange is really nasty. So are descriptions and photos of what it does to an animal. If you have a weak stomach, skip this page.

Cause Of Mange, And Types
Bandit's Symptoms
Symptoms
Related Pages

Cause Of Mange, And Types

Mange is caused by a tiny parasite, a "mite", which is a form of arachnid (related to spiders).

Fleas live on the outer surface of the skin. Fleas bite an animal and drink blood, but next to mange mites, fleas are a treat.

Mange mites dig into the skin and live beneath the surface. In addition to drinking the animal's blood, they provoke allergic reactions.

There are several different kinds of mange, each caused by a different species of mite. In addition to cats, just about any mammal can get mange, as can birds. The most common form of mange in dogs is Demodectic mange (red mange), but much rarer in cats. The most common form of mange in cats is Notoedric mange.

Forms of mange:

Notoedric Mange (Feline Scabies)
mite = Notoedres cati
Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies)
mite = Sarcoptes Scabei [and closely related species]
It can infect humans and cats, but tends not to persist on these hosts. A cat diagnosed with "Sarcoptic Mange" probably actually has "Notoedric Mange". Since treatment is the same, this fine point is of little concern.
http://www.doggroups.com/breeds/item/20 describes Sarcoptic mange as follows:
This microscopic spider-like mite burrows through the layers of the skin causing an intense itch and streaks of reddened skin. After a month or so the skin becomes very crusty. It is spread from one mature dog to another by contact or by contact with objects the infected dog has touched. Humans in contact with these pets will often begin to itch too. ... Besides dogs, I see this disease in cats, hedgehogs raccoons and squirrels.
Demodectic Mange (Demodicosis; Red Mange)
Demodectic Mange is caused by opportunistic mites that are often present, but only flare up into a problem when the animal has immune system problems. There seems to be a hereditary component.
There are three forms:
- mite = Demodex Canis - dogs; extremely common, especially in puppies; lives inside hair follicles
- mite = Demodex Cati - cats; rare; lives inside hair follicles
- mite = Demodex Gatoi - cats; rare; lives towards the surface of the skin
http://www.doggroups.com/breeds/item/20 describes Demodectic mange (red mange) as follows:
Demodectic mange is generally seen in dogs less than two years of age. These mange mites are passed to puppies skin from their mothers. Demodectic mange mites live in the hair and oil (sebaceous) follicles of the skin. The first signs of this disease are patchy areas of hair loss about the head and forelegs, which do not itch and do not appear inflamed. These areas may spontaneously resolve or become larger until large areas of the pet’s skin is involved.

Since my web pages are dedicated to treatment of cats, I will assume Notoedric Mange. I will occasionally make reference to diagnosis and treatment of other animals and other forms of mange.

Mange is highly contagious. If one cat in your household gets mange, all cats should be treated. Mange mites from animals can be transferred to humans, but usually don't take hold there.

A cat with mange looks terrible, and feels even worse. Untreated, mange can kill.

Bandit's Symptoms

The first time I saw a cat with mange, I thought that he had been in a fight. The fur around the neck looked like it had been torn out, with large scabby patches in its place.

If you're brave enough to touch it, the fur on the neck feels thin, and the skin underneath feels crusty or scabby. Underneath the crust, the skin seems thickened or leathery, perhaps due to inflammation or scar tissue.

The skin may also feel loose - the animal is losing weight.

Actually, the cat might look even worse than this. The pictures on the right were taken after some kludgy home treatments intended to buy time. Although I don't claim that the pink lotion is a real cure, it certainly helped with the crustiness. You should have seen Bandit a week before this. Ugh!

The face and ears didn't look quite so alarming, but were obviously discolored by brown stuff that's probably oxidized blood.

Mange looks terrible. But it feels even worse.

The constant irritation of the mites digging into the skin causes the animal to scratch itself continuously. This often breaks the skin, causing more pain and bringing on infection.

The body attacks the invading mites and infections, using up precious resources. The animal becomes lethargic. Cats with advanced cases of mange often stop eating. They starve to death.

But there is some good news. The photos on the left, that show a normal cat, are after treatment. Mange can be cured, restoring the cat to complete normalacy.

Symptoms

Here are some of the symptoms of mange:

face:
- brown marks on nose leather
- brown marks on and around nose
ears:
- brown marks, sometimes crusty, around edges of ears
- brown "dirt" in the outer ear
- signs of discharge from ear, either wet or dried material - may be accompanied by an unusual smell
- scratching at the ear(s)
- crusts on the ears
head and neck:
- scabbed, crusty patches on head and neck
body:
- hair loss, especially small patches that are bald
- unusually thin fur, so that you can see the pink skin underneath without parting the fur
- scabbed, crusty patches
misc.:
- excessive scratching
- weight loss, loss of appetite
- dehydration

Note that fur on the ears is thin, with pink skin visible through.

Note dark colored "dirt" in the ear.

Note fluid discharge from the ear.

You may be interested in these related pages:

Disclaimer:

I am not a veterinarian or any other kind of health practicioner. You should leave diagnosis and treatment to a veterinary professional. If your pet looks sick or injured, you should be on your way to the vet now.
If your veterinarian is unable or unwilling to treat feline mange, or is unsuccessful after one month of treatment, please see If Your Veterinarian Can't Help.

Thank you for visiting. Your comments are welcome.
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