Ectoparasites

Skin Scraping

acariasis

very small head, need microscope to identify, feed on blood, lymph fluid, skin cells, and permanent parasite (usually lives on host entire lifecycle)

Sarcoptes scabiei

scabies, zoonotic, a burrowing mite

• superficial layers of skin
• typically around haed/ears/elbows/abdomen (areas of less hair)
• heavy infections can be everywhere

• any animal, some varieties are species specific
• rare in cats and horses
• reportable disease in cattle

round to oval shape, 8 legs, eggs=oval shaped, legs have long unjointed stalks with suckers on end

very contagious, extremely pruritic, red and pimply skin, starts to get thick and scabby, hair loss because of self-trauma, scabs become thicker, form folds.

ivermectin injections, mite dips, treatment of secondary infections

Sarcotes scabiei

Demodex spp.

very species specific, dogs usually, if in cats, higher frequency in Burmese and Siamese

hair follicles and sebaceous glands and can be deep into the skin

cigar shapped, 8 legs, and normal flora of the skin in small numbers

direct contact, nursing, increased numbers during stress or immunosuppression, immunodeficiencis can result in increased numbers of organisms and disease state

typically occurs at age 3-6 months, often starts at face and feet then moves, hair loss, red thickening skin:referred to as “red mange”, NOT itchy, and can be localized (affecting specific areas of the body- typically face) or generalized throughout the body.

• can be very difficult and long process (mites are so deep in skin that pesticides may not reach and kill them immediately)
• Ivermectin takes long time, mitaban dips may be used, but can take 4-6 weeks+ at 2 week intervals, euthanais is sometimes the only option

Otodectes cynotis

• common in cat and ferrets but can be in dogs
• ear canal, usually in both ears, can be tail, face

• direct contact
• highly contagious

itchy red ears, head shaking (can lead to hematoma), inflamed ears, may be swollen and warm to touch, brown to black dried, crumbly debris in ear (looks like coffee grounds), can cause convulsions in cats

swab ear, place in mineral oil on slide, examine under scope, viewed as white moving objects in external canal throughotoscope, short unjointed stalks with suckers on legs, body can resemble a bell pepper, skin scrapping

topical insecticide in ear, diligent cleaning and flushing of ear (by owner), ivermectin injection may be used, though not labeled for this purpose-repeat after 2 weeks, takes about 1 month to clear up, or revolution works very well in cats, and sometimes antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

• antibiotics
• Otomax, tresaderm, tritop, panalog, baytril otic, epi-otic, oti-clens, oti-calm, and diligent cleaning on the owners part.
• if to severe, animal may require ear flushing

Cheyletiella spp.

• rabbit, dog, cat, people
• bell pepper shaped body, comb-like structures at each leg tip, has prominent hook-like mouthparts

large white flakes of "dandruff" and skin dry and scaly

• use scotch tape and put on slide
• will see eggs

• topical insecticides
• never dip a rabbit
• must treat environment

Notoedres cati

head and face mites of cats, burrowing mite, sometimes infests rabbits(not often), temporaril on people, entire life cycle spent on host, legs:unjointed stalks w/ suckers present: similar to Sarcotes mites, eggs: oval

• Sarcoptes-same as small animal
• demodex-smae as small animal
• Psoroptes-similar to Sarcoptes
• Chorioptes-leg mange

Mallophaga

big head, broad/flat, head wider then thorax, yellowish body

Anoplura

see in dogs, not cats, birds, smaller head, more pointed and narrower, dowdier thorax, large than Mallophaga

• mallo=wool
• phaga=eat

• anopl=unarmed
• ura=tail

wingless, flat-can not squish, 3 pairs of legs, very host specific, permanent parasite

nits

nymphs

• 3 time
• N1, N2, and N3

direct contact, transported on fomites (combs, brushes, blamkets, hats), will die in 7 days if there is no host

• inside ear, between legs, on tail
• itching, poor hair coat, alopecia, possibly anemmia, will probably see dipylidium caninum proglottids (lice is the intermediate host)

• see adults and presence of nits (see by combing)
• insecticides topically applied, most flea products will kill lice

Trichodectes canis

Felicola subrostratus

Linognathus setosus