Cat Ear Mite Picture

A very unpleasant little bug that causes a lot of irritation and worse for the cat. This cat ear mite picture was provided by the veterinarians and associates at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic. This photo has been used with their permission for teaching/educational purposes at www.pictures-of-cats.org (PoC). This site is a subdomain. I want to thank Ryan G. Gates, DVM of the clinic for granting permission. If people want to use the picture please ask the clinic first.

I say, "cat ear mite picture". In fact the ear mite (Otodectes cynotis) does not confine itself to living in the ears of cats. Another species of mite can that can affect ears is Demodex cati.

I think the ear mite is the parasite most commonly affecting cats after the cat flea. It is certainly a common health problem and one that we should be aware of. They cause intense itching. They feed by piercing the skin. If there is itching in both ears it is probably ear mites. Sign: your cat will scratch, stick his claws into the ear causing damage to the ear potentially, and shake his head. Sometimes the cat will be allergic to the ear mite. This will cause secondary health problems. There will be a dark brown waxy discharge inside the ear. Please check for that. A veterinarian trip is essential and (s)he will check for mites by looking at the earwax through a magnifying glass. It is unwise to treat them yourself without veterinary advice first.

Ear mites travel from the ear to the rest of the body. They are very contagious. If one cat has them all the cats/companion animals probably will too. Read more...