Introduction
Cats can become infected with mange, just like dogs, but their mange mite is the highly contagious Notoedres cati. An infection with this type of mite is also known as Notoedric mange or feline scabies. These mites burrow deep within the cat’s skin, and they cause severe itching and skin infections. Due to the fact that these mites live so far below the skin’s surface, medically prescribed treatments are the only treatments which will effectively kill these mites. Home remedies will not treat Notoedric mange.
Treating Mange in Cats
Lime-sulfur dip
There are two main treatments available for treating Notoedric mange. The first is a prescription lime-sulfur dip that is applied over the cat’s entire body every 10 days. How many times the dip needs to be applied is determined by a veterinarian.
Revolution
The second treatment for Notoedric mange is Revolution for cats. This is an ‘off-label’ use, meaning it has not been officially approved for Notoedric mange, but some veterinarians have found it to be effective and so they may use it as a treatment. Revolution is applied to the cat’s skin, between the shoulder blades, once a month. This treatment will also kill fleas, ear mites, and some intestinal parasites.
As Notoedres cati is highly contagious, if any other cats are in the household they will need to be treated too even if they are not showing any symptoms. If all cats in the household are not treated the mites can just keep re-infecting the cats. Dogs that are the household should be treated for the mites as well, however these mites do not burrow deep into the dog’s skin and so there are a number of treatment options available.