Home Treatment for Scabies in Cats

Home Treatment for Scabies in Cats

Scabies can affect a cat of any age or gender and they don't need to have bad personal hygiene to become infected. It is a very unpleasant and frustrating disease which is caused by an infestation of mites known as Notoedris Cati. This mite penetrates the skin tissue deeply and leads to itchiness, irritation, open wound and scabs. Although not as common as in dogs, scabies is problematic for many domestic cats. It is, however, treatable and curable as long as it is detected early and the cat is provided with effective treatment.

Remember that for effective treatment to begin, it is essential to take your cat to the veterinarian. However, it isn't always possible to do this immediately so you may need some home treatment for scabies in cats to help in the meantime. This AnimalWised articles brings you the relevant information so you might be able to reduce and stress and suffering before they get better treatment at the vet.

What is scabies and how does it affect cats?

The first thing we should know about scabies in cats is that it is a very infectious condition. In most cases, cats contract scabies from being in contact with another cat or infected animal. Early treatment is of vital importance not just to your cat. If left untreated, it is almost certain it will infest any other animals or humans in the household.

The disease is characterized by pruritus (severe itching)[1], scabs from broken skin and alopecia (hair loss). At the beginning, it usually appears localized to the neck, ear and head. When we see this initial infection, this is the moment when it is necessary to begin treatment. If not, the scabies will spread to the rest of the cat's body. The treatment for scabies involves a lot of care as well as isolating them from other cats and pets.

Cats with scabies may exhibit the following symptoms:

  • Itching and intense burning
  • Biting and scratching itself
  • Skin irritation and inflammation
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Weight loss
  • Losing patches of fur
  • Foul odor on skin
  • Appearance of scabs

Steps before treatment

Before treating your cat, you need to isolate them from any other cars or pets. This quarantine must remain until the treatment is complete and the scabies is cured. Unfortunately, this can take weeks and sometimes months, depending on the severity of the condition. Long haired cats will suffer longer recuperation time. This is why some owners will decide to have an infested long haired cat's coat cut to help speed up recovery. While it may look drastic, it should eventually grow back again.

Remember the importance of maintaining hygiene in scabies cases. Also ensure you treat your cat very well before treatment. Scabies mites can get into your cats bedding, blankets, food bowls, collars and toys, so be careful to wash or get rid of them as necessary. We recommend that, before using any product on an infected cat, you wear latex gloves. This is because scabies is infectious and can easily be spread around. As the mites will get on objects and clothes, regularly wash them as the treatment progresses so that it doesn't get worse.

Home remedies to treat scabies

Essential oils

Although these essential oils will not work to completely eliminate scabies mites from your cat's skin. What they can do is to serve to soothe irritation and their strong odor makes them a repellent. Apply essential oils of olive, almond or lavender on the affected areas by gently massaging them in circular motions. You can mix these different essential oils if you like for a stronger effect. One of the most effective types of essential oil is almond oil with vitamin E extract. You may not be able to find this on its own, so simply break a vitamin capsule in some almond oil and mix them together. Ensuring it is at room temperature, apply every two days for at least a week to help get rid of the mites as well as help heal the skin. Use a dropper and don't overdo it.

Sulphur soap

Another effective home treatment for scabies is to bathe your cat with sulphur soap. Sulphur is a chemical element which is easily obtainable and has antifugal and antibacterial properties. This will help to stop the mites from spreading. It is something which can have helpful uses for both your cat and the human members of the house (although ensure not to share a bar of soap with an infected cat). It is relatively cheap from beauty and drug stores and is also great if you want to bathe your cat. Just be careful around the ears, eyes and mouth.

Oil, acid and vinegar

Boric acid

This is a very common home treatment for different conditions, scabies being only one of them. It will help to bring the dog's skin back to top health and has useful antiseptic properties. You can use a diluted boric acid solution to clean different areas, but works well to clean sensitive areas such as the ear. Use at least once a week.

Corn oil

Although we're coming back to the oils, corn oil don't work the same as the above essential oils. This is a much cheaper, yet still effective home remedy for scabies in cats. It works by attacking and essentially drowning the nasty mites. For 15 days, massage the affected areas with this oil and don't miss any applications.

White vinegar

White vinegar is one of the most common kitchen products, although it can also be used in just about any room of the house for various home remedies. In regards to scabies, it can be effective in killing mites and insects around the ears of an infested cat. It can also help in cleaning the remains of infection and impurities. Mix the vinegar with a little water and use it in a dropper to apply to affected areas of the cat. Never apply directly on open wounds as it can cause severe irritation.

Remember that these home remedies for scabies and cats will only be useful and effective when there is a correct diagnosis of scabies. For this reason, it is important to go to a trusted veterinarian who will let you know if it is indeed scabies or some other skin condition. They will help provide the most appropriate treatment according to each individual case. Feel free to discuss these home remedy options with them. They may recommend using some of them in conjunction with medicinal treatment.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to Home Treatment for Scabies in Cats, we recommend you visit our Home Remedies category.

References

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4456520/