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Red Mange...anyone familiar with this?

post #1 of 14
9/12/10 at 10:03am
Thread Starter 
Otherwise known as Demodectic Mange, it is rare for cats to get, but I think Squeaky has it.

I noticed earlier that she has a couple of rough patches on her ears - had earlier attributed this to fighting with Sissy, but upon closer inspection, there are small patches of raised red bumps on her ears in a couple of spots.

Looking closer and feeling her ears, she's got small bumps all over them. They don't seem to itch as she isn't scratching, but they are THERE. Looking up the symptoms online, I'm finding the description that best fits is red mange.

She's got a couple of small bumps on her face, too, and again, I thought it was from fighting, but now I'm thinking not so much.

She's going to the vet this week, so we'll get that looked at for sure. Just wondering if anyone (especially those that deal with ferals and strays) have seen this and how it was handled.

Thanks!
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post #2 of 14
9/12/10 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 
OK, now I'm getting worried for her. What I'm finding is that this mite tends to live on all healthy cats but only becomes an infection (not a contagious one) when their immune system is compromised, meaning, Squeaky could have Diabetes (which would explain her excessive water drinking,) FIV or FeLV.




Ginger hasn't had any boosters since she had a horrible and scary reaction to a rabies vax a few years ago, so she's not protected. The rest of the cats, being indoors only, are up-to-date on most everything, but I do not give them regular vaxes that outdoor only cats (like Sissy) need, so I'll have to review their records with my vet.

I may not be able to bring Squeaky in with the others, after all. And she may have been tossed by her owners because they found out she's got some sort of illness.

Oh boy, I'm getting all sad about this. Can anyone offer any words of experience/support?
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post #3 of 14
9/12/10 at 10:33am
Don't worry until you have something to worry about! Just keep her separated for now, get her into the vet's and go from there. From looking at her photos, she looks pretty good, so please try to stay positive!!!!

Did a little reading, and it's the GENERALIZED cases of red mange that happen in compromised kitties. Sounds to me like she just has the localized, which probably came from her stress from living on the streets.
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post #4 of 14
9/12/10 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires View Post
Don't worry until you have something to worry about! Just keep her separated for now, get her into the vet's and go from there. From looking at her photos, she looks pretty good, so please try to stay positive!!!!

Did a little reading, and it's the GENERALIZED cases of red mange that happen in compromised kitties. Sounds to me like she just has the localized, which probably came from her stress from living on the streets.
Just read that, too, and am hoping that's all it is! Just that her drinking so much has me concerned, but other than being thin, she really does LOOK healthy to me.

I know, I'm a worrier, can't help it. It's in my genes!
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post #5 of 14
9/12/10 at 10:53am
My cats drink like little camels when it rains hard and the water trough we keep to catch rainwater fills. This morning I filled the outside bowl with fresh water from the tap and Brillo promptly went to the rain trough and took a loooooooong drink. Your baby probably just likes the fresh clean water.
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post #6 of 14
9/12/10 at 11:16am
I agree, don't panic until the vet tells you to! My pup had demodectic mange when she was little, two bare spots- one on her shoulder and one on her hip. They treated it with ivermectin- which only served to upset her tummy so we just waited to see what it did, and it went away on it's own. I did give her immune-boosting supplements, like a colostrum powder, but I don't know if that was what made it go away or not.
Every animal has some of the mites on them- they get them from mom at birth. The immune system just keeps them in check. If it is only one or two spots, I doubt it is anything you have to really worry about. It is when it is covering their entire body that it is a problem!
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post #7 of 14
9/12/10 at 11:32am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the positive thoughts, peeps!
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post #8 of 14
9/12/10 at 3:01pm
I know this will be impossible advice - but stop googling! Wait for the vet to tell you to start worrying. I say this because when I had to get a breast biopsy, of course I started googling the comments made on the mammogram (yes, just a few years back you had to pick up the original pictures to take to the doctor) and scared the heck out of myself. As three different doctors pointed out, it's all too human to hit the internet, and all too human to jump to the worst possible conclusion. And so many times that worst conclusion isn't the right diagnosis.

But good for you to get into the vet so quickly.
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post #9 of 14
9/12/10 at 3:07pm
The internet can be a friend and an enemy. Vow to stop researching until you see the vet.

Take it easy, one thing at a time.

Lots of vibes for this to work out ok.
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post #10 of 14
9/12/10 at 3:48pm
When I first brought Siri in no one but me would pet her and DH was calling her leprosy cat. She had sores, raised bumps, and was bald on her thighs and part of her belly. The cause: Bug bite allergy, specifically mosquitoes and I suspect chiggers. A couple courses of antibiotics and never going back outside again was the solution.
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post #11 of 14
9/12/10 at 4:58pm
Sending lots of positive thoughts and for you and her.

If I remember correctly, you haven't had her in that long...I know for the first week or two we had Sybil & the kittens inside, she ate and drank an terrifying amount. I'm a worrier too, so I was checking her over constantly.

I know it's easy for me to say, but try not to borrow trouble. If she looks and acts healthy, the best thing you can do for her is treat her like she is.
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post #12 of 14
9/13/10 at 3:31pm
Stop Googling at once!
As far as the drinking.... Is she eating more dry food than the others, thus drinking more water, and giving you the impression that she is thirstier?
When Hope was on 100% wet, she drank NO water. Now that she is on 50/50, she drink some... Lucky, who is on 100% dry, drinks much much more than the other 2, who eat wet and dry...
So it might just be a matter of perspective?
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post #13 of 14
9/13/10 at 3:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina View Post
Stop Googling at once!
As far as the drinking.... Is she eating more dry food than the others, thus drinking more water, and giving you the impression that she is thirstier?
When Hope was on 100% wet, she drank NO water. Now that she is on 50/50, she drink some... Lucky, who is on 100% dry, drinks much much more than the other 2, who eat wet and dry...
So it might just be a matter of perspective?
too add to the above

an all dry feed cat will drink roughly 4-6 oz a day ( figure most premiums are 4 oz to the cup the cat would drink a oz to oz the same or more than it eats
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post #14 of 14
9/14/10 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 
She's stopped guzzling so much water, but I've been giving her a cup of dry in the morning and a 5 oz can of wet at night.

She definitely needs to be dewormed, and her appetite has been outrageous (she's been eating on my front porch for over 6 weeks, stealing Sissy's food and getting beat up for it.)

So yes, she's eating a TON of dry, but is eating a lot more wet and dry than she really should need. She's put on a tiny bit of weight in the 8+ weeks she's been eating at my place (was stealing Sissy's food for weeks before I realized it wasn't Sissy eating so much every day!)

I'm treating her like the beautiful, sweet charmer that she is, have made the appointment to see the vet on Thursday morning, and we'll take it from there.

I just posted an update in Caring for Strays and Ferals. She's just SO precious!

Thanks for all your positive thinking and words of support!!!
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