Demodex gatoi
Despite its name, Demodex gatoi behaves more like Sarcoptes due to the following traits of D. gatoi:
- Pruritic
- Contagious between cats
- Difficult to find on skin scrapings
Diagnostic approach
Perform skin scrapings on all cats in the home since it may be easier to find the mites on the cats that are not overgrooming. Asymptomatic carrier cats can live in the home with the pruritic cat. Click here for an image of D. gatoi.
Run a fecal float on the pruritic cat's feces since D. gatoi can be ingested with grooming.
Consider the history: If pruritus developed after adopting a new cat, the new cat may be an asymptomatic carrier. In this situation, consider treating for D. gatoi before looking for flea allergy, food allergy, or atopy.
Treatment trial
Since this mite is hard to find, a treatment trial is often necessary for diagnosis.
Lime sulfur dip is the only effective therapy
- Dip the pruritic cat once a week for 3 weeks. If there is no pruritus reduction, stop the dips because D. gatoi is not present.
- If pruritus reduces after the first 3 dips, then dip all cats in the home once a week for 6 weeks.