You are here: home > Feline Mange - Main Page > Feline Mange Information For Veterinarians

Feline Mange Information For Veterinarians

Disclaimer:

I am not a veterinarian or any other kind of health practicioner.

Since you are a veterinary professional, it is your responsibility to diagnose and treat the problem. I am doing my limited best to help. But ultimatly, the diagnosis is in your hands, and the treatment plan must be decided upon by yourself and the pet owner.

I can not and will not take responsibility for these decisions.

skip list of on-page links

• I Feel Silly Writing This Web Page
• General Tips On Mange Diagnosis And Treatment
• Treating Mange With Ivermectin
• Ivermectin
• Use Of Ivermectin On Cats
• Ivermectin-Based Products

• Related Pages

I Feel Silly Writing This Web Page

I feel really silly writing this web page.

Since you are a veterinarian, you have access to information, equipment, and medications far beyond that available to people like me. Based on that assumption, I didn't write anything like this when I put up the first feline mange pages in 2004.

But in January of 2005, somebody informed me that their cat had died after a veterinarian used Ivermectin to treat mange.

Since Ivermectin is off-label for mange in cats, I suspect that treatment information is either not available, or extrapolated from other animals. Perhaps that vet wasn't deeply familiar with the treatment of feline mange and used treatment data more appropriate to a different species of patient or different variety of mange.

I will do the best that I can to point you towards the best information sources that I have found.

General Tips On Mange Diagnosis And Treatment

• Notoedric Mange (Feline Scabies) seems to be the most common form of mange affecting cats.

  This suggests that, if the exact form of mange can not be determined, Notoedric Mange is a presumptive diagnosis.

• Notoedric Mange and Sarcoptic Mange are similar.

  If treatment information for Notoedric Mange is not available, Sarcoptic Mange treatment might serve as the basis for extrapolation.

• Demodectic Mange (Demodicosis; Red Mange) is uncommon in cats.

  It seems to me that the Demodectic Mange mites burrow deeper into the skin and require stronger and more prolonged treatment than Notoedric Mange or Sarcoptic Mange.

  This suggest that Demodectic Mange treatment presents unnecessary risk, unless the diagnosis of Demodectic Mange is certain.

• The Merck Veterinary Manual Eighth Edition Online is made available as a free public service by Merck in cooperation with Merial, Ltd.

  The article on mange is located at http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/72005.htm

• The web site http://www.veterinarypartner.com has several articles on the subject of mange, and a page on Ivermectin.

• In addition to direct treatment, aimed at the eradication of mange mites, mange may cause other problems that require symptomatic and supportive treatment:
  • self-inflicted wounds caused by scratching
  • dehydration
  • malnutrition
  • weight loss
  The more advanced the case, the more likely that additional treatment may be required.

Treating Mange With Ivermectin

My own personal experience with Ivermectin is extremely limited - and I am not a vet.

Based on the results I got, it appears that:

• 0.2 mg/kg oral Ivermectin - Has a theraputic effect against mange that is rapid and thorough.
• 0.4 mg/kg oral Ivermectin - Did not do any visible harm, and may have resulted in a faster recovery.
• There is no reason to risk a dose higher than 0.4 mg/kg.

Since that time, I found out that Merck Vet Manual recommends 0.2 mg/kg for Notoedric Mange. [Sources that recommend higher doses probably extrapolate from Canine Demodicosis.]

Two doses, 7-10 days apart, seem sufficient. A third dose, 7-10 days later, may offer more certainty.

If the treatment is working, there should be a clear improvement one week after the first treatment. Improvement should be especially evident in the facial area, where most of the damage is likely to be from the mange mites and little due to scratching (see: recovery sequence). Areas wounded by scratching (e.g. the neck) take a while to show improvement.

Ivermectin

Use Of Ivermectin On Cats

• Since Ivermectin tastes bad, subcutaneous injection is probably the most reliable route of administration. I suspect that the bioavailability of Ivermectin is similar when administered orally and via subcutaneous injection.

• Whenever Ivermectin is used in treatment, the pet owner must be made aware of potential side-effects.

  They should be on the lookout for problems, especially grogginess, lethargy, and trouble breathing.

• I have collected some information on Ivermectin overdose that may be helpful.

• Ivermectin is off-label for mange in cats, but appears to be safe for adult cats.

• We have collected some reference material on Ivermectin.

Ivermectin-Based Products

Some injectable veterinary Ivermectin products (which may also be suitable for oral use) are [circa 2005]:

			drug data sheet
name	maker	specs	original	mirror
Bimectin	Bimeda	Ivermectin, 10 mg/ml	original	mirror
Ivomec	Merial	Ivermectin, 10 mg/ml (1%)	original	mirror
VETAMECTIN-CS INJECTABLE	Vetus	Ivermectin, 10 mg/ml (1%), 40% glycerol formal, 1.5% benzyl alcohol (preservative), propylene glycol, q.s. ad 100%	original	mirror

Here are some other Ivermectin-based products which may be useful [circa 2005]:

			drug data sheet
name	maker	specs	original	mirror
Heartgard for cats, 0-5 lbs. feline heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 55 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard for cats, 6-15 lbs. feline heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 165 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Chewables for dogs, 0-25 lbs. canine heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 68 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Chewables for dogs, 26-50 lbs. canine heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 136 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Chewables for dogs, 51-100 lbs. canine heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 272 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Tabs for dogs, 0-25 lbs. canine heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 68 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Tabs for dogs, 26-50 lbs. canine heartworm prevention	Merial	Ivermectin, 136 mcg	original	mirror
Heartgard Tabs for dogs, 51-100 lbs.	Merial	Ivermectin, 272 mcg	original	mirror
Ivermectol, dispersible tablet	Ochoa Laboratories (P) Ltd.	Ivermectin, 3 mg
Ivermectol, dispersible tablet	Ochoa Laboratories (P) Ltd.	Ivermectin, 6 mg
Eqvalan Paste equine anthelminitic and boticide		Ivermectin, 6.08 g (1.87%)
Equimectrin Paste equine anthelminitic and boticide		Ivermectin, 6.08 g oral syringe
Zimecterin equine anthelminitic and boticide	Merial	Ivermectin, 6.08 g oral syringe

Ivermectin-based horse paste seems to be extremely common; available from numerous manufacturers.

Related Pages

Skip this list.
You may be interested in these related pages:

• mange overview
• symptoms
• mange recovery
• Bandit's recovery
• community action against mange
• mange information for veterinarians [this page]
• reference material on mange
• reference material on Ivermectin

privacy policy | write to us | tip us

©Copyright 2005-2006 by The Wolfstone Group. All rights reserved.

You must read and abide by our terms of service. You must read and understand our veterinary disclaimer.