Cat Ear, Mouth and Eyelid Skin Problems

by Anonymous

Our cat was a feral kitten that now is an indoor/outdoor cat of just over a year old. We live in NY and over the past few weeks she has had small, black, oblong parasites(?) that have embedded around her eyelids, mouth and ear.

At first we thought it was some type of cyst because they did not look like ticks nor did we see any legs or other identifying characteristics that made then look like bugs. I began to realize they were growing fairly quickly and then would drop off which now makes me think they are some type of parasite or insect. She has an appointment at the vet tomorrow but I am anxious to know what this is as I see no pictures nor descriptions online that seem to fit.

Editor Suggestion for Curing a Cat Mouth, Ear and Eyelid Skin Problem

Thank you for your question.

Cats, dogs or any other companion animals may accidentally get infested with a specie of flea, generally called a “Stick-tight Flea”. This is most commonly found on birds used for poultry, but they can also falsely infest cats, dogs and even humans. Falsely means that they don't primarily look for cats to infest.

These are small, dark brown and oblong parasites, which are found in groups. In cats, these types of fleas mostly infest the area around the ears, face and eyelids. Feral and/or outdoor cats are more prone to such forms of infestations.

Since, these fleas are accidental parasites on cats, they do not cause serious cat skin problems, but, they are capable of triggering secondary bacterial infections over the skin and cause a decline in the immune status of the affected cat, making the cat vulnerable to disease.

You did not share any symptoms or unusual signs here, so our best guess is that this condition has not yet caused any serious problem to your pet. The problem is that it puts your cat at risk for secondary infections, ear problems and a weakening of any immune response.

Here, we can recommend the use of a quality anti – flea shampoo such as Natural Chemistry De Flea Shampoo to bathe your cat until the condition resolves itself. Using this approach, most of the fleas will be killed and eradicated, but some may stay on the body. These can be removed with the help of a pointed tip tweezer. Remember, it is very important to eradicate the entire population of these “stick-tight” fleas to ensure the skin and immune health of your cat.

In addition, to improve the cat skin condition and immune health, we recommend a natural remedy, such as Skin and Coat Tonic, which will help to improve your cats immune system and skin health.

Keep your cat away from other pets, and make sure that you disinfect the environment to protect your pet and family with a room flea disinfectant such as Benzarid. Fleas can infest and cause skin rashes and discomfort to human, so you should be careful while dealing with affected cat.