Tiny black bugs

[Athena's Mom]

My cat, Tigger, was outside in Flagstaff and came home with what looked like tiny beads of grease on his ears. The first day they all went away. Then he got them again. Now I realize it is not oil but tiny black insects that have latched into his skin. They have not swelled up like ticks do. All of them sort of pop when I scrape them off with my fingernails. I am very worried because some are in the edge of his eyes.

I'll find a vet to see him in the AM but would appreciate knowing what these tiny bugs are. They are less than 1/32 of an inch in size. It took a magnifying glass to figure out that they are insects. They have front legs that look like claws to grab hold of skin. I love Tigger and am very worried about his health and eyesight.

[mamabear]

Athena, you need to take the kitty to the vet. Call and make an appt. The advice you get here will be good but either way you need to take him to vet to get help asap.

[slvrwhispr]

Yeah, definitely to the vet. I have no idea what kinds of bugs are in Arizona, being from Michigan with a much more tame list of creepy-crawlies. The vet will be able to tell you what they are and get them off, and also make sure they didn't do any damage. ESPECIALLY because they're around Tigger's eyes. You want to make sure he gets seen ASAP because infections can set in quickly if these bugs are leaving open bites.

[mamabear]

FLEAS !

I just realized that you said pop off when you scrape them off. It seems from the description of what you say that they are fleas. You need to get cat to vet so there can be treatment. Please do not try to attempt this on your own. You need to talk to vet about the treatment of your feline AND OF YOUR HOME. FLeas are everywhere and eggs too so you need to do something not only to kitty but to house too and vet can help talk to you about what will work well.

DO not delay, fleas can hurt an animal as well and the infections it causes can be of great pain.

CALL vet

[Tambrey]

if they are fleas DO NOT USE OVER THE COUNTER TREATMENTS.....they are NOT SAFE FOR CATS....see this link
OTC Flea treatments
you will need to get Frontline for cats at your vet's office...
and vacuum vacuum vacuum your home and furniture every day...especially cracks and crevices...you can put a cut up flea collar inside your vacuum bag and then get rid of it right away after vacuuming...

and please remember to keep your cat INDOOR ONLY

[Traci]

My guess is earmites, since they usually reside in the ears, although they can jump to other areas on the body. They appear as oily dirt, black or dark brown, and usually clump together deep inside the inner ear canal. If not treated promptly and effectively, they will cause significant damage to the ear, including serious deep-seated infection within the inner ear canal. Your vet can treat these effectively, but be prepared you will most likely have to treat for a week or two...treatment specfic: ear wash to clean the ears and help loosen debris, followed by drying with a cotton ball, followed with an ear solution that kills the mites. Treatment usually is twice a day, for up to a week or two. Follow vet's instructions exactly, because if you don't, the mites will not be eradicated and there will always be risk for bacterial infection.

Fleas are also a possibility, but you should have seen them elsewhere on the body. A quick test: use a cotton ball and gather a tiny amount of debris from the OUTERMOST part of the ear or the tip of the inside of the ear (DO NOT GO DIGGING INSIDE THE EAR, this can cause eardrum rupture! DO NOT use a q-tips!)....once you have a spec of debris on the cotton ball, put a drop of water on it...if it turns red, it could be flea dirt. If it doesn't turn red, chances are, it is mites.

Don't wait, try to get an appointment today. Mites/fleas are painful and agrivating to a pet. And, as Tambrey mentions, please, keep Tigger indoors only.

[Athena's Mom]

Tigger and Athena are backfrom the vet. Tigger has some type of flea that grabs onto the skin. They are not regular dog and cat flees. He's staying for treatment and will be put on Frontline. The vet wants to put him to sleep to clean his teeth. I'm worried about doing something so drastic. Are there some chews for cats to clean thier teeth. Athena would be too upset to stay at the vets so we took the vet's flee shampoo home and will do her ourselves. Thank you for helping.

[mamabear]

Tigger and Athena are backfrom the vet. Tigger has some type of flea that grabs onto the skin. They are not regular dog and cat flees. He's staying for treatment and will be put on Frontline. The vet wants to put him to sleep to clean his teeth. I'm worried about doing something so drastic. Are there some chews for cats to clean thier teeth. Athena would be too upset to stay at the vets so we took the vet's flee shampoo home and will do her ourselves. Thank you for helping.

So wait did tigger stay at the vet? The best course of action is to keep him there and treat him, his is already there so just let him stay longer. Yes if his teeth are bad do get them. If he has tartar or plaque there is no amount of treats or chews that will take it off. It is best to have it done by vet then start brushing his teeth. You need to use that shampoo properly, did the vet teach you how to do it. Since once you lather him up the fleas are going to start jumping off INTO YOUR HOME! You dont need more of headache why would you want to do this as well.

Did you go over with your vet what you will do to your home to get the infestation out? Since treating the cat is always a good thing but treating hte bedding and the house is the only way that it will be gone. I have not used frontline and am not sure what is the latest but you DO need something to stop the fleas from getting on him. You also need to stop letting him outside. the fleas will keep coming back if you continue to let him out. The safest place for you cat is in your home.

Where they rat or hen fleas? I know there is a human flea but I would think it more of a rat or hen flea.

[Traci]

Athena is your dog, correct? Even so, many over-the-counter flea shampoos are too harsh for dogs. One should also NEVER use an over-the-counter flea shampoo for any pet, particularly cats, since the ingredients could be deadly. I'm surprised the vet sells flea shampoo, he should be treating with advantage or frontline instead. If treating with frontline or advantage, there is no need for flea shampoo. Also, one should never combine the use of a flea medication (i.e., frontline or advantage) with any flea shampoo, this is an overload of chemicals or ingredients and those ingredients could interact.

Depending on the extent of periodontal disease will depend on the necessity of a dental cleaning for Tigger. If he has a significant amount of plaque or tarter, it should be removed under anesthesia. However, I always recommend that owners opt for a pre-surgical blood screen and comprehensive exam before any dental or any other anesthetic procedure, you want to know that the kidneys and liver are functioning properly and that the pet is a good candidate for anesthesia....particularly in any pet over the age of 7, or any pet who may have previously had any reaction to anesthetic for whatever the procedure.

Once the dental has removed the tarter or plaque, your vet will probably recommend preventative care, such as an oral dental diet (if necessary), or dental treats, or a dental rinse/gel you can use at home...he'll discuss that with you. He'll also want to re-evaluate Tigger on a periodic basis to determine if he is prone to dental disease, in which yearly or every other year, a cleaning should be done.

[Athena's Mom]

The vet shampooed Tigger and gave us a flee and tick preventer Advantage. Athena got Frontline. The vet didn't sell the shampoo. She gave us a bottle of what she uses. I read the posting not to use the Flee Shampoo available at the pet stores. The flees were stick flees probably because Tigger got into a dead bird or something in Flagstaff.
The ticks were mannually removed, mostly by me. If they laid eggs, there is not food around for them if they hatch. I'll wash the bedding and acuum, but I'm only spraying under the beds Tigger gets under. I dont want insecticides all over my house. With the preventive measures and a clean house, the flees can't survive - I hope.