Any advice for my cat ??

Question

I think he has mange, (it is on his head, neck & a lil bit on his face) but i'm not positive, i did some research he has all the symptoms, i can NOT afford a vet, is there anything i can buy over the counter or something cheap i can use at home to get rid of it and make him more comfortable ??? He itches severely. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank You.

Answer 1

Hi. yes there is something you can get from the chemist you will need to tell them you have a cat with mange and they will make it up for you ..i cannot for the life of me thing what the damned stuff is called we used to use it when our old dog had mange years ago... i am not sure how much it will cost but no more than £5.00 at the most...you rub this stuff on(it is a cloudy liquid) and the area will go sort of dark after a couple of days and the hair will come out but it clears quite fast...the only thing it will probably make the cat itch because it will sting a bit so try not to let it lick it.as im not sure if it will have any ill effects from doing that. i hope this helps i am sorry i cant remember what it is called .xx

Answer 2

Ringworm is a virus, mange is skin mites--you need to find out which your cat has before you can do the correct treatment. Best to make an appointment with the vet to have this checked.

If it is ringworm, you can treat that cheaper than the vet's $20 cream. A tube of Miconazole is a 4% solution and only $8 at Walgreens. If you want the brand name, go with Monistat 3. They both have the ingredient that's in the cream the vets have, and at a 4% solution instead of the 2% solution. It works, but takes about 6 weeks. Treating for ringworm is a long term process.

Answer 3

Here's the thing: most people that call a vet to report their dog or cat has mange turn out to be wrong! They phone hoping the vet will tell them what to do over the phone so they can avoid the expense and trouble of coming into the clinic, and that's understandable except for two big problems (and several legal ones).

Problem number one is that most skin diseases that people mistakenly call the mange turn out to be allergic or bacterial problems which requires a very different treatment than mange.

And problem number two is that if it is mange, the vet has to know which type, which they can only tell by looking at a sample under the microscope, to know which medication to choose, because there isn't a treatment yet that will cure both sarcoptic and demodex (red) mange.

The treatment for sarcoptic mange is as follows with possible variations by your vet:

1. Confirm diagnosis with skin scrapings and a microscope. (And veterinary knowledge)

2. Remove the surface scales and bacteria with a good medicated shampoo so that the dip can penetrate deep into the skin where some of the mites are hidden.

3. Apply an effective dip (poisonous pesticides...pay attention to your vet's instructions) to the surface of the skin and allow it to soak into the skin for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. Each time you do this you will be killing a large percentage of the adult mites, but you will also be leaving a small percentage of adults and a large percentage of eggs and larvae. Because of this, you will need to repeat the dips, usually weekly, for 3-8 times.

There are a lot of mail order pesticides and home remedies (motor oil, sulfur, kerosene) that will kill sarcoptic mites to different degrees, but you risk both poor results and a very sick dog (and probably a dead cat) if you don't use the newer prescription dips available from your vet. This is not a good time to skimp.

Answer 4

I`m sorry to say there are different types of mange, only a vet can diagnose and treat the kind your cat has, if indeed it is mange. Over the counter med will probably cost as much as a vet visit, if the product really works. Mange is actually a mite that burrows under the cat`s skin causing intense itching, loss of fur, crusted skin with a brownish matter on the fur. MANGE CAN ACTUALLY KILL A CAT if left untreated, due to infection from scratching. I wish I could be of help, but I know of no home remedy that would be safe to put on ur cat as they have a tendency to lick their fur. I don`t know if a vet would be willing to name a product for u to purchase OTC, via a phone call instead of an office visit, but it`s worth a try. Be aware that if ur cat has mange, he is in much distress and pain. I wish u and ur cat luck in finding help.

Answer 5

If you can't afford to have him treated, then you need to give him to someone who can. I'm so tired of people complaining that they can't afford treatment....then don't have a pet! You can't let your cat be miserable. The longer you let it go, the worse it could get. Most medications are by prescription only since your cat needs to be properly diagnosed and the medication dosed out according to weight etc. A Vet exam typically isn't too expensive....start with that and go from there.

Answer 6

look not everyone can afford a vet, but please take it to the vet you dont have to pay all at once, see if they can help you out with payments. if you dont ask they cant help. think about what you would do if you were sick and couldnt afford a doctor. so take the cat to vet before you take advice from anyone else.

Answer 7

It might also be ringworm. Put him under a black light and if the spots glow green, that means it's ringworm. If it's a fungus (I don't know if either one of them is), but if it is, try a fungicidal like athlete's foot medicine. Since it's only where he can't lick, it might be okay.