I think my cat has mange ... Is there a Vet in the house?

Factual Questions
1

I can’t get our cat in to see the Vet to confirm my diagnosis till Wed. or Thursday. Suspect he has mange (otherwise unexplained hair loss w/dry and crusty skin on one ear, slowly spreading to head and neck and at least one other cat …)

I have found some info and “cures” on the internet, but a lot of the sites are using what sound like “scare tactics” to get me to buy their, in most cases, vastly over-priced “cures”. (I mean, come on now, $219.00 for 8 oz.? I expect that from our Vet - not the 'net!)

How concerned do I really need to be when it comes to having the mites spread to other cats, dogs, horses or my wife? And do I really need to treat all the fabrics, carpets, bedding, walls which have been painted white and violet, as well as the yard and horse corrals?

Short version of this question: “Is there a comparatively inexpensive and effective treatment out there on the 'net somewhere?”

(This cat has been a very expensive ‘free’ kitten - over $700 US in vet bills in the last 10 years or so … and he’s just the oldest of the current 12 member feline herd. Make that 13. I was recently reminded of the stray my wife adopted for xmas. It just visited my keyboard. And yes, I hereby commit the un-pardonable sin: no kitty pictures. The kitten stole the USB cable and I have been unable to locate it …)

Here’s hoping you have a Verrrry Hippy* New Year! May this day one year hence find you and all the members of your family safe, happy and very much more prosperous.**

Lucy

*No, that’s not a typo. It’s a product of my misspent youth.
**I’ve been hanging out around my grandson way too much. OG save our language, 'cause I’ve all but given up.

2

When I got my eldest dog as a puppy, she had mange. The vet gave me a liquid medication to place on the spot a couple of times a day to clear it up. It wasn’t very expensive at all-- about the price of a regular vet visit, if I recall.

I wouldn’t worry until I talk to the vet. Nor would I try a internet remedy because it’s possible that it may not be mange. (There are some conditions which have the same symptoms.) Let the vet make the diagnosis and then explore your options if the treatment is out of your price range. (Also, many vets will make arrangements for payments or give reduced fees. Don’t be embarassed to ask.)

3

Keep all your affected animals separated from non-affected animals. Sarcoptic mange is very contagious, and until you know it’s not that, you wouldn’t want to risk having 13 cases on your hands rather than 2.

As far as sterilization measures, you’d have to find out from your vet what the current practice is.

4

[QUOTE=Lissa]
[snip] … I wouldn’t worry until I talk to the vet. Nor would I try a internet remedy because it’s possible that it may not be mange. (There are some conditions which have the same symptoms.) Let the vet make the diagnosis and then explore your options if the treatment is out of your price range. …
[/QUOTE]

That’s the plan so far … Thanks, Lissa. I’ve seen mange before, that’s why I’m pretty certain that’s what we’re dealing with. I also know that the condition can only be confirmed by using a microscope.

I was just wondering if any of those scare tactics I’ve been seeing had any basis in fact, and if anybody had tried any of the remedies out there and had any success.

[QUOTE=Lissa]
(Also, many vets will make arrangements for payments or give reduced fees. Don’t be embarassed to ask.)
[/QUOTE]

Embarassed to ask? Me? Hell no.

20+ Feral Cats, Thirteen house cats, 8 horses, 5 golden corrals, 3 grandchildren, two daughters, 2 dogs, and a wife with a checkbook and a Mastercard.
(I’m trying to fit that to music but it ain’t working too much goodly so far.) :smiley:

I don’t just ask …
I beg. :eek:
Our Vet’s Version Of A Reduced Fee = We Accept Cash. 50% up front and a post-dated check for the balance on payday.

Credit card = bill + 10%.

[Legal Disclaimer & Explanation Needed: DVM doesn’t charge more if you use a credit card. You just get a 10% discount for not using a credit card. AKA Cash discount. (See above.) Simple, huh?] :confused:

On preview:

[QUOTE=Hello Again]
Keep all your affected animals separated from non-affected animals. Sarcoptic mange is very contagious, and until you know it’s not that, you wouldn’t want to risk having 13 cases on your hands rather than 2. …[snip]
[/QUOTE]

Given our current crop of livestock (See Above) isolation is a difficult proposition. We’ve noticed that the sub-zer0 (berrrr) temperatures seem to have slowed the progression, at least on the two cats we’ve noticed the symptoms on.

We’re hoping it will buy us a week or so. :dubious:

Lucy