What kind of Pet/animal do you own?

[Whiskers]

I've been treating one of my cats for a skin infection with no success, thinking it got a bit of skin clawed out by another cat and started licking it as cats do... but the infected hairless skinless area has kept increasing.

Poor cat... I've just realised it's probably mange that caused the first bit of hair and skin to come out.

I'm off to the vet tomorrow to see what I can do to cure it. A quick search of the web suggests a 2% Lime Sulfur bath for a few weeks should cure it. It seems that there are few medicinal treatments approved for mange in cats, most are off Label remedies with some being potentially fatal to cats dependent on other issues with the cat.

Has anyone had success with Lime Sulphur? What other remedies have worked?

 

[Tink]

I would take him to the vet Whiskers as he will probably need antibiotics..

We have a 14yo tortoiseshell cat and 7yo Pomeranian

Also have a Tropical Fish Tank

 

[kincella]

I would be taking the cat to the vet.....I would not be using a fungicide like lime sulphur on the poor animal.....and see below there are better more effective treatments....
did you realise its a mite that buries into the skin....
regarding lime sulphur....
Dipping is labor intensive and rarely done any more as the other products are easier and more rapidly effective. We mention dipping since it has been a standard mange treatment for decades prior to the introduction of ivermectin.
Treatment

While sarcoptic mange is difficult to diagnose definitively, it is fairly easy to treat and a number of choices are available.

REMEMBER, ALL DOGS IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE SARCOPTIC MANGE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED SHOULD BE TREATED.

Ivermectin - This is one of the most effective treatments against Sarcoptes scabiei yet it is off-label as far as the FDA is concerned. There are several protocols because of the long activity of this drug in the body. Typically an injection is given either weekly or every two weeks in one to four doses.

In most cases this treatment is safe and effective but some individuals have a mutation that makes ivermectin toxic at the doses used to kill mites. These individuals are usually of the Collie family: Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds are classically affected. There is now a test that can determine if any dog has the mutation that makes ivermectin use dangerous. An additional caution comes from an interaction with the relatively new flea control product Comfortis ® (spinosad). Relatively high doses of ivermectin are needed to treat sarcoptic mange and if Comfortis ® is used concurrently, ivermectin side effects are more likely to occur. While ivermectin is a prototype compound upon which most other sarcoptic mange treatments are based, it may be worth using a product that has actually been approved for the treatment of sarcoptic mange.


Selamectin (Revolution ®) - Selamectin is an ivermectin derivative recently marketed for dogs for the control of fleas, ticks, heartworm, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange mites. Normal monthly use of this product should prevent a sarcoptic mange problem but to reliably clear an actual infection studies show an extra dose is usually needed after 2 weeks. This product is probably the best choice for Collie or Australian shepherd breeds.

See more information from the manufacturer on Revolution.

Moxidectin (Advantage Multi ®) – Moxidectin is yet another ivermectin derivative. In Advantage Multi, it is combined with imidacloprid, a flea killing topical, to create a product used against heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, and fleas. In the U.S. this product is not FDA labeled for sarcoptic mange but it is in other countries and should still be effective even though technically it is off-label.

See more information from the manufacturer on Advantage Multi.

Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor ® or Sentinel ®) - Milbemycin oxime is approved for heartworm prevention as a monthly oral treatment (as either Interceptor ® or Sentinel ®). Happily, it also has activity against sarcoptic mange and several protocols have been recommended by different dermatologists. This is another medication that one might find recommended.

See more information on Interceptor from the manufacturer, and see their page for Sentinel.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=616

 

[kincella]

some people keep pet mice and pet rats....and allow them to breed....then they escape to surrounding places..others have giant spiders for pets...

I know of a family who bought 2 rabbits for their only child....the rabbits started breeding as they do....it all got totally out of control...at one stage they counted over 100 rabbits in their back yard...of course the rabbits did not stay within the confines and spread around the neighbourhood.....it was very sad really, rabbits everywhere....most neighbours within about 500 yards were reasonably angry with that family...

and what about the people who keep snakes.....I know a bloke who had a pet python...locked in a cage in the backyard....that python was 3 metres long, just a baby at that stage....jaws like a dog....someone left the cage unlocked....python escaped... the previously rowdy neighbours were suddenly very quiet...no more back door slanging matches with them (too frightened to go out the back door in case snake was there)....he eventually found same snake dead, it had coiled itself around the steering column in his car and got its head stuck in under the dashboard....poor thing....
needless to say he was freaked out after finding python in his car....twas the end of his snake as a pet days....

 

[Whiskers]

Thanks for that info Kincella.

It was a Merch Pharmacuticals site that I quickly browsed earlier... no wonder the range of options was pretty skinny.

My vet gave me 'Revolution' from the opposition Phizer, to apply as a topical treatment. It controls fleas, a range of worms as well as mites.

I recall I looked at Revolution ages ago when selecting a flea control, but chose another cheaper product. It kept the fleas at bay alright, but in this case the extra cost of Revolution seems to be in it's ability to treat a broarder range of paracites.

This stuff is more expensive than gold... a 60mg dose, a tiny drop, cost me $15.00 x 6 pack, $90.00 to treat all four cats and follow up on the infected one.

I agree with your concern about uncontrolled breeding of pets. All mine are de-sexed. I suspect my cat picked up mange from some strays and probably ferrels that sneak in and steal their food off the verandah. I've had to leave their dry food dish that the can access anytime, inside the house, but even then I ocassionally catch a stray sneaking inside to get a feed.


Btw Tink, that's a pretty cute looking little dog there.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

I have a money spider that lives in my home office.

Quite a lively little bugger.

gg

 

[nunthewiser]

i keep Damaras

the one one the left is named "sunday roast " a tribute to nicole kidman

the one on the right is named "lamb chop"

the one in the middle WAS named "spit" alas no longer with us

the ram is named "rambamthankyoumam" you can work that one out

great pets ...... with the bonus of being polite enough to share a dinner table with you

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

i keep Damaras

the one one the left is named "sunday roast " a tribute to nicole kidman

the one on the right is named "lamb chop"

the one in the middle WAS named "spit" alas no longer with us

the ram is named "rambamthankyoumam" you can work that one out

great pets ...... with the bonus of being polite enough to share a dinner table with you

Beaut animals nun.

gg

 

[nunthewiser]

i also have a pink and grey galah that swears a bit and whistles and sqwawks while parading around the loungeroom looking for unprotected feet to chew on

must have more lives than a cat as he likes to chew on power cords also

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

i also have a pink and grey galah that swears a bit and whistles and sqwawks while parading around the loungeroom looking for unprotected feet to chew on

must have more lives than a cat as he likes to chew on power cords also

You are so lucky.

My brother in law has a galah as a pet.

Who needs power and comms when you have a galah !!!

gg

 

[Hedders]

There are heaps of native animals around our place- roos, wombats, possums, tortoises, snakes etc, but one of the most aggressive ones I've come across was the Lace Monitor that got caught in my chook house. I had to remove him because he couldn't find his own way out. It was more of an ordeal than any snake I've handled. He was nearly as tall as me. I've attached a pic of one of his forearms to show how big his claws were. I relocated him to a local reserve, only to find that he made his way back to my place the next day! They love chook eggs.

 

[ck13488]

^^i remember going camping as a little'un and taking whole eggs and putting them out for them to eat...they would swallow them whole and spit out the shell, i was always amazed!

we have a dozen chooks, 2 cats, a fishtank (had tetras but replacing with yabbies in a few weeks), a mum and baby possum who visit us and are quite tame. also a koala sits in a tree between out house and garage during summer!

 

[Julia]

My vet gave me 'Revolution' from the opposition Phizer, to apply as a topical treatment. It controls fleas, a range of worms as well as mites.

I recall I looked at Revolution ages ago when selecting a flea control, but chose another cheaper product. It kept the fleas at bay alright, but in this case the extra cost of Revolution seems to be in it's ability to treat a broarder range of paracites.

Whiskers, the best product is "Advocate". It covers everything with a monthly squeeze onto the back of the neck. Costs a little more but is really worth it.

 

[Whiskers]

Thanks for that Julia... I'll check it out.

It may be a good idea as with agricultural chemicals to rotate between different chemical groups to prevent or at least slow the pests developing an immunity to a particular chemical.

This mite problem has come as a bit of a surprise, since I only switched to a squeeze on flea control more recently for conveinence, having only used a bit of flea powder ocassionally previously. But considering the state of the strays around here and the bush they hide in, it looks like it will be a continuing problem.

 

[gav]

This is Pixi, she is a Ragdoll and is 9 months old now. Her father is my parents Ragdoll, and her mother is my cousins Ragdoll. Despite her cute and innocent looks, she is quite mischievous and rebellious.

In my gym bag

WAASSSSSUP!!!! (anyone who's seen the Budweiser ads will know what I'm talking about)

 

[Julia]

Very cute, Gav. I'm not much into cats, but I gather the Ragdoll is in personality much more like a dog.
Seems you will get a lot of pleasure from Pixie. Thanks for putting up the photos.

 

[Nyden]

There are heaps of native animals around our place- roos, wombats, possums, tortoises, snakes etc, but one of the most aggressive ones I've come across was the Lace Monitor that got caught in my chook house. I had to remove him because he couldn't find his own way out. It was more of an ordeal than any snake I've handled. He was nearly as tall as me. I've attached a pic of one of his forearms to show how big his claws were. I relocated him to a local reserve, only to find that he made his way back to my place the next day! They love chook eggs.

Holy crap, it's an alien!

 

[Prospector]

Hey Gav, you have a Ragdoll! Julia alerted me today (I havent posted much lately as too busy) but we have just taken delivery of a 12 week old Ragdoll. Now, I think yours is a Blue pointed Raggie? Just so we can compare, this is our now 15 week old Raggie.

 

[Bushman]

A regular zoo at my joint - 2 dogs (one found in a park with a stuffed leg and a new one from the RSPCA), a Russian Blue and a rabbit.

The chooks had to be adopted out as they kept getting into my my veggie patch.

 

[bloomy88]

A regular zoo at my joint - 2 dogs (one found in a park with a stuffed leg and a new one from the RSPCA), a Russian Blue and a rabbit.

Wow that's impressive. Got 2 dogs at my house, a cocker spanial and an Australian terrier.
Animals are fantastic to have around the house