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Cheyletiella Dermatitis On Dogs
from: Kyle BesserCheyletiellosis, or Cheyletiella dermatitis, is a mild skin disorder caused by mites of the genus Cheyletiella. Cheyletiella mites commonly affect dogs, cats, rabbits and occasionally people.
Cheyletiella mites live on the surface of the skin and do not burrow into deeper layers. They feed on dead skin cells and occasionally tissue fluid. Infestation with these mites can be very itchy, but not always. Typically the affected animal's fur becomes crusty, scaly and inflamed. Sometimes patches of fur may be lost.
Cheyletiellosis is also known as walking dandruff. The mites are usually a little less than a half-millimetre long. They are grayish-white and visible to the naked eye if you look closely. They tend to be quite active and crawl around, which gives them the appearance of walking dandruff.
Cheyletiella live their entire 21-day life cycle on one host. They cannot survive off the host for more than 10 days. Cheyletiellosis is seen more commonly in areas where fleas are less prevalent because of the decreased use of flea products that are also efficacious for the treatment of this mite.
Cheyletiellosis is highly contagious. Transmission is by direct contact with an affected animal. Symptoms in animals vary from none to include intense itching, scales on the skin and hair loss. The lesions are usually on the dorsum (the back of the body ) of the animal.
Diagnosis is made by finding the mites or eggs microscopically in a skin scraping, combing, or on acetate tape applied to the skin. The most common treatment for dogs is weekly use of some form of topical pesticide appropriate for the affected animal, often an anti-flea product. Your vet can prescribe an appropriate anti-parasitic drug to treat your dog.
Other pets in the same household should also be treated, and the house or kennel must be treated with an environmental flea spray. In the environment even the hardiest forms of the mite, which is usually the eggs and adult females, die within about 10 days. Once the source of the mites is eliminated by treating, the signs in any affected animals and people should go away in a few weeks. Elimination of the source is necessary to resolve the problem.
People can be affected if they have close contact with a pet carrying Cheyletiella. Symptoms in humans include multiple red, itchy bumps on the arms, thighs or trunk, single or grouped. Sometimes they can be extremely itchy. It is rare to see the mites themselves on a person. Because humans are an irregular host for the mite, they can't actually complete their life cycle or survive for long on people. The symptoms usually will resolve on their own without specific treatment and go away in about three weeks.
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