Tick ​​bite: treatment at home. How to provide first aid if bitten by a tick and how to disinfect the wound at home?

Ear mites in cats: treatment at home

Many owners of furry pets have had to deal with this phenomenon, when a pet frantically scratches its ear with its paw, and does it so often that suspicion immediately creeps in: something is bothering the cat. And the reason for this behavior is the disease otodectosis, in other words, ear scabies. Its “culprit” is a tiny insect that causes discomfort to cats. This small parasite settles in the animal's ear, causing the ears to become inflamed. Where does a cat “catch” this disease? What are its main symptoms? How to treat a pet if it has become infected with otodectosis? Are there any complications? We will consider these and other questions in the article.

Signs and Symptoms of Ear Mites in Cats

First of all, every owner must understand: otodectosis does not appear on its own. In most cases, infection occurs if the cat has been in contact with an already infected animal, for example, while out for a walk. A pet going outside can “catch” the parasite from another cat. And in some cases, the disease occurs even in pets that do not go outside at all. This can happen when the owner accidentally brings a tick home on shoes or clothing. What are the main symptoms cats may exhibit and how to treat them at home? Let's figure it out.

• The pet actively and often scratches its ears with its hind paw, trying to relieve the itching;
• Shakes his head intensely and for a long time, pressing his ears to his head;
• A lot of black sulfur dirt appears in the ears;
• A specific smell is released - the result of the “work” of parasites;
• Redness and crusts from scratching form in the folds of the ears.

At the first symptoms, which clearly indicate signs of mite infection, it is undesirable to delay treatment, since the animal suffers from constant scabies. If measures are not taken in time, complications will begin. The disease will progress and enter an advanced form: purulent discharge and blood ichors will appear, and the animal’s hearing will begin to deteriorate. And to avoid such a severe stage of the disease, the parasites must be destroyed and the pet’s ears must be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, you need to use special medications, which will be discussed further.

Treatment of encephalitis with valerian and burnet

burnet
A water infusion of valerian root is an effective folk remedy for treating encephalitis and meningitis, and burnet root extract concentrate is rubbed into the scalp three times a day. It is prepared in this way: the roots are crushed, poured with alcohol and left for 3 weeks. When the roots swell and become like liquid pulp, they are squeezed out and the medicine is filtered.

Such procedures are combined with taking peony tincture. The root of the evasive peony is ground and a tablespoon is filled with 100 ml of vodka. Then the product is infused for 9 days and drunk 40-50 drops three times a day. The course of treatment is 30 days, after which a break is taken for two weeks.

During treatment, it will be useful to drink an infusion of wintergreen. A teaspoon of dry herb is brewed in 100 ml of boiling water and left warm under a lid for a couple of hours. Take tea 3-4 times a day, a tablespoon. Dandelion juice also has healing properties if you drink it a tablespoon half an hour before meals.

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Treatment of ear mites in cats

If you find otodectosis (ear scabies) in your pet, then be prepared for the fact that the treatment will be long and require patience. The cat does not understand that you want to help her, so during the procedures she will show dissatisfaction in every possible way: bite, scratch, and break out. Remember that infection with ear mites is a serious disease; the full course of treatment will take at least a month. We will tell you how to treat your pet at home below, but now we will look at the precautions that must be taken, since ear mites are a dangerous parasite. So what should you do?

• The pet must be isolated from other animals;
• After contact with your pet, you must wash your hands with soap;
• Cat ears should only be handled with medical gloves;
• Use proven medications and folk remedies;
• Show maximum patience, care and affection towards the cat.

Another important point: procedures should be carried out daily, since ear mites in a cat’s ear spread quite quickly. And if you miss a few days of treatment, the course will need to start over. Therefore, it is necessary to treat your pet’s ears regularly. An indispensable element is the presence of a collar on the cat, this will help for more thorough treatment of the affected areas, and accordingly, the healing process will go faster. Thus, the pet will receive effective treatment, the main thing is to choose the right medications. Which ones should you choose?

Medicines against ear mites in cats

The use of specific medications depends on the stage of the disease. What to do if your ears itch? First, you need to carefully examine the animal’s ears to understand the extent of ear mite damage. If you find only a few black specks, then the disease was detected in time, and you will only need narrow-spectrum drops - for example, the antifungal agent Otanazole or Oridermil ointment. These drugs can be used from the first days of infection with otodectosis, not forgetting to clean the cat’s ears with a damp cotton swab before the procedure.

How to remove a tick. I was bitten by a tick, what should I do? Folk remedies for tick bites

WHAT TO DO WHEN A TICK IS ATTACHED

Tick ​​removal technique.

When a tick is discovered, victims most often try to remove it immediately. In this case, the abdomen often comes off, and the oral apparatus remains in the skin. In this case, the integrity of the chitinous integument of the arthropod is often violated and the contents of the intestinal tube can get into the wound.

To properly remove a tick, the surface of the skin with the attached arthropod is treated with a disinfectant solution (alcohol or cologne) and, grasping the tick with tweezers, as close to the oral apparatus as possible, carefully rocking movements (without effort) are removed from the skin. If the abdomen is torn off, the remains of the oral apparatus are removed using a sterile needle, and the wound is treated with 5% iodine.

The removed tick is placed in a bottle or wrapped in paper to be examined for infection with Borrelia and viruses (should be taken to the SES, Federal State Institution "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology").

And

The simplest thing is to dial 03 and find out where to go to have the tick removed. Usually this is a regional SES or emergency room. If you decide to act on your own, prepare a jar or bottle with a tight lid and a cotton swab moistened with water.

To remove ticks, pharmacies sell devices in the form of tweezers or a small spear. If you don’t have anything like this at hand, tie a strong thread (as close to the skin as possible) and slowly pull the tick perpendicular to the surface of the skin, carefully and smoothly, slightly turning or swaying. Don't pull it out - you'll tear the tick! If this does happen, remove the tick's head like a splinter with tweezers or a clean needle. Wipe the wound with iodine or alcohol, and place the extracted tick in a pre-prepared jar and place it in the refrigerator.

Dripping oil and kerosene onto a tick or burning the tick is pointless and dangerous. The tick's respiratory organs will become clogged, and the tick will regurgitate the contents, increasing the risk of infection.

Symptom table

Preventing ear mites in cats

Every owner of a furry purr should understand that otodectosis can appear in absolutely every cat; no animal is immune from this. That’s why caring for your pet and regularly checking it out is so important. And not only. Since the owners themselves can bring in a tick from the street, which lives on the body of many animals, it is necessary to thoroughly shake out the doormat, wash shoes and wash clothes every time. And at the first suspicion of ear scabies in a cat, contact a specialist: remember that this disease occurs quite often and a trip to the veterinarian is a prerequisite! The doctor will carefully examine your pet, make an accurate diagnosis, identify the stage of otodectosis, give the necessary recommendations and prescribe effective treatment.

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Main signs of a tick bite

After the bite, an oval-shaped redness remains and itching appears. If you did not find a trace of a tick bite and did not feel anything, then after a while the first signs of a bite will appear: such as

• high body temperature (39+ degrees);
• fever;
• chills;
• weakness;
• apathy;
• fear of light;
• drowsiness.

The disease can also be diagnosed by the type of bite. For example, with tick-borne borreliosis, the bite site can change in size, from 10-20 centimeters and reach 60 centimeters (see photo above). Temperature, or rather its fluctuations, will also help to diagnose the disease.

With tick-borne encephalitis, the temperature rises 2-4 days after a tick bite, then returns to normal and a further increase occurs on the 10th day. With borreliosis, a person's body temperature is more stable and does not change with such frequency. There is another disease that can be contracted from a tick bite: ehrlichiosis. In this case, fever will appear on the 14th day and can last up to 20 days.

What to do if a tick does stick? Don't wait for the infection to appear. As was said earlier, first aid consists of contacting specialists to remove the tick and submit it for examination. The examination is carried out on living individuals. But if a rupture occurs during removal of the arthropod, then the body is placed in ice and also submitted for examination.

Ear mites in cats

Ear mites in cats are a common and dangerous disease. It is rarely possible to detect odecosis at the initial stage, so owners often bring their pets with an advanced form of the pathology to the veterinarian. Lack of treatment can lead to the death of the animal, so every cat owner should know how to prevent infection with otodecosis, what symptoms the disease manifests, and how to remove ear mites.

Features of the disease

Otodecosis in cats is caused by the microscopic (about ½ mm) insect Otodectes cynotus. The parasite has a whitish oval body and jointed limbs. It loves moisture and warmth, so it parasitizes inside the animal’s ear canal, feeding on skin scales, blood, and lymph. Outside the host's body, the tick can live for about two months.

In most cases, the parasite affects both ears of the cat. The likelihood of infection is especially high during the warm and humid seasons - spring and early autumn. The risk group includes kittens under one year old and weakened animals. It may take several years from the moment of infection to obvious signs of the presence of a tick. The disease manifests itself especially clearly when a bacterial infection is added to the skin damage by the parasite. Due to itching and pain, an exhausted pet cannot sleep or eat.

The danger of ear mites for cats

Ear mites feed on skin particles, causing severe damage to the skin. If left untreated, your cat may develop serious health problems:

• unbearable itching causes constant scratching of the ears, which leads to damage to the capillaries and the appearance of extensive hematomas;
• Bacterial and fungal infections penetrate into places where the skin is damaged, the inflammatory process begins, the ear tissues swell, redden, and fester;
• gradually the inflammation spreads to the eardrum and to the inner ear - otitis media and myringitis develop.

Further delay with therapy will lead to weakening and then loss of hearing. Pain and itching interfere with normal rest and eating. The animal becomes irritated, nervous, and aggressive. Over time, inflammation can penetrate the membranes of the brain, resulting in death.

Treatments for spider bites

In our latitudes there are karakurts and tarantulas, whose poison can cause harm to humans. When a karakurt bites, rapidly increasing pain usually appears, intoxication of the body occurs: body temperature and blood pressure rise, and severe weakness appears. Sometimes a karakurt bite can be fatal.

To avoid trouble, it is necessary to provide first aid to the victim:

Apply a tourniquet above the bite site to prevent the venom from spreading;

To suck out the poison, use regular jars that are used for colds and flu;

After removing the bloodsucking cup, apply cold (ice pack or cold water) to the wound.

After this, you need to take the victim to a doctor, where he will be injected with a special serum with an antidote. A person who has suffered a karakurt bite should be provided with plenty of fluids. He also benefits from taking hot baths.

Tarantulas that live in our latitudes are not very poisonous. The pain from their bite is similar to a wasp or bee sting. There is slight swelling in the affected area, and weakness and fever may appear. It is recommended to show the victim to a doctor. To relieve pain, he will be given a lotion with a solution of magnesium sulfate.

How can a pet become infected?

A cat can pick up ear mites on the street, through contact with sick animals or in walking areas. Most stray cats suffer from otodecosis, so letting your pet roam freely is fraught with negative consequences.

The parasite can be picked up on shoes by the owner while accidentally walking in places where stray cats like to gather. An owner can bring ear mites home after petting someone else's pet with otodecosis. In addition, there is a high probability of disease in homes where there have already been (or are) cases of the disease in other animals.

Kittens can become infected at birth from a mother who is a carrier of ear mites. Infection through bedding, carpets, household furniture or dishes is possible.

Symptoms of ear mites in cats

There are practically no symptoms of ear mites in cats at the onset of the disease. You should take your pet to a veterinarian if the following signs of illness are detected:

• frequent scratching of the ears, leading to bruising;
• head shaking, restlessness;
• discharge from the ear canal of liquid, stuck together pieces of sulfur of a dirty gray or dirty brown color;
• glued fur on the ears;
• hair loss in the ear area;
• purulent ulcers on the outer ear;
• swelling and redness of the ears;
• unpleasant odor;
• the animal walks with its head bowed.

You should suspect odecosis if your cat periodically shakes its head and scratches its ears. Discharge, odor and other signs appear later, when the disease takes an advanced form.

Diagnosis of otodecosis

Even if there are seemingly obvious signs of ear mites, the cat should be shown to a veterinarian. Similar symptoms may appear with dermatoses, lichen, fungal and bacterial infections. In addition, there is another type of external microscopic parasite that lives on the ears of cats. Therefore, before starting treatment, a diagnosis is required.

The diagnosis is made based on examination and microscopic examination of scrapings from the surface of the auricle. Under a microscope, the doctor will quickly identify the parasite and prescribe appropriate treatment.

If laboratory diagnostics are not possible, you can try the home method. To do this you will need a black sheet of paper and a magnifying glass. You need to take a little discharge from the inner surface of your pet’s ear and smear it on paper. If there is a parasite, then on the leaf it looks like a moving whitish dot.

How to detect ticks on your property

In order to make sure that “bloodsuckers” have appeared in your garden plot or dacha, you need to sit down and carefully examine the soil, grass and shrubs. These arachnids are quite small in size (1-4 mm), but they can be seen with the naked eye.

If ticks are not visually noticeable, then you can conduct a small experiment with a piece of white fabric measuring 40-100 cm. It should be tied to a long stick and walked around the area in the morning, passing such a “flag” over the growing grass. To make a “white flag”, it is recommended to take fabrics with a rough surface or a waffle towel, then the parasites will quickly cling to it with their paws. If there are ticks in the area, they will definitely get caught on the fabric, which will be clearly visible on the snow-white surface.

Important!

The use of strong insecticidal and acaricidal preparations in a summer cottage causes severe harm to plantings, animals and people - toxic substances penetrate the stems, leaves and fruits, which become unsuitable for food. Poison from food can enter the body of animals and people, which is dangerous to health, so not everyone is ready to treat the area with acaricides.

Now you should think about how to repel ticks from your summer cottage without using strong chemicals. The easiest way is to plant various fragrant plants and flowers in the tick-free area.

How to treat the ears

You need to treat the ears of your furry pet as follows.

• Before using the medicine, the cat's ears are cleaned of accumulated plaque. This will allow the medicine to penetrate deeper. For cleansing, use special solutions or regular vegetable oil. The surface of the ear is wiped with a cotton pad or a piece of bandage soaked in the solution. Hydrogen peroxide or other agents should not be instilled into the ear canal!
• Apply ointment or drops to the clean surface of the auricle in the amount specified in the instructions for the drug.
• To ensure that the medicine is distributed evenly, the ear needs to be massaged a little.
• If drops are used, the cat's head should be supported to prevent shaking and the medicine being thrown out.
• In conclusion, it is recommended to wipe the auricle again with a cotton pad soaked in the same product.

Attention: it is not recommended to use cotton swabs to treat the ears of an animal - the likelihood of injury to the ear canal and infection in the deep parts of the ear increases.

Treatment for mosquito bites

Mosquito bites are not dangerous to human health, but can cause considerable discomfort: itching, blisters and redness. If you scratch the bite site, a wound will appear that can become infected. Therefore, the first tip in treating mosquito bites is to never scratch the blisters! To eliminate itching and relieve inflammation, anoint the bite site with baby cream or any antiseptic.

Traditional medicine recommends lubricating the skin with fish oil to treat bites. This product is also able to repel mosquitoes, preventing unpleasant moments.

Clove oil mixed with cologne in a ratio of 1:10 will also be a good “barrier” to annoying insects.

For the same purposes, it is recommended to use table vinegar mixed with wormwood juice, or juice squeezed from poppy heads.

To relieve itching and blisters:

To eliminate itching and blisters that appear after mosquito bites, use a medicinal mixture that contains peppermint leaves, young oak bark, flowers and leaves of St. John's wort. An equal amount of components is poured with water (200 ml) and boiled for 15 minutes over low heat. Then the broth is chilled, strained and lotions are made from it.

A simple and effective recipe is also a solution of baking soda (one teaspoon per glass of boiled water). If you lubricate the bite sites with this product, the redness and itching will go away.

It is also recommended to lubricate the affected areas with an aqueous solution of ammonia (20 ml of alcohol per 100 ml of water), vodka and cologne.

Concomitant therapy

When treating ear mites, you need to keep in mind that the parasite can spread to the cat’s body, so in parallel with treating the ears, antiparasitic procedures for the whole body should be carried out. To do this, just apply a few drops of a special preparation to the pet’s scruff or treat it with a spray. Among the sprays, the most popular are Frontline and Cyodrin. It is imperative to ensure that the animal does not lick its fur for a certain period of time.

Folk remedies for ticks: application features and types

Folk remedies for ticks

Similar methods can be used to protect both people and animals. In addition, many traditional methods are safe for children, even newborns. They, like chemical control agents, are divided into three types:

• Repellents. The group has the mildest effects and is recommended for use by people with hypersensitivity. Repellents have a purely repellent effect and are therefore less effective.
• Acaricides. They differ in that they kill arachnids that get on the body of a person or pet. But they do not have a repellent property.
• Insecticides. They combine the properties of the previous types, which makes them the most effective.

It should be borne in mind that most folk remedies are repellents. Their impact is either not strong enough to kill the tick or is dangerous to human health. Therefore, when choosing an acaricidal method, it is important to be careful: before full use, it is recommended to apply a small amount of the product to the skin to make sure there is no allergic reaction, irritation or burn.

Treatment with folk remedies

Treatment with folk remedies is permissible only at the very beginning of the development of the disease. In case of obvious symptoms of ear mites, they are suitable only as auxiliary methods. In addition, folk recipes can be used to prevent odecosis.

One of the most common cat ear care products is green tea. Its strong infusion acts as an antiseptic. After the brew has cooled, soak a cotton pad in it and wipe the external auditory canal. The decoction can be used both to cleanse the ears before instilling drops, and for regular care.

Hydrogen peroxide is used in the same way. It cannot be instilled into the ears; it is only allowed to moisten the crusts and wipe the surface of the cartilage.

Vegetable oils are widely used to clean the ears. Any oil will do: olive, sunflower, vaseline, camphor-based. Oils are not suitable for preventing the disease, but they can soften and remove scabs. After applying the oil, the animal’s ears should be wiped with a clean disk so that the oil film does not interfere with the absorption of the medicine.

Sometimes it is recommended to use garlic pulp or juice to combat ear mites in cats, but its irritant properties in this case will be stronger than its antiseptic properties. In addition, garlic will still not be able to destroy the parasite, so this remedy should be abandoned.

A proven anti-tick remedy from experienced taiga residents:

Buy two pairs of nylon tights in the store that suit your size. Wear one pair on your feet under your outerwear as usual. But the second one will have to work a little. Cut off her feet and groin area. Treat the cut edges with nail polish or hairspray to prevent the threads from sticking out and the tights from unraveling. Next, put the resulting “T-shirt” under your clothes. Of course, such a suit will not save you from mosquitoes, but it will be a “body armor” against ticks. When going into the forest, all that remains is to lubricate your hands and face with tea tree essential oil and put on a hood or bandana. In summer, wearing such equipment can be quite hot. But for the sake of health, you can endure it.

Main rules of treatment

When treating odecosis at home, you need to follow a number of recommendations.

• If there are several animals in the house, all of them need to be treated for ticks, regardless of the presence or absence of the parasite. It is better for kittens and cats to use spray products during pregnancy.
• Be sure to treat your pet's bedding with an antiparasitic agent. If possible, it should be boiled.
• Until the product applied to the withers has dried, it is important to monitor the cat, preventing it from licking itself.
• Since recovery depends on the state of the immune system, it is necessary to provide your pet with a balanced diet and include vitamin complexes in it. Periodically take the animal out into the fresh air.
• Ear mites can also live on furniture, carpets, floor cracks and other objects, so wet cleaning should be done by adding an acaricidal agent to the water.
• Do not use ethyl alcohol-based products to clean your cat's ears.

Tick ​​bite: treatment at home

What to do if a tick is attached to your skin? First of all, don't panic. You should carefully unhook the sucking insect. Secondly, the bite site is treated with hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, brilliant green or iodine. It is recommended to leave the tick body and contact a special organization to check the sample for the presence of infections. If desired, tests are taken to determine infection with encephalitis. It is also advisable to take medications that kill the infection when infected with a certain disease.

The body of people prone to allergies can give a powerful response: facial swelling, muscle pain and difficulty breathing appear. In this case, the allergic person should be given antihistamines: Claritin, Suprastin or Zyrtec. You should call an ambulance and ensure a flow of fresh air into the room.

Are there strong remedies for ear mites?

There is a stronger way to get rid of ear mites than ointments and drops. These are injections. Their distinctive feature is that you can get rid of all parasitic insects at the same time (if they are present). At the same time, the use of this method is fraught with negative consequences - the active substances are toxic to the cat’s body. Their use can provoke allergies, baldness, dermatoses and other complications. The use of such drugs is contraindicated during pregnancy and for kittens.

Treatment of wasp and bee stings

It is almost impossible to prevent a bee sting using folk remedies. The likelihood of a bee attack is much lower if, when encountering single insects or a whole swarm of them, you do not make sudden fussy movements. Everything should happen calmly. Simply, there is no need to provoke them, no matter what they do. If you start waving your arms, this is guaranteed to anger the bee. The bite of one of them starts a chain reaction, and thus the person receives bites from several more bees.

A wasp sting is quite painful. A sharp, burning pain persists for a long time: depending on the body’s reaction, from a couple of hours to several days. If a person is not allergic to wasp and bee stings, treatment does not require medical intervention. A person can help himself by following a number of simple steps:

Carefully remove the sting with your fingernail if it remains in the wound. You should not squeeze out the sting - this could spread the poison further than the bite site.

How to prevent otodecosis

In most cases, tick damage to a cat's ears can be prevented. To do this, you should adhere to the following preventive measures:

• periodically inspect your pet’s ears for scratching, redness, swelling, and scabs;
• regularly clean the external auditory canal;
• do not allow communication with unfamiliar animals;
• strengthen the cat's immune system.

Paying close attention to your pet and promptly seeing a doctor will help avoid health problems.

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