Animal Tales

by Dr. Howard A. Mintzer

Q. Rose M. of Hyde Park writes: Last week you described ticks as being the size of a pea. I've seen the brochures from the health department which show that the tick that carries Lyme disease is tiny, the size of the period at the end of a sentence. Can my dog get Lyme disease from these big ticks?

A. Yes, your dog can get Lyme disease from those big ticks. The Dutchess County Health Department has done a wonderful job in getting information about Lyme disease out to the public. We've all seen posters showing those tiny deer ticks and the bulls eye rash that you get when you catch the disease. This information aids people to recognize what a tick looks like when it attaches to them and in identifying the typical rash that often accompanies infection. However, it does mislead you about the ticks you'll find on your pets.

Deer ticks develop like many other insects. If you remember your high school biology you know that insects go through a number different forms in their life. The tick (which is really not an insect but an Arachanid, like a spider) goes through three forms after it hatches; larva, nymph and adult. The nymph, which is the size of the period at the end of this sentence feeds on people. If you do get Lyme disease it is most likely that you were infected by the bite of a nymph deer tick. If your dog or horse gets Lyme disease however, they were probably bitten by an adult deer tick which is the size of a pea. Spring and fall are the times that your pet is most likely to acquire ticks. In the spring both the deer tick and the American Dog Tick feed on your pets. In the fall almost all the ticks you find on your pets are deer ticks.

If you need more information about ticks and pictures of what they look like you can send a stamped self addressed envelop to the office. I've also put a link to more information about deer ticks on my web page at www.ulster.net/~hmintzer.

Q. Jennifer J of Lagrange writes: I've had a cat for 2 years. The past month she's been scratching her ears to the point that they bleed. I went to the pet store and bought some ear mite medicine but it seemed to make matters worse. What is causing my cat's problem?

A. Treating for ear mites was a good guess on your part. Many ear infections of young cats are caused by ear mites. However it is not common for an adult cat to suddenly get an ear mite infection. Ear mites are Arachanids, just like the ticks I discussed above. Unlike the ticks however, ear mites are not particularly hardy; they die soon after leaving the warmth of a cat's ear. Your cat would have to have been in very close contact with a cat that has hear mites to suddenly acquire an ear mite infection. So close enough that the mites would be able to walk off the other cat and into your cat's ears. Kittens get ear mites from their mothers. That is why so many kittens have ear mites. If there are no new cats in your house it is very unlikely that your adult cat's ear infection was caused by ear mites.

What other reason might your cat be scratching her ears? First of all, it might not be an ear infection at all. Fleas, skin infections, skin mites, and allergies can all cause a cat to scratch its ears enough to make them bleed. Inside the ear, bacterial and yeast infections or some types of tumors can also cause these signs.

This is not a problem you can take care of yourself. The wrong type of medicine can actually hurt your pet. If your cat has a punctured ear drum (which is common in bacterial ear infections) ear mite medicine can make the symptoms much worse. Your cat needs medical attention to find out what is causing her so much agony. Your veterinarian will examine the skin thoroughly on the lookout for diseases of the skin which might be causing the problem. While looking inside the ear with an otoscope he will see if the ear drum is punctured. At the same time he will be looking for tumors and ear mites and what kind of material is in the ear canal. By examining the material from the ear canal under a microscope he can often determine whether your cat has a bacterial, yeast or ear mite infection. Only after the proper diagnosis is made can a treatment be tailored to cure your pet.