Latin: Cheyletiella sp.
Cheyletiella is a genus of mites that live on the skin surface of mammals, like dogs, cats, hares, rabbits, foxes and the like. Although it is possible for us to see the mite, it is not that easy. They can be perceived as wandering dandruff, which moves along the fur hairs.
There are several different mites, and unfortunately some of them are more dangerous than others. For instance, humans may well experience bites from a cat fur mite, even though there are no visible symptoms on the cat. It is therefore important to figure out what type of fur mite it is, so that you can establish how urgent it is to start prevention as well as control against the fur mite.
Appearance
Fur mites are microscopically animals. They are on average only 0.2 to 0.5 mm in size, which means that you would just be able to see them with the naked eye. However, they can be difficult to spot, as they naturally hide in the fur of mammals. They have a whitish color that by the first glance can make them appear as dandruff. The crucial difference is that the fur mites move along the fur of the host animal.
At the front of the body, the fur mite has two needles, resamples fangs. The fur mite can link those two together and inserted them into the skin like a needle. The fur mite spits saliva into the outer layer of skin. This saliva dissolves the skin which the fur mite then ingests in the liquid form.
Biology and behavior
Fur mites lives only in fur. However, they can bite humans, but they cannot survive long on our furless skin. It often happens that the fur mite jumps on people, perhaps because it is easy to get to the skin as there is no fur.
All species of fur mites have similar behavior, but they are different. For instance, does the rabbit fur mite, C. Parasitovorax, mostly not cause any problems, like most fur mites on wild animals. The cat fur mite, C. Blakei, does not cause symptoms on cats, but can cause skin irritation on humans. The dog fur mite, C. Yasguri, bites both humans and dogs.
The specific species of fur mites can only reproduce on their host animal to which it is adapted. A dog fur mite must therefore be located on a dog to be able to breed and lay eggs. Likewise, they cannot survive on humans either, due to our lack of fur. However, they can still bite before they die.
Damage
A fur mite is a parasite. On that ground they are categorized as a pest. Various fur mites of the genus Cheyletiella are dangerous because some of them can cause the skin disease cheyletiellosis. It is believed that cheyletiellosis is an expression of the fact that a specific animal has become hypersensitive to the saliva from the fur mites.
However, it can be difficult for a doctor to determine that it is fur mites when you seek medical help. Therefore, look at your pets if you suspect that there are fur mites in the home.
Detection of fur mites
Fur mites are most easily detected by taking a hair sample from the lower back of your pet. If you have several animals, you should examine all of them, as fur mites, can jump from animal to animal. On the lower back you will be able to find a large concentration of both fur mites and fur mite eggs. You can either look closely with the naked eye, or you can use a microscope for detection.
It should be noted that there is a high risk of fur mites with dogs and cats which have been in a kennel or have had a longer stay in an animal hospital. Remember to check the animal when it comes home again.
Prevention and control
By keeping the coat clean, you can both prevent and control fur mites. If there is a need for extra control, you can use a special shampoo against pests. This can be bought over the counter at most pet stores. If in doubt, contact your veterinarian.
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