PARASITES AND SKIN DISEASES 117 



Otodectic Mange or Ear Mange 



The parasite causing ear mange is the Oto- 

 dectes cyhotis felis (cati) and belongs to the 

 Sarcoptidae, being closely related to the other 

 members of the same family, i. e., the choriop- 

 tes, diflFering from it only by the disposition of 

 the ambulacral suckers. 



A brief description may be of use and inter- 

 est. All legs are marginal, male with bilobed 

 extremity to abdomen, copulatory suckers, 

 ambulacral suckers; in the female, on the first 

 and second pair, on the first, second, and 

 third, pair of legs in the niale. The ambula- 

 cral suckers are almost sessile, the pedicle being 

 very short. The parasite is considerably larger 

 than the Notoedres and is visible to the naked 

 eye, being easily seen moving about in the 

 debris of the external auditory canal. The 

 predilection seat of this parasite is the ear flap, 

 the external auditory meatus and external 

 auditory canal. It does not wander from these 

 locations. 



Symptoms.— The irritation due to the inva- 

 sion of the parasites sets up an otorrhea of 

 thei external auditory canal, manifestedby the 

 discharge of a dark colored and offensive exu- 

 date, pruritis, ulceration of the ear flap and 

 auditory carial, and the formation of granula- 

 tion tissue. The pa,tient is continually shaking 

 its head, scratching at the affected ear, or rub- 



