Other Skin Parasites

Mosquitoes: can cause irritation and can cause allergic reactions in dogs and cats allergic to mosquitoes. Some flea products such as Advantix, Vectra for cats/kittens, and Vectra-3D offer some efficacy against mosquitoes.

Chiggers: likely cause itchiness in dogs and cats as well as humans. You probably know if you are in an area that has chiggers as you have probably been bitten. Allergic pets may suffer as much as humans if chigger larvae burrow in their skin.

Lice: are not as much of a problem as they used to be since they are usually easy to kill and are easily killed by most insecticides and flea products. They can be a concern in areas where fleas are not a problem and so flea products are not often used.

Cheyletiella Mites: are occasionally a cause of skin disease in dogs and cats. These are easily killed by most insecticides and flea products. They can be a concern in areas where fleas are not a problem and so flea products are not used.

Poultry Mites: are associated with birds, but will bite humans and other mammals. They can be seen with the naked eye, though are very tiny. They appear red after feeding.

Bed Bugs: Cimex prefer humans, but some parasitologists believe they will bite animals. It would be expected that a human would be receiving bites, at night, before considering that a dog’s or cat’s skin problems were due to bed bugs.