Can Cats Get Mange?

My cat Bruce has a problem on his neck.  Last week I noticed this spot on his neck where his collar used to be.  He is 1 1/2 years old and the collar is not new, so I thought nothing of it being from that.  The hair is missing in this spot and it looked like the flesh had been scraped, it was bleeding a little.  Then another showed up and this weekend 2 more have appeared.  I have pictures of these attached.  I do not think it is fleas, as I gave him a bath and none floated away.  He drinks and acts fine, eats normal and that, just these spots.  When the first spot appeared I took off his collar and it has been off since.  The spots all were scraped but have crusted over.  He does not really itch the spots too much like fleas, but he does roll on the ground.  

Is it possible this is mange?  I was going to take him to the pet hospital but it is so expensive  :S  

Thanks,

A Worried Bearhitch

[Savas]

It very well could be mange. You can try picking up an athlete's foot cream like lotrimin OTC at the drug store. It is, after all, the same medication. :)

[BearHitch]

The treatment for mange is the same as athletes foot?  

[Savas]

Sorry, I was rushing on the day I answered you (on my way out of town at the time).

IF it is mange and not ringworm (which it looks like it could be) than you should  take kitty in for the shot which deals with mange. However, often mange and ringworm are cross diagnosed, especially in the early stages. So you can try the lotrimin cream or a generic like it to see if it has any effect. If there's no significant improvement after a week I'd take kitty into the vet to be sure.

[BearHitch]

I took Bruce into the vet and it wasn't mange, mites or fleas or anything, so she said maybe it was ringworm.  We are still waiting for the results, although she said it didn't really look like a typical ringworm case - it seemed to me she was fishing in the dark.  She said if it was ringworm he needed to be in seclusion for 8 weeks, have this dip 1 time a week for 8 weeks which will cost $40, and the antibiotic which is $80.  She recommends I do this with both cats because my other could be a silent carrier with no symptoms.  :S  I don't know.  I am not doing the dip right now because what a hassle if its not ringworm, and its not like ringworm is a terrifying disease on humans, its just gross.  

[lindasp62]

Just so you know, people can get ringworm,too.  It can be transmitted from cats to people and vice versa.

[Savas]

Yes, it can happen. I had ringworm recently for the first time in my 15 years of cat work. Until then I thought it was practically a myth. The funny thing, is EVERYONE in a household can get it except for one person. (Like the mother gets it, the kids, not the father). It makes me wonder if there's a genetic predisposition.

Well, I don't want to contradict your vet, but I've never used the dip. I've always just used the cream. There are advantages to the dip in terms of treatment (with such a large area, using the cream can be a pain. Then again, dipping kitty can be a real pain too. :)

I would suggest trying out the lotrimin cream, and seeing if there's a positive affect. It is, after all, better than doing nothing. At least after a bit you can decide if you need to do something more intensive.