Cheyletiellosis

Question
We took in a feral kitten last winter and have developed Cheyletiellosis in all of our animals. Two cats and two dogs. We had no idea for months what this was, so it really gained a foothold. I had to put the cats down and our Yorkie died from the treatments. Our Schnoodle has had the three ivermectin shots (three weeks) and I used Revolution in between the shots. Still scratching. We thought about pulling our carpet up, we live in an old house. I don't want to put our last dog to sleep. I don't know what to do, or if any natural products work. I clean and vacuum, have a carpet steam cleaner and bought a new Oreck vacuum. I spray. I would greatly appreciate any advice on this matter. Thank you.

Answer

Hi Terrie,

Ivermectin is pretty much the gold standard in treating Cheyletiellosis. It's usually given in three doses, at 21 day intervals.

Taking up the carpet is not a crazy idea, since the mite can live for up to ten days off the host (your dog), it is possible to become reinfected through this environmental contamination. Eggs are also shed into the "environment" (your home), which can be an important cause of re-infestation.

Use a a flea premise spray containing pyrethrin areas of your home in weekly applications for 3 to 4 weeks. Brands to look for are Country Vet Farm & Home Fly Spray, Schultz Spectrum House Garden Insect Spray, or Earth Tone Insect Control Spray. You might consider using a professional service such as Orkin, and to use their same treatment that they'd use if you had fleas in your home. It may be necessary to treat your house more than once.

Cheyletiellosis can be contagious to people so anyone handling the pet should thoroughly wash their hands and use appropriate caution. If this problem persists, it may be worthwhile to ask your vet for referral to a veterinary dermatologist or to consider further diagnostic work, such as skin biopsy.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti