Feline demodicosis caused by an unnamed species

• Published in: Research in veterinary science Vol. 92; no. 2; pp. 257 - 258
• Main Authors: Kano, Rui, Hyuga, Ayako, Matsumoto, Jun, Nogami, Sadao, Nemoto, Seiichi, Hasegawa, Atsuhiko, Kamata, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01.04.2012; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents - therapeutic use; Cat; Cat Diseases - drug therapy; Cat Diseases - parasitology; Cats; Demodex; Demodicosis; Female; Hair; Ivermectin; Ivermectin - therapeutic use; Mite Infestations - drug therapy; Mite Infestations - parasitology; Mite Infestations - veterinary; Mites - physiology; Skin; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - parasitology; Skin Diseases, Parasitic - veterinary; Unnamed mite; Veterinary medicine; Unnamed mite; Demodex; Demodicosis; Cat; Ivermectin
• ISSN: 0034-5288; 1532-2661
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2011.03.015

A case of feline demodicosis is described in this report. A 13-year-old spayed female domestic short hair cat weighing 4.5kg was being treated with cefovecin and alternately with prednisone or methylprednisolone. On further physical examination, the cat showed mild erythema and hair loss on the bridge of the nose, around the eyes, on the chin, on the side part of the breast and on the abdomen. A large number of Demodex mites were found in deep skin scrapings from the affected areas. The cat was then treated with ivermectin at 600μg/kg administered SC daily. After 4weeks of treatment, the cat was clinically normal with no mites detected in the skin scrapings from the face or breast areas. The mite responsible may represent a previously seen but as yet unnamed new species. This is third report that describes a case of feline demodicosis caused by a different, unnamed mite species that has different morphological characteristics to those of known Demodex mites and may represent a previously seen but as yet unnamed species.