Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Afoxolaner and fluralaner do not reduce Demodex mites in healthy dogs
By Zewe, Christine M et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2017·Tufts University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Afoxolaner and fluralaner treatment do not impact on cutaneous Demodex populations of healthy dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 20 healthy dogs was tested for Demodex mites, which can cause skin issues, before and after being treated with either afoxolaner or fluralaner, medications typically used for fleas and ticks. Initially, 25% of the dogs showed signs of Demodex, but after 90 days of treatment, the percentage of dogs with Demodex increased to 30%. The study found that neither medication significantly affected the Demodex populations in these healthy dogs. This means that while these treatments are effective for fleas and ticks, they don't seem to help with Demodex in dogs that are otherwise healthy.
People also search for: dog skin problems · Demodex treatment for dogs · afoxolaner for healthy dogs · fluralaner effectiveness · why does my dog have mites
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fluralaner and afoxolaner are isoxazolines licensed for the treatment of flea and tick infestations. Isoxazolines have also shown efficacy for treatment of demodicosis. Nothing is known about the impact of these compounds on the populations of Demodex in healthy dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of Demodex in the skin of healthy dogs prior to and following the use of either afoxolaner or fluralaner, using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) for Demodex DNA. Our hypothesis was that the use of an isoxazoline at the labelled dose would eliminate Demodex populations from the skin of healthy dogs. ANIMALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy dogs with no history of skin disease were recruited. Dogs were divided into two groups of ten, with each group receiving afoxolaner or fluralaner for the 90 day study period. Hairs were plucked from three body sites on Day 0 prior to medication administration, then again on days 30 and 90. RT-PCR amplifying Demodex DNA was performed on all samples. RESULTS: At Day 0 (prior to treatment), five of the 20 dogs were positive for Demodex DNA at least in one skin site (25%). At Day 60, three of 18 dogs were positive (16.7%) and on Day 90, six of 20 dogs were positive (30%). No significant difference in numbers of positive dogs was found between groups or timepoints. CONCLUSION: Treatment with afoxolaner or fluralaner does not impact on cutaneous Demodex populations of normal dogs over a 90 day period.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28544307/