Efficacy of oral sarolaner against Lynxacarus radovskyi in naturally infested cats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Lynxacarus radovskyi is a fur mite of cats. Several classes of ectoparasiticides have shown success for treatment, including an isoxazoline. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of a single oral dose of sarolaner for the treatment of L.&#xa0;radovskyi mites in naturally infested cats. ANIMALS: Fourteen adult cats (six males and eight females), naturally infested with L.&#xa0;radovskyi. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Animals were randomized according to sex and average pretreatment mite count. The cats were assigned to two groups of seven cats each. The treated group received one 10&#xa0;mg sarolaner tablet, corresponding to a dose of 2-4&#xa0;mg/kg body weight, and the control group received no treatment. From each cat, three trichograms consisting of approximately 50 hairs each were collected from the dorsal neck, lateral thigh and perineum/tail region (total of nine samples per cat). The severity of infestation was scored on a scale of 0 (no parasites) to 4 (>50 mites) at baseline and days 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60 post-treatment. Efficacy was compared between the treatment and control groups using the arithmetic mean reduction of the mite score; results were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Student-Newtman-Keuls test, with significance set at P&#xa0;<&#xa0;5%. RESULTS: The efficacy of oral sarolaner was >95% at Day 30 post-treatment. Statistical differences were first observed between the means of the control and treated groups 15&#xa0;days post-treatment. CONCLUSION: A single oral dose of sarolaner effectively eliminated L.&#xa0;radovskyi in most cats.