Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood and protein changes in dogs with severe demodicosis
By Aci, Recai et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2026·Soke Vocational School of Health Services·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Investigation of serum acute-phase protein levels and hematological and biochemical parameters in dogs with generalized demodicosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 20 dogs aged 9 months to 3 years with demodicosis (a skin condition caused by mites) showed signs of systemic inflammation, including higher levels of certain proteins in their blood. These dogs had increased white blood cells and proteins like C-reactive protein and haptoglobin, while their albumin levels were lower compared to healthy dogs. This suggests that demodicosis can trigger significant inflammation in dogs, and these blood markers could help vets assess the severity of the condition. Treatment typically involves medications to manage the skin infestation and reduce inflammation, leading to improvement in the dogs' health.
People also search for: dog skin problems demodicosis · treatment for dog mites · signs of inflammation in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute-phase proteins and routine hematologic and biochemical parameters on the systemic inflammatory response and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and to examine the correlations among these parameters in dogs withinfestation. HYPOTHESIS: Dogs withinfestation exhibit a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), marked by increased acute-phase proteins (C-Reactive Protein, procalcitonin, haptoglobin) and decreased albumin, which may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. ANIMALS: For this purpose, 30 dogs of different breeds aged between 9 months and 3 years were used. The dogs were divided into two groups: 10 healthy dogs as the control group and 20 dogs diagnosed withinfestation as the disease group. METHODS: Routine hemogram and biochemistry parameters and acute-phase reactant levels of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, haptoglobin, albumin and bilirubin were determined. The groups were compared statistically, and the relationships between the parameters were determined via correlation analysis. RESULTS: Leukocyte (WBC), neutrophil (Neu), lymphocyte (Lym) and monocyte (Mon) levels were significantly higher in dogs with demodicosis than in healthy dogs. CRP (29.40 ± 7.06 mg/L vs. 15.60 ± 5.58 mg/L, < 0.001), procalcitonin (0.026 ± 0.01 µg/L vs. 0.02 ± 0.01 µg/L, = 0.032) and haptoglobin (1.51 ± 0.19 g/L vs. 0.70 ± 0.23 g/L, < 0.001) were higher in demodex-infested dogs than in healthy dogs. However, the albumin level was lower in infested dogs than in control dogs (23.45 ± 4.91 g/L vs. 30.99 ± 2.24 g/L, < 0.001). Demodex canis infestation triggers systemic inflammation in dogs, with acute-phase proteins closely linked to liver function markers. Procalcitonin, haptoglobin, CRP, and albumin may suggest that these parameters may have potential as biomarkers for evaluating inflammation in dogs with demodicosis and its associated inflammation, highlighting their importance in disease management. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-025-05273-y.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41618300/