Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Use of itraconazole and either lime sulphur or Malaseb Concentrate Rinse ® to treat shelter cats naturally infected with Microsporum canis: an open field trial.
- Journal:
- Veterinary dermatology
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Newbury, Sandra et al.
- Affiliation:
- Dane County Humane Society · United States
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 90 shelter cats suffering from a fungal skin infection caused by Microsporum canis, researchers tested a treatment plan that included 21 days of an oral medication called itraconazole and one of three different topical antifungal rinses applied twice a week. The rinses used were lime sulphur, a reformulated lime sulphur with a scent-masking agent, and a combination rinse containing miconazole and chlorhexidine. The cats were regularly checked to see how well they were responding to the treatment, and if they still showed signs of infection after 42 days, they received additional itraconazole and lime sulphur. The results showed that cats treated with lime sulphur had a quicker recovery compared to those treated with the other rinses, with the average time to cure being about 30 days for lime sulphur, while it took longer for the other treatments. Overall, the lime sulphur rinse appeared to be the most effective option in this study.
Abstract
In an open non-randomized study, 90 cats with severe dermatophytosis were treated with 21 days of oral itraconazole at 10 mg/kg and one of three topical antifungal rinses applied twice weekly: lime sulphur (LSO); reformulated lime sulphur with an odour-masking agent (LSR); or a 0.2% miconazole nitrate and 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate rinse (MC). Weekly examinations and fungal cultures were used to monitor the cats' response to therapy. If at day 42 of treatment cats were still strongly fungal culture positive and/or developing new lesions, they were retreated with oral itraconazole and LSO. Cats were not prevented from licking the solutions and none developed oral ulcerations. Thirty-one cats were treated with LSO, 27 with LSR and 32 with MC. The median number of days to cure was 30 (range 10-69 days) and 34 (range 23-80 days) for LSO and LSR, respectively. Thirty-two cats were treated with MC, and 13 of 32 cats required repeat treatment because of persistent culture-positive status and development of new lesions. Median number of days of treatment for the 19 cats that cured with MC was 48 (range 14-93 days). When the number of days to cure was compared between the groups, there was a significant difference between cats treated with LSO and LSR (P=0.029) and cats treated with LSO and MC (P=0.031), but no significant difference between the number of days to cure for cats treated with LSR and MC (P=0.91).
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20604908/