Canine demodicosis is a common parasitic dermatological disease caused by excessive proliferation of Demodex mites inhabiting the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of dogs. A one-year-old male German Shepherd dog with severe demodicosis was brought to the RVP- Clinic of the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Izzatnagar, Bareilly, complaining of progressive alopecia, erythema, crusting and recurring skin infections for one to one and a half months. Fluconazole had previously been administered to the dog, but the sores returned. A clinical examination showed mild pyrexia (104.3°F), alopecia, skin reddening, and crust formation, primarily on the nose and forelimbs. Numerous cigar-shaped Demodex canis mites with elongated bodies and short, stubby legs were found during a deep skin scraping investigation. Based on these findings, the condition was diagnosed as canine demodicosis, and treatment with doramectin was initiated for effective mite control.
Rajeswari et al. (Wed,) studied this question.