EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICO-THERAPEUTIC STUDIES ON DERMATOMYCOSIS IN DOGS
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Date
2004
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COLLEGE OF VETERINARY AND ANIMAL SCIENCES-MANNUTHY,THRISSUR
Abstract
The present study was mainly focused on epidemiological, diagnostic and
clinico-therapeutic aspects of dermatomycosis in dogs. A total of 94 animals showed
positive results for the presence of arthrospores on direct microscopic examination,
out of the total 11016 animals brought to University Veterinary Hospitals Kokkalai and
Mannuthy from April 2003 to March 2004, were included in the infected group. No
age, sex, breed predilection and seasonal variation for dermatophyte infection were
observed. Clinical signs of the infected group are non-specific and quite variable,
hence the diagnosis mainly relied on the examination of skin scrapings by direct
microscopy and cultural method. Direct microscopic examination is considered to be
an ideal method of diagnosis for detecting dermatophytes, since cultural method
requires minimum of three weeks time and delays the treatment, even though, it is
conclusive.
Isolates of Microsporum spp and Trichophyton spp were identified by cultural
method using Sabouraud's dextrose agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide
supplement. Haematological abnormalities recorded were low haemoglobin content
and leucopaenia and serum biochemistry revealed increased levels of total protein,
albumin, globulin and A/G ratio in infected group compared to that of control group.
No significant variations were observed on serum minerals such as copper, iron and
zinc contents in infected group compared to control group. But mean values of copper
and iron in infected and control groups were lower than the respective normal range in
canine, where as zinc levels in both the groups were within the normal range. Three
different therapeutic trials were conducted in three different experimental groups.
Group 1 animals treated with ketoconazole at the dose rate of 5 mg per kg bodyweight
daily orally for two weeks, showed a dramatic clinical response. Clinical examination
of dogs at the end of treatment, revealed complete remission of lesions and signs of
regrowth of hairs in almost all affected areas in all the animals. Terbinafme at the dose
rate of 4 mg per kg body weight once daily orally given in-group 2 animals was
proved to be very effective in treatment of dermatophyte infected dogs. Combination
of intramuscular injection of "Biocan M" vaccine adsorbed with aluminium
hydroxide and topical application of ketoconazole shampoo in-group 3 animals was
not found to be effective. Hence the results of present study confirms the importance
of the diagnosis of dermatophyte infections by direct microscopy, applicability of the
cultural method of isolation of dermatophytes and proved the efficacy of ketoconazole
and terbinafme as the good choice of drugs for the effective treatment of
dermatomycosis.
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