Treatment of demodicosis in dogs: 2011 clinical practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: These guidelines were written by an international group of specialists with the aim to provide veterinarians with current recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of canine demodicosis. METHODS: Published studies of the various treatment options were reviewed and summarized. Where evidence in form of published studies was not available, expert consensus formed the base of the recommendations. RESULTS: Demodicosis can usually be diagnosed by deep skin scrapings or trichograms; in rare cases a skin biopsy may be needed for diagnosis. Immune suppression due to endoparasitism or malnutrition in young dogs and endocrine diseases, neoplasia and chemotherapy in older dogs are considered predisposing factors and should be diagnosed and treated to optimize the therapeutic outcome. Dogs with disease severity requiring parasiticidal therapy should not be bred. Secondary bacterial skin infections frequently complicate the disease and require topical and/or systemic antimicrobial therapy. There is good evidence for the efficacy of weekly amitraz rinses and daily oral macrocyclic lactones such as milbemycin oxime, ivermectin and moxidectin for the treatment of canine demodicosis. Weekly application of topical moxidectin can be useful in dogs with milder forms of the disease. There is some evidence for the efficacy of weekly or twice weekly subcutaneous or oral doramectin. Systemic macrocyclic lactones may cause neurological adverse effects in sensitive dogs, thus a gradual increase to the final therapeutic dose may be prudent (particularly in herding breeds). Treatment should be monitored with monthly skin scrapings and extended beyond clinical and microscopic cure to minimize recurrences.

Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with dacarbazine in a dog.

Abstract Epitheliotropic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in a Lhasa Apso dog treated with dacarbazine is reported. Clinical disease consisted of a 4 × 4-cm ulcerated mass over the mandibular symphysis and bilateral lymphadenopathy of the submandibular lymph nodes. Skin biopsy sections were díagnostic for epitheliotropic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and immunohistochemistry staining for the CD3 antigen was positive. Tissue samples were submitted for chemosensitivity testing and dacarbazine was shown to be 60% effective. Treatment with dacarbazine resulted in total clinical remission. The dog remains disease free 1 year after treatment. Résumé- Les auteurs décrivent un cas de lymphome cutané T épithéliotrope chez un Lhassa Apso traitéà la dacarbazine. Le tableau clinique était caractérisé par la présence d'une masse ulcérée de 4 × 4 cm sur la symphyse mandibulaire et par une adénopathie bilatérale des ganglions sous mandibulaires. Les biopsies posèrent le díagnostic de lymphome cutané T et l'immunomarquage fut positif pour l'antigène CD3. Des prélèvements tissulaires fürent soumis à des tests de chimiosensibilité et la dacarbazine se révéla efficace à 60%. Le traitement à la dacarbazine entraina une rémission clinique totale. Le chien ne présente pas de récidive un an après le traitement. [Lemarié, S. L., Eddlestone, S. M. Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with dacarbazine in a dog. (Traitement d'un lymphome cutané T à la dacarbazine chez un chien.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 41-46.] Resumen Se describe el tratamiento con dacarbazina de un linfoma cutáneo epiteliotrópico de células T en un Lasha Apso. La presentación clinica consistia en una masa ulcerada de 4 × 4 cm por encima de la sinfisis mandibular y linfadenopatia bilateral de los ganglios linfáticos submandibulares. El estudio histológico cutáneo permitió un díagnóstico de linfoma cutáneo epiteliotrópico de celulas T, con positividad inmunohistoquimica al antigeno CD3. Se remitieron muestras tisulares para pruebas de quimiosensibilidad, en las que la dacarbazina mostró una efectividad del 60%. El tratamiento con dacarbazina llevó a una remisión clinica total. El perro sigue sano un año después del tratamiento. [Lemarié, S. L., Eddlestone, S. M. Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with dacarbazine in a dog. (Tratamiento del linfoma cutáneo de celulas T con dacarbazina en un perro.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 41-46.] Zusammenfassung- Es wird über eine epitheliotropes kutanes T-Zell-Lymphom bei einem Lhasa Apso berichtet, das mit Dacarbazin behandelt wurde. Die klinische Erkrankung bestand in einer 4 × 4 cm großen ulzerierten Masse über der Symphyse der Mandibula sowie einer bilateralen Lymphadenopathie der submandibulären Lymphknoten. Die Hautbiopsien ergaben die Diagnose epitheliotropes kutanes T-Zell-Lymphom, die immunohistochemische Färbung auf CD3-Antigen fiel positiv aus. Die Gewebsproben wurden einer Chemosensitivitätsprobe unterzogen und Dacarbazin erwies sich zu 60% wirksam. Die Behandlung mit Dacarbazin führte zu einer vollständigen klinischen Remission. Der Hund blieb frei von Krankheitssymptomen seit einem Jahr nach der Behandlung. [Lemarié, S. L., Eddlestone, S. M. Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with dacarbazine in a dog. (Die Behandlung eines kutanen T-Zell-Lymphom mit Dacarbazin bei einem Hund.) Veterinary Dermatology 1997; 8: 41-46.].

Oral conidiobolomycosis in a dog.

Conidiobolomycosis was diagnosed via culture from an oral lesion in a 1.5-year-old German Shepherd dog. Clinically, the lesion consisted of a large, irregularly shaped, ulcerative focus on the caudal hard palate. Microscopically, the lesion was characterized by an eosinophilic granulomatous stomatitis with hyphal organisms surrounded by eosinophilic sleeves (Splendore-Hoeppli material) suggestive of an entomophthoramycosis. The fungus was cultured and identified with features consistent with Conidiobolus sp. Treatment with itraconazole at 10 mg kg-1 twice daily for 61 days resulted in clinical and radiographic resolution of the lesion.