Treatment of canine scabies with milbemycin oxime.

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of orally administered milbemycin oxime in the treatment of canine scabies. Forty dogs were treated. Mean drug dosage for all dogs was approximately 2 mg/kg body weight. Twenty-seven dogs received 3 doses separated by 7 d, and 13 dogs received 2 doses separated by 14 d. All dogs were clinically normal following treatment and no adverse reactions were detected.

Clinical efficacy of increased dosages of milbemycin oxime for treatment of generalized demodicosis in adult dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of increased dosages of milbemycin oxime in the treatment of generalized demodicosis. DESIGN: Prospective clinical trial. ANIMALS: 26 adult dogs with chronic generalized demodicosis. PROCEDURE: In phase 1, milbemycin was administered daily to 13 dogs at an approximate mean dosage of 1 mg/kg of body weight (PO) until 30 days after skin scrapings failed to detect mites. If the mite count had not decreased by 25% from the prior month's examination, the drug dosage was increased to approximately 2 mg/kg. Treatment was considered a failure if the mite count had not changed on 2 successive examinations. In phase 2 involving 13 other dogs, an approximate mean dosage of 2 mg/kg was used. If mite counts had not been reduced to 0 by 180 days, treatment was considered to have failed. RESULTS: In phase 1, when milbemycin was administered at the initial low dosage, 6 dogs were considered to have been cleared of mites. One of these relapsed 2 months after discontinuation of treatment. For the 7 dogs not cleared of mites, the dosage was doubled. Two of these were never cleared of mites. In phase 2, 12 of 13 dogs were cleared of mites after 60 to 180 days of treatment. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: High-dose milbemycin was effective in the treatment of generalized demodicosis.

Cutaneous mucinous vesiculation in a dog with hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism was documented in an overweight dog with bilateral entropion, blepharoptosis, and multiple, non-inflammatory papular and vesicular lesions on the head. Histologic evaluation of skin biopsy specimens confirmed the diagnosis of mucinous vesiculation. All skin and eyelid abnormalities resolved in response to thyroid hormone supplementation.

The dilated pore of Winer--an overlooked cutaneous lesion of cats.

A retrospective study of 125 cutaneous cystic lesions in cats from 1978 to 1987 Revealed 14 examples of the dilated pore of Winer, a lesion previously described in man and in one cat. Histologically, this lesion appears as a flasklike cystic structure with a wide external opening and laminated keratinaceous content. The cyst is characterized by a thickened wall with numerous, closely apposed rete ridges, either at its base or throughout most of the circumference, with a thinner atrophic wall approaching the os. Clinically, the lesion is a hairless nodule or visible cutaneous defect containing either soft keratinaceous material or, more commonly, projections of horn-like material. In man, the lesion is believed to be either a hamartoma or a benign neoplastic process. Surgical excision is curative.

Cutaneous mast cell neoplasia in cats: 14 cases (1975-1985).

Cutaneous mast cell neoplasia was diagnosed in 14 cats from January 1975 to September 1985. Review of the available medical records and client communication provided information on tumor description, location, and recurrence, and each cat's current status. Twenty-three cutaneous mast cell neoplasms were surgically excised, examined, and graded histologically. In this study, feline cutaneous mast cell tumors did not metastasize to lymph nodes or viscera, did not recur at a previous excision site, and did not cause or contribute to the death of any cat. A histologic grading system described for canine mast cell tumors apparently provided no prognostic information for the cats in this study. There was a predilection for older male cats to develop cutaneous mast cell tumors, especially on the head and neck.