A Comparison of Two Anti-Fungal Shampoos In The Management of Dermatophytosis In A Cattery
E.Cook, S.Paterson, B.Pickavance
Rutland House Veterinary Hospital, Department of Dermatology
Dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum canis was identified on the basis of
clinical signs, typical fluorescence of infected hairs and positive ringworm
culture in every cat in a cattery of 14 Persians. The study was designed to
assess the benefits of a 2% boric acid and 2% acetic acid shampoo in improvement
of clinical signs and the presence of positive cultures from the cats and the
environment versus a 2% chlorhexidine and 2% miconazole shampoo which has been
shown to increase the time to clinical cure and decrease environmental contamination.
Both shampoos were used in combination with itraconazole.
A history and physical examination in each case revealed no signs of systemic
ill health. The cattery was both FeLV and FIV free. The cats were divided into
two groups (Group A and B) which were as closely as possible age and sex matched.
All of the animals had clinical signs of dermatophytosis on examination and
all had positive cultures on the basis of toothbrush brushings submitted to
a commercial laboratory (Axiom Laboratories). The two groups were separated
into three pens. The cats in Group A were maintained in Pen A. Those from Group
B were divided into two groups Group B1 and Group B2. This was to segregate
the two entire stud toms from the intact females. Group B1 was maintained in
Pen B1 and those from B2 in Pen B2. All of the cats were treated with itraconazole
(Itrafungal, Jannsen) at a dose of 5mg/kg body weight once daily. All of the
cats were shampooed twice weekly. Group A were shampooed with the boric acid/acetic
acid shampoo, Group B with the chlorhexidine/miconazole shampoo. At the start
of the study all of the cats and the pens cultured positive for Microsporum
canis. In addition to culture all cats were scored on a scale of 1-5 for coat
condition and degree of scale. After 3 weeks repeat cultures were taken from
all of the cats and the environment. One cat from Group A was found to be negative
for M. Canis and two from Group B. The environment was still positive in all
pens. At week 6 all of the cats in both groups and the environment were negative
for M. canis. Two further cultures were performed from the environment and all
cats at week 9 and week 12. All further cultures were negative. A good improvement
was seen in both groups for improvement in coat condition and degree of scale.
There was no significant difference in the scores from either group.
This small pilot study demonstrated that both shampoo treatments in combination
with Itraconazole produced a rapid and complete clinical cure of the dermatophytosis
in both sets of cats. No relapse has been recorded 9 months after the cattery
was cleared of infection.
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