"Use of Lime Sulphur and itraconazole to treat shelter cats naturally
infected with M. canis in an annex facility: an open field trial".
Newbury S, Moriello K, Verbrugge M and Thomas C. Vet Derm, 18:324-331, 2007
Dermatophytosis is the most common contagious and infectious skin disease of
cats. It is of particular importance in animal shelters because it is a known
zoonosis, highly contagious, and easily transmitted. In this open clinical trial,
58 cats with confirmed Microsporum canis dermatophytosis and 32 uninfected bonded
pairs or littermates were treated with a combination of 21 days of oral itraconazole
(10 mg kg1) and twice weekly lime sulphur rinses until cured. Cats were not
clipped in this treatment programme. Fungal cultures were obtained once weekly
on all cats, and cats were considered cured when they had two consecutive negative
weekly fungal cultures. Cats were held in the facility and received continued
topical treatment until the fungal cultures were finalized. None of the cats
developed oral ulcerations as a result of grooming the lime sulphur (LIMEPLUS
Dip, DermaPet) rinses. Oral ulcerations only developed in cats with clinical
signs associated with upper respiratory disease. None of the uninfected cats
living in contact with infected cats became culture positive or developed skin
lesions. When data were examined retrospectively and the number of days to finalize
the cultures was subtracted (21 days) from the total number of days the cats
were housed in the annex, the mean number of days of treatment required for
cure was 18.4 ± 9.5 SEM (range 10–49 days). Cats with more severe
infections required longer therapy. In this shelter, the combination of oral
itraconazole and topical lime sulphur (LimePlus Dip, DermaPet) rinses for the
treatment of dermatophytosis was effective and safe.
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