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Fecal flotation in the detection of canine Demodex mites
Author(s) -
Moskvina Tatyana Vladimirovna,
Shchelkanov Mikhail Yur'evich,
Begun Mariya A.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
veterinary dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1365-3164
pISSN - 0959-4493
DOI - 10.1111/vde.12540
Subject(s) - geography , political science
Dear Editors, The diagnosis of canine demodicosis is made according to clinical signs, deep skin scrapings, examination of plucked hairs and sometimes acetate-tape impressions; molecular diagnostic tools also are available. Unlike feline Demodex infestations, we are unaware of published studies documenting fecal examination as a diagnostic tool for canine demodicosis. The aim of our study was to compare the results of skin scrapings and fecal examination for the diagnosis of canine demodicosis. Fifty six dogs with skin lesions were presented to veterinary clinics in Vladivostok. Deep skin scrapings (three scrapings per individual on a skin area of approximately 3 9 8 cm) were obtained from each animal. Three fecal samples (each 2 g) per individual were examined using a zinc sulfate (specific gravity 1.2) centrifugal flotation technique. We counted the number of Demodex mites per slide in both the skin scrapings and fecal samples. A correlation between the presence of Demodex mites in the skin samples and the presence of Demodex mites in the fecal samples was estimated using Pearson’s chi-square test with the Yates correction, using StatPlus:mac Pro (AnalystSoft; Walnut, CA, USA). Deep skin scrapings and fecal examination were negative for the presence of Demodex mites for 47 dogs and positive in nine dogs. Demodex mites were found in both skin scrapings and fecal samples from five dogs, with generalized and localized skin lesions. In skin scrapings from five dogs only Demodex canis was found and a further two dogs had both D. canis and the D. canis variant cornei; one dog was positive for D. canis variant cornei (mean number of mites 22.8). In the ninth dog, mites were not found in skin scrapings and one mite was found in the fecal sample. Morphological identification of mites found in fecal samples (mean number of mites: 1) was not possible due to mite shrinkage and distortion in the flotation fluid. The number of Demodex mites found on scrapings of localized lesions was statistically significantly fewer than found on scrapings of dogs with generalized infection, whereas the number of mites in fecal samples was not significantly different between