P‐12 Comparative study of griseofulvin and terbinafine therapy in the treatment of canine and feline dermatophytosis

Abstract

In domestic carnivores, dermatophytosis is caused mainly by two fungal genera: Microsporum spp. and Trichophyton spp. These diseases are anthropozoonoses of significance in public health. The goal of this study was to compare the efficacy of griseofulvin and terbinafine in the therapy of the dermatophytosis. Thirty‐five animals were included in three protocols of treatment. Griseofulvin was used at a dosage of 50 mg/kg once daily. It was effective in 100% of the cases, with no side effects, and the average time until cure was 41 days. Terbinafine was used at a dosage of 5 mg/kg once daily. It was effective in 81.3% of cases, no side effects were observed, and the average time until cure was 21 days. Terbinafine used at a dosage of 20 mg/kg once daily was similarly effective. However, at this higher dosage, the average time to cure was 33 days and side effects such as vomiting, diarrhoea and an increase in transaminase and alkaline phosphatase serum activity were seen in 16.6% of the animals. This study demonstrated that terbinafine is a good therapeutic alternative, although griseofulvin is still the first‐choice drug for the treatment of dermatophytosis in dogs and cats. Funding: Self‐funded.