Abstract
The efficacy of NexGard® and NexGard Spectra® against sarcoptic mange in dogs was evaluated in a clinical field study. Skin scrapings from dogs presenting signs suggestive of sarcoptic mange were examined to confirm infestation. A total of 106 dogs were screened at eight sites in Portugal and Germany. In all, 80 dogs that had demonstrated ≥5 live Sarcoptes mites in five skin scrapings were enrolled, scored for specific clinical signs (pruritus; papules and crusts; alopecia), and allocated at random to receive either NexGard® or NexGard Spectra® twice, one month apart per label instructions. To determine efficacy, live Sarcoptes mites in five skin scrapings per dog were counted, and clinical signs were scored one month and two months after first treatment and compared to pre-treatment (baseline) values. Based on compliance, 65 dogs were determined to be evaluable cases at the end of the study. The efficacy, in terms of reduction of geometric mean live Sarcoptes mite counts, was 98.9% and 99.7% for NexGard®-treated (n = 38) and 99.6% and 100% for NexGard Spectra®-treated dogs (n = 27) at one month and two months after treatment initiation (p < 0.001, both treatments). Both treatments resulted in a significant improvement in pruritus, papules and crusts, and alopecia one month and two months after treatment initiation (p = 0.0001, both treatments). In conclusion, this field study confirms that both NexGard® and NexGard Spectra® administered twice one month apart provide an effective and safe treatment against sarcoptic mange in dogs.
Highlights
The Sarcoptes mites have a permanent association with their hosts and can infest a wide range of mammals, causing scabies in humans and sarcoptic mange in animals
Client-owned dogs of any breed and sex, with a minimum age of two months and a minimum body weight of 2 kg were eligible for inclusion in the study if they were diagnosed with sarcoptic mange with a minimum of five live Sarcoptes mites demonstrated in total five deep skin scrapings collected from lesions suggestive of mange
Among dermatological cases collected from the records of 20 general veterinary practices in the UK, flea infestation/allergy, mite infestation and ticks were diagnosed in decreasing order of frequency [19]
Summary
The Sarcoptes mites have a permanent association with their hosts and can infest a wide range of mammals, causing scabies in humans and sarcoptic mange in animals. Canine sarcoptic mange is cosmopolitan in occurrence and can affect dogs of all breeds, ages and sexes [18, 20]. It is more frequently seen in not well-nourished dogs or dogs in shelters and kennels but is diagnosed in well-cared-for dogs too, occasionally in association with underlying conditions [12, 13, 18, 20]. Clinical cases, analyses of dermatological conditions from referral practices or diagnostic laboratories, and parasiticide efficacy studies reported over the past 15 years provide evidence that sarcoptic mange is seen in dogs throughout continental Europe and in the UK [5, 9, 10, 17, 19, 21, 27, 29]
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