Efficacy of afoxolaner plus milbemycin oxime and afoxolaner alone as treatment for sarcoptic mange in naturally infested dogs

Abstract

Sarcoptic mange is a pruritic, contagious, ectoparasitic skin disease that affects mammals, including the domestic dog. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of afoxolaner plus milbemycin oxime (NexGard Spectra) and afoxolaner alone (NexGard) as treatments for sarcoptic mange in naturally infested dogs. A total of 142 dogs naturally infested with Sarcoptes scabiei was evaluated. The dogs were diagnosed by microscopic examinations of skin scrapings. The dogs were divided into 2 groups: 96 dogs were treated with a combined dosage of 2.50 to 5.36 mg/kg body weight (BW) of afoxolaner and 0.50 to 1.07 mg/kg BW of milbemycin oxime and 46 dogs were treated with 2.50 mg/kg BW of afoxolaner alone. The presence or absence of pruritus and lesions were evaluated using an analogous scale on days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 after receiving the treatment. Data obtained were analyzed by Student’s t-test (P # 0.05). The single oral treatment of afoxolaner plus milbemycin oxime resulted in a significant reduction in pruritus of 87.4% at 28 d after treatment (P # 0.05). Resolution of the lesions after treatment was variable, with a significant decrease (P # 0.05) observed within the first 14 d, although this parameter continued to improve until the end of the study on day 28, when a decrease of 96% was observed. By the end of the study, a single dose of either the afoxolaner alone or the afoxolaner combined with milbemycin oxime was effective in significantly reducing the signs associated with sarcoptic mange during a 56-day evaluation period.