Demodecosis in a dog

Abstract

Dogs are the most common pet animals worldwide. They sometimes harbour a wide range of parasitic diseases with zoonotic potentials, predisposing humans to health risk. Demodecosis is a parasitic disease that is often seen in young dogs of less than a year, immunodeficient adults and old dogs. Generalized demodecosis when it occurs in a dog may take months and years to treat. Infected animal has persistent puritis due to intense itching from Demodex canis. Such animal often inflicts wounds on the body due to persistent scratching and therefore should not under go aesthetic surgery until demodecosis is completely treated. The constant scratching of the body by the dog could traumatize the surgical site perphaps leading to evisceration and death of the animal if not promptly handled.

Keywords: Dog, evisceration, generalized demodecosis, aesthetic surgery.

doi: 10.4314/ajcem.v12i3.9