Evaluation of sheabutter plus salt against naturally acquired psoroptic mange in rabbits

Abstract

Twenty-one does of white California breed of rabbit naturally infested with mange were used to evaluate the potency of sheabutter plus salt against scabies of rabbits. The animals were allotted into three treatments 1, 2 and 3 of seven animals each in a completely randomized arrangement. Group 1 was treated with sheabutter plus salt (every 100gm of sheabutter was mixed with 1gm of salt; 100:1) as a thin film over lesions at alternate days for 14 days. Group 2 was treated with ivermectin (IVOMEC(R)) at a single dose rate of 0.5mg/kg body weight; while Group 3 was the untreated control. The initial and final geometric means of mite counts per cm2 were 1.98 and 0.25 for Group 1 against 1.83 and 0 for Group 2. These gave approximate efficacy rating of 90.97% and 100% for treatments 1 and 2 respectively. The efficacy rating was not applicable in the untreated control because the geometric means of mite count continued to increase. The mean recovery response (MRR) of rabbits in Groups 1 and 2 were 3.00 and 4.00 respectively while there was no recovery response in the control. There were slight increases in weight gain per day in treated rabbits. It is concluded that sheabutter plus salt is effective against localized psoroptic mange infection in rabbits.


(Tropical Veterinarian: 2002 20(1): 11-16)