Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of topically applied imidacloprid plus moxidectin against ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) in client-owned cats

A multi-centred clinical field study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 10% imidacloprid / 1 % moxidectin combination against ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) in client-owned cats. Veterinarians and staff from six veterinary clinics (USA) participated in the study. Single- and multi-cat households were enrolled in the study. In multi-cat households, all cats were evaluated for safety, but only one cat in the household was randomly chosen for evaluation of efficacy. Ninety-three (93) households with 332 cats were evaluated for safety, and 77 households with 301 cats were evaluated for efficacy. Each household was randomly assigned to a treatment group: imidacloprid/moxidectin or selamectin. Treatments were administered twice, approximately 30 days apart, by the cat's owner. Otoscopic examinations were performed on the cats by the investigators for the presence of ear mites prior to treatment, and approximately 30 days after each treatment. Imidacloprid/moxidectin provided 92.5 and 98.1 % ear mite efficacy following the first and second treatments, while selamectin provided 91.7 and 95.8% efficacy following the two respective treatments. No serious adverse events related to treatment with either product were observed during the study.