THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF TOPICAL TREATMENT WITH SELAMECTIN AND SAROLANER AGAINST NOTOEDRIC MANGE IN A DOMESTIC CAT: CASE REPORT

The genus Notoedres includes more than 40 species and can produce a severe or even fatal disease in felids. Typical lesions include alopecia, scales, crusts, and lichenification of the skin mostly on the head but can also extend to the legs and genital area. An 18 months-old female, European domestic cat was referred to the Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases clinic of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, due to dermatological problems, intense pruritus, and head shaking. A complete clinical examination was performed, followed by skin scrapings, crust collection, and 10% KOH digestion of crusts, aiming a morphological identification of detected mites. Physical examination revealed the presence of pruritus during the consultation and severe blepharitis, thick crusts, and lichenification on the ear pinna and forelimbs, lesions consistent with notoedric mange. Collected mites were morphologically identified as Notoedres cati based on the oval idiosoma with concentric striations and setae on the dorsal side, the long pedicel with a terminal sucker on the first two pairs of legs, and the dorsal position of the anus surrounded by rounded spines and setae. Treatment with 15 mg selamectin and 2.5 mg sarolaner applied as a spot-on formula (Stronghold Plus, Zoetis) in two doses at 28 days apart was done. After one-month, dead mites were detected by microscopic examination and after two months, the cat was negative for the presence of Notoedres mites or any other ectoparasites. In conclusion, the combination of selamectin and sarolaner (Stronghold Plus, Zoetis) represents an efficient alternative for the treatment of notoedric mange in cats.