Efficacy of oral doramectin as treatment for psoroptes ovis and leporacarus gibbus in naturally infested rabbits

Abstract

The present study evaluated the efficacy of a single oral dose of doramectin in thecontrol of Psoroptes ovis and Leporacarus gibbus in naturally infested rabbits. Sixteenadult rabbits were selected and distributed in two experimental groups. The treatedgroup received 200 μg/Kg of oral doramectin and the control group received the samevolume of saline solution. The diagnosis of the mites was made with a stereoscopic microscope. Hairs from the dorsal part of the neck, lumbar right, lumbar left, ventral sideof the tail and ventral abdomen were evaluated for L. gibbus, and ear wax evaluated for P. ovis. The evaluation of the efficiency and the clinical assessment of the lesions wasmade in days 0, +3, +7, +14, +21, +28, and +35 after treatment. An efficacy of 75% and87,5% was observed for L. gibbus in days +3 and +7 after treatment, an efficacy of 100%was observed in days +14, + 21, +28 e +35. An efficacy of 100% for the control of P. ovis was observed following day +7. The clinical lesion score of the control group remainedunaltered, except for one animal which conditions worsened during experimentation.In the treated group animals, regression of the lesions was observed following day +3,and on day +21 no signal of infestation by P. ovis was present. None of the animalsfrom the treated group presented secondary collateral effects caused by the doramectin, which proved itself as an optimal alternative for mite control in naturally infestedrabbits.