Message Number: YG12263 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Pam Sessoms
Date: 2002-04-04 12:27:00 UTC
Subject: Demodex treatment - Nana again

Hey all,

My little Nana (see FHL post 11998 for the whole story) is doing MUCH
better, regarding her bizarre, violent sneezing. Nary a sneezing fit
today. Maybe she has sneezed out those big itchy scabs... She is also
much more active and perkier overall. Much rejoicing!

However, the latest development is very gunky ears and a scaly orange rash
over much of her body. I took in samples from her ears and skin, and she
is crawling with Demodex mites. They are normal organisms on most
animals, but not in this number, and she clearly has a clinical problem.
Typically animals with problems from demodex are immunosuppressed from
disease or steroids. We know Nana has been in this state from the large
amounts of dexamethasone she was on for a time recently, and she also had
other infections that looked like they were from organisms that don't harm
healthy animals. She is happily on no steroids now, not even pred, and I
hope her system will rebound.

The question is about treatment... In the published literature, two
ferrets were treated for demodex with Amitraz dips. My vet is a bit
reluctant to do that, as the stuff is fairly nasty. Dogs have been
treated with Ivermectin or Interceptor as an alternative to the dip. We
have scaled a dog dose of Ivermectin and plan to start with that. My vet
also has a call into the veterinary dermatologists at our area vet school.
Has anyone treated this in ferrets before, and if so with what, at what
dose, and did it work? :)

Thanks for any stories!

-Pam S. and a much happier Nanner.
Orange Co., North Carolina