Evaluation of Efficacy of Herbal Immunomodulator in Therapy for Canine Demodicosis

Canine demodicosis in veterinary practice is a common, non-contagious, inflammatory parasitic skin disease characterized by excessive proliferation of the commensal mite Demodex canis within the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Demodicosis is a multifactorial disease as only presence of demodex on skin is not completely responsible for the pathological process, there are so many predisposing factors involved at various degree such as endoparasitism, malnutrition, neoplasia, immunosuppressive therapy, genetic factors, cutaneous ecology, environmental factors to cause clinical disease. Canine demodicosis is catagorised as localized (CLD) or generalized (CGD) according to area of skin covered by of the disease. As immunosupression is prerequisite to flare up disease, the present study was undertaken with the objective to investigate the efficacy of herbal immunomodulator in therapy for canine Demodicosis. For this purpose, eight dogs presented to TVCC, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Bikaner, with the history of sudden onset of generalized itching and alopecia in five dogs, while three dogs have history alopecia on limited area of face and distal limbs were identified to be suffering from clinical demodicosis and subjected for the study irrespective of age, sex and breed. Evaluation of the efficacy of Immunol syrup (Himalaya Animal Healthcare Company) along with other supportive therapy was done after random disrtuibution of theses dogs in two groups comprising equal number. Immunol is a polyherbal combination of some ayurvedic drug which is claimed to be Immunomodulator and phagocytosis enhancer, it contain Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Ashvagandha (Withania somnifera), Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) and Methika (Trigonella foenum-graecum). All the dogs underwent routine clinical and dermatological examination, which revealed focal alopecia, erythema, scaling, severe crusting and ulceration. Oily or greasy skin was observed in one dog only. The disease was diagnosed on the basis of history, clinical findings and reliably confirmed by finding mites on deep skin scrapings. The skin scrapping examination revealed almost seven to ten demodex organisms per field, viewed under high power field microspically. The dogs of group I were treated with Benzoyl peroxide shampoo, amitraz applied as a 250–750 ppm solution (0.025%-0.075% of water) to the dog's entire body every week and tablet ivermectin at the dose rate 400mcg/kg body weight for ten weeks. The dogs of group II were additionally received immunol syrup. All the dogs were revaluated through skin scrapping test four weeks post treatment. Five to seven demodex were seen in group I dogs while in group II only three to four organisms. The dogs were once again monitored for demodicosis by skin scrapping after eight weeks of treatment. Two to three demodex were seen in each high power field in group I but there were only one demodex observed in one dog of group II. Based on the results obtained in present study, it was concluded that the immunol as a immunomodulator enhances the recovery in dogs affected by demodicosis.