Demodex gatoi infestation in British Shorthair cat treated chronically with immunosuppressive drugs

Abstract

To date, only a few cases of Demodex gatoi demodecosis have been reported around the world. D. gatoi is a species of mites that infest cats. The mite is much smaller than D. cati and inhabits the superficial keratin skin layer rather than hair follicles. We describe D. gatoi infestation in a young male British Shorthair cat with pruritic dermatosis treated chronically with immunosuppressive drugs for food allergy. In this report we present the diagnostic process and problems associated with the treatment of D. gatoi infestation in a cat undergoing immunosuppressive therapy