Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

• Family: Demodicidae.
• Genus: Demodex.

Active Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Lifecycle

• See lifecycle diagram  :
  • Eggs.
  • Larva.
  • Nymph.
  • Adult.

Transmission

• Direct transmission from bitch to puppies in first 2-3 days of life.
• Requires very close contact when mites pushed up from follicles in bitch's skin transfer to the puppy's skin and enter the hair follicles.
• Transfer occurs at sites of closest contact when suckling; accounts for the predominance of initial lesions in pups in the perioral and periocular areas of the head and the dorsal aspects of the distal limbs, particularly the forelimbs.

Control

Control via animal

• Treatment of disease associated with these parasites is detailed in Skin: demodectic mange Skin: demodectic mange.

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Sastre N, Ravera I, Villanueva S et al (2012) Phylogenetic relationships in three species of canine Demodex mite based on partial sequences of mitochondrial 16S rDNA. Vet Dermatol 23 (6), 509-e101 PubMed. 
• Desch C E & Hillier A (2003) Demodex injai: a new species of hair follicle mite (Acari: Demodecidae) from the domestic dog (Canidae). J Med Entomol 40 (2), 146-149 PubMed.
• Chesney C J (1999) Short form of Demodex species mite in the dog - occurrence and measurements. JSAP 40 (2), 58-61 PubMed.
• Saridomichelakis M, Koutinas A, Papadogiannakis E et al (1999) Adult-onset demodicosis in two dogs due to Demodex canis and a short-tailed demodectic mite. JSAP 40 (11), 529-532 PubMed.
• Ginel P J (1996) Canine demodicosis. Waltham Focus 6, 2-7.
• Lemarié S L (1996) Canine demodicosis. Comp Cont Ed Vet Pract 18 (4), 354-369 VetMedResource.
• Caswell J L, Yager J A, Ferrer L et al (1995) Canine demodicosis - a re-examination of the histopathologic lesions and description of the immunophenotype of infiltrating cells. Vet Derm 6 (1), 9-19 VetMedResource.
• Medleau L & Willemse T (1995) Efficacy of daily amitraz on generalised demodicosis in dogs. JSAP 36 (1), 3-6 PubMed.
• Nutting W B & Desch C E (1978) Demodex canis: redescription and reevaluation. Cornell Vet 68 (2), 139-149 PubMed.