Eficacia comparada del aceite esencial de hierbaluisa (Cymbopogon citratus) y la ivermectina en el tratamiento de felinos infestados naturalmente con Otodectes cynotis.

Abstract

Otodectes cynotis is a mite that lives its entire life cycle in the ear canals of cats and other carnivores. It’s very contagious and quite prevalent in Guayaquil, especially in places where cats are forced to survive in very close proximity to one another. Self-funded shelters generally lack the funds to treat every animal, so ear mites become a persistent issue. They are the leading cause of otitis externa. Subcutaneous administration of ivermectin seems to be the treatment of choice for these cases. Some papers suggest that particular essential oils might be used as natural alternatives due to the presence of terpenes which have shown good in vitro results. Lemongrass, a herb that is cultivated and commonly used in Ecuador, contains two of said terpenes: geraniol and limonene. This paper aimed to compare its efficacy with that of topical ivermectin, both applied directly in the ear canal. Study design was experimental, longitudinal and prospective; research was quantitative and correlational in nature. 18 cats were diagnosed by microscopy, nine of which were treated with five doses of essential oil at 1 % while the other nine were treated with ivermectin at 0.05 %. Specimens were assigned to each group randomly. Swab samples were collected at week 1 and week 2 after treatment. Mean comparisons for mite count and efficacy were made with Student’s Ttest. Both treatments showed significant mite reduction on week 1 and their mean efficacy was similar at a significance level of 0.05.