Miconazole/chlorhexidine shampoo as an adjunct to systemic therapy in controlling dermatophytosis in cats

A 2 per cent miconazole/2 per cent chlorhexidine shampoo was used in two groups of Persian cats infected with Microsporum canis. In the first group, the cats were treated with griseofulvin alone while, in the second, griseofulvin was used with the shampoo. The clinical signs of the cats were scored on a scale of 1 to 4 for seborrhoea, ease of epilation of hair and the extent of primary lesions, to try to give an overall impression of hair coat condition. The speed of resolution of the infection was assessed in terms of time to mycological cure. Samples were taken from the environment of both groups to assess the degree of environmental contamination at the end of treatment. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for time to mycological cure, although the lesion scores in the second group decreased significantly more quickly than those of the first group. Additionally, no dermatophytes were cultured from the environment in the second group at the end of the study.