Evaluation of the efficacy of selamectin spot-on in cats infested with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida, Filariodidae) in a Central Italy cat shelter

Abstract

In recent years Aelurostrongylus abstrusus has often been reported in Italy. This lungworm is very common in cat colonies due to its route of transmission. Deciding a therapeutic approach can be difficult in such colonies, because there is no certainty whether oral medicines administered with food, or with what dose, will be taken. In this field study, stool samples were taken from 42 cats and analysed for A. abstrusus L1 larvae with Baermann technique. Ten cats testing positive were treated with a spot-on formulation of selamectin 45 mg. Clinical examinations and laboratory tests, repeated four times in two months, demonstrated the success of the treatment in 9 of the 10 cats. Improvements in respiratory signs and general clinical condition were reported after treatment.

Keywords: Aelurostrongylus abstrusus; Cat; Cat colony; Selamectin; Spot-on.