CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC STUDIES ON DERMATOPHILOSIS OF SHEEP AND GOATS IN QUASSIM, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

This study was conducted in Qassim region, central of Saudi Arabia to study the clinical signs associated with dermatophilosis in sheep and goats with therapeutic trials using two treatment regimes. Diagnosis of dermatophilosis was based on the appearance of the characteristic skin lesions on the affected animals and demonstrating the causal organism from the lesions beneath the scabs. Clinically, the examined diseased sheep and goats showed lesions in the form of exudative dermatitis and formation of thick greasy scabs. These lesions were mainly observed on the back of the infected animals. All cases were detected during November, December and January (2013 and 2014). Treatment of the infected animals using long acting oxytetracycline, 3 doses 3 days apart gave the same results as penicillin plus streptomycin administered for five consecutive days. From the technical point of view, it is recommend that long acting oxytetracycline, 3 doses 3 days apart are less demanding than penicillin plus streptomycin for five consecutive days.