Successful treatment of Caparinia tripilis infestation with ivermectin in an African pygmy hedgehog

Abstract

Acariasis is a prevalent disease in Atelerix albiventris or African pygmy hedgehogs, with Caparinia tripilis being the main aetiologic agent. This case report describes a single instance of C. tripilis mange in a 16-month-old African pygmy hedgehog detected through clinical and microscopic skin scraping investigations. The owner brought the hedgehog to the IPB University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, complaining about inappetence, intense pruritus, diarrhoea, and crusts in the patient. Faecal native and flotation showed no helminthic or protozoan parasites. The treatment comprised subcutaneous ivermectin application at a dose of 0.4 mg/kg body weight. The control was made 14 and 28 days after the first hospital visit, with ivermectin applications at the same dose (three doses in total and two weeks apart from each dose). Microscopic examination of the skin scrapings was performed on days 14 and 28, and C. tripilis was not observed in these examinations. Complete clinical improvement was observed during the two control examinations. This is the first report to describe the use of a three-dose (two weeks apart) of ivermectin to treat capariniasis in an African pygmy hedgehog in Indonesia.