OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was compare the in vitro activity of Micosept® (Laboratorios Dr. Esteve, S.A.) and other shampoos against Staphylococcus intermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis, main pathogens of skin disorders as pyoderma and dermatitis respectively.

MATERIALS

Six canine isolates of S. intermedius and M. pachydermatis were tested against different shampoos: shampoo A (miconazole and chlorhexidine), shampoo B (undecylenic acid and triclosan - Micosept®), and C (non medicated shampoo). An additional shampoo was tested for S. intermedius: shampoo D (benzoyl peroxide).

The test method was similar as described by Lloyd and Lamport, 1999. Isolates of S. intermedius were grown in brain heart infusion broth during 24 hours at 37°C, and M. pachydermatis on modified Dixon's agar during 72 hours at 34°C. Then they were suspended in TBS to get 108 colony-forming units (cfu)/ml. Twenty µl of each was added to 2 ml of a 1/5 dilution of shampoo in sterile saline solution. Aliquots were removed after different times: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 30 minutes, and plated on blood agar or modified Dixon's agar, and colonies were counted after 48 hours (S. intermedius) or 72 hours (M. pachydermatis). Control suspension (PBS) was found to have counts of 104-105 cfu/ml over 30 minute sampling period. Microbes were considered to have been eliminated when no growth was observed.

RESULTS

S. intermedius was eliminated in less than one minute by shampoo A (miconazole and chlorhexidine) and shampoo B (undecylenic acid and triclosan- Micosept®), however with shampoo D (benzoyl peroxide) four isolates were eliminated at eight minutes, one isolate at 4 minutes and the other one at 16 minutes. S. intermedius was not eliminated by shampoo C (non medicated shampoo) at 30 minutes. On the other hand M. pachydermatis was eliminated in less than one minute by shampoo A (miconazole and chlorhexidine) and four isolates by shampoo B (undecylenic acid and triclosan- Micosept®), the rest of isolates were eliminated by shampoo B at 2 and 4 minutes. M. pachydermatis isolates were still present at 30 minutes with shampoo C (non medicated shampoo).

S. intermedius and M. pachydermatis were sensitive to the bactericide and fungicide effect of shampoos A (miconazole and chlorhexidine) and B (undecylenic acid and triclosan- Micosept®).

CONCLUSION

This study proves the fungicide and bactericide effect of Micosept® (undecylenic acid and triclosan) and it indicates that Micosept® could be an effective treatment in skin disorders caused by S. intermedius and M. pachydermatis in dogs.