IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN DOGS WITH PYODERMA AND OR DEMODICOSIS/

The occurrence of decreased activity of the immune system was studied in a group of 66 dogs with various combinations of pyoderma and demodi cosis. Our complex examination of the dogs included the following: leu kocyte count, differential count, phagocytosis, blastogenic lymphocyte transformation and quantitation of total serum immunoglobulins, lysoz yme and haemolytic complement. Immunosuppression was found in 19 (28.8 %) cases. Immunosuppression was rare in dogs with demodicosis and did not appear without a concurrent pyoderma. An increase in the neutrophi l counts and total serum immunoglobulin levels significant was found i n dogs with demodicosis combined with pyoderma. On the contrary, marke d immunosuppression was detected in dogs with deep pyoderma. A conside rable immunosuppression was present in 7 of 10 German shepherds dog py oderma (GSP). Significant depressions were found in phagocyte activity and lymphocyte activity. Immunosuppression was observed in 4 of 9 dog s in other breeds with uncomplicated deep pyoderma. All groups of dogs with pyoderma showed a significant increase in total serum immunoglob ulins. Conclusion from these findings is that deep pyoderma more than Demodicosis was concerned with immunosuppression. German shepherds wit h deep pyoderma had more expressed immunosuppression than other breeds .