Development and Validation of a Pruritic Index to Assess the Impact of Chorioptic Mange Infestation in Dairy Cows
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20025082Keywords:
Pruritic Index Score, Mange Lesion Score, Chorioptes mites, productivity, endectocide treatmentAbstract
Recent studies reported a significant negative association between presence of mange lesions and reduced milk production in early lactation. In addition, there was a significant positive production response to moxidectin therapy in the transition period. However, the biological reasons for these effects were not described. It is suspected that mange infestation results in intense pruritis and decreased dry matter intake. This experiment sought to develop and validate a semi-quantitative scoring system to categorize the degree of pruritis in mange-infested dairy cattle. In addition, the association between Pruritic Index Score, Mange Lesion Score, presence of Chorioptes mites, measures of productivity, and response to endectocide treatment in Ontario dairy cattle was examined.