The prevalence of nasal mite (Pneumonyssoides caninum) infection in Norwegian dogs.

In a prospective study, the skulls of 250 dogs submitted for necropsy during 1993 at the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine were examined for the presence of parasites. All skulls were cleaved sagitally, and the frontal sinuses and nasal cavities were visually inspected. Eighteen dogs (7%) had Pneumonyssoides caninum infection at necropsy. No other parasites were observed. Sixteen dogs had heavy or moderate infection scores and 60% of these had concurrent sinusitis. The infected dogs belonged to 14 different breeds, 10 were male and eight were female and they varied in age from four months to 10 years old. Breed distribution, sex and age of the infected dogs did not differ significantly from the total study population. This study indicates that nasal mite infection occurs commonly in Norwegian dogs.