Deficient cutaneous response to PHA-P in healthy puppies from a kennel with a high prevalence of demodicosis.

Intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin was used to evaluate the integrity of cell-mediated immunological reactions in Doberman puppies thought to be predisposed to demodicosis. Results indicate a statistically significant deficiency of cutaneous delayed response in these dogs when compared with age matched Beagles, adult Dobermans or random control dogs of various ages and breeding. The high prevalence of demodicosis in the kennel of origin may have been due to the observed deficiency of cutaneous immune function.