Prurigo and pets: the benefit from vets
BMJ July 1979
The etiology of insect bites at times can be obscure. Often, the source may be a pet. One way to confirm the suspicion is to take a 3 - 4 mm punch biopsy. If there are animals in the home, a veterinarian may be helpful. The following article has stuck with me for decades.
Introduction: Cat and dog fleas cause pruritic papules in man, as do the mites Sarcoptes scabiei canis, Cheyletiella yasguri of dogs, and Cheyletiella blakei of cats. Flea and mite infestations are regularly seen in small-animal veterinary practice in Denmark, as in Britain. As these arthropods are rarely found on man Bagnall and Rook recommended that if a patient has unexplained prurigo all animal contacts should be examined. To assess the benefit from veterinary help we performed a parasitological examination of 143 animals who had contact with 111 patients with unexplained prurigo, controlled an transmissible ectoparasite, and then assessed the results.
See article. Prurigo BMJ PDF
This is a key article. Classic in its own way.
Cheyletiella yasguri mite (cats, dogs, rabbits)