**Abstract**

Canine demodicosis is a common and often severe dermatopathy of dogs. It is caused mainly by *Demodex canis*, a parasitic mite of the skin of dogs of the genus *Demodex*, of the order *Acarina* and family *Demodecidae*. This study is aimed to review the clinical-pathological presentation of canine demodicosis and the cytokine-mediated immune response to the cutaneous density of the mite. Only dogs with a defective immune response will present the disease, whether localised or generalised. Microscopically, the dermal inflammatory response is similar among dogs. Localised and generalised demodicosis and pyoderma associated with a high cutaneous density of mites are factors associated with aggravation of lesions in both forms of disease presentation. In addition, the participation of cytokines has been investigated in the induction of the immune response in the different forms of the disease. Although different research groups have invested in studies aimed at elucidating the canine demodicosis pathogenesis, there is still insufficient data to understand the important role of the host immune system in triggering clinical signs and the reproductive management is still an effective preventive method for disease perpetuation.

**Keywords:** *Demodex canis*, parasite-host interaction, generalised demodicosis, localised demodicosis, dog
