Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oclacitinib vs steroid for itching in cats with allergic skin disease
By Noli, Chiara et al.·Published in Veterinary Dermatology·2019·Servizi Dermatologici Veterinari Strada Bedale della Ressia 2 12016 Peveragno CN Italy, Italy·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: A double‐blinded, randomized, methylprednisolone‐controlled study on the efficacy of oclacitinib in the management of pruritus in cats with nonflea nonfood‐induced hypersensitivity dermatitis
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 40 cats with severe itching and skin problems caused by allergies (not related to fleas or food) were treated with either oclacitinib or methylprednisolone for 28 days. Both treatments helped reduce itching and improve skin condition, but methylprednisolone was slightly more effective overall. About 70% of cats on oclacitinib and 75% on methylprednisolone saw significant improvement in their symptoms. While both medications had some mild side effects, oclacitinib showed promise for managing allergic skin issues in cats.
People also search for: cat itching treatment · oclacitinib for cat allergies · methylprednisolone side effects in cats
Abstract
BackgroundOclacitinib is a Janus‐kinase inhibitor that decreases interleukin‐31‐induced pruritus in cats. At 0.4–0.6 mg/kg/day orally, it decreased pruritus and skin lesions in <50% of allergic cats.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo evaluate efficacy and safety of oclacitinib in feline nonflea nonfood‐induced hypersensitivity dermatitis (NFNFIHD).AnimalsForty cats with NFNFIHD.Methods and materialsCats were randomly assigned to receive oclacitinib (group A, 20 cats, 0.7–1.2 mg/kg) or methylprednisolone (group B, 20 cats, 0.5–1 mg/kg) orally twice daily for 28 days. On day (D)1 and D28, lesions were evaluated using the Scoring Feline Allergic Dermatitis (SCORFAD) scale and owners assessed pruritus using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and quality of life (QoL) questionnaire. Results were analysed by General Linear Mixed Model (P < 0.05). Haematochemical analyses were performed on D1 and D28.ResultsIn both groups all parameters improved significantly, with no difference at either time point. Group A had a 61% mean SCORFAD and 54% pruritus VAS improvement, compared with 69% and 67% in group B; 70% of cats in group A and 75% in group B achieved a ≥ 50% reduction of pruritus VAS scores; with 60% and 80% of SCORFAD. There were five non‐responders in group A and three in group B. The QoL score improved in both groups (25 and 21%). Four of 14 cats had mild increases in kidney function tests (oclacitinib group) and three of 12 cats had elevated alanine transferase (methylprednisolone group).Conclusions and clinical importanceOclacitinib appears to be effective for treating pruritus and lesions in cats with NFNFIHD, albeit methylprednisolone seemed to perform better.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12720