Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Weather and pollen effects on itching in dogs with atopic dermatitis
By Widorn, L et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2024·Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A prospective study evaluating the correlation between local weather conditions, pollen counts and pruritus of dogs with atopic dermatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 37 dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin condition causing itching) were monitored over several months to see how local weather and pollen levels affected their symptoms. Owners recorded their dogs' itching levels and medication use while researchers collected weather data. The study found that humidity and the amount of medication given were linked to how much the dogs were itching, but there was no clear connection between pollen counts and the dogs' symptoms. This suggests that pollen levels might not be as significant for these dogs as previously thought.
People also search for: dog itching treatment · atopic dermatitis in dogs · how weather affects dog allergies
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is a hereditary, generally pruritic and predominantly T-cell-driven inflammatory skin disease, involving an interplay between skin barrier abnormalities, allergen sensitisation and microbial dysbiosis. The individual immunological response is predominantly against environmental allergens, including mite antigens; mould spores; and pollen from grasses, trees and weeds. Airborne pollens show fluctuating patterns during the year. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the influence of local pollen concentrations and weather conditions on the clinical signs of atopic dogs, and to investigate any possible correlations with the results of intradermal testing (IDT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven privately owned atopic dogs in Bavaria were surveyed from 1 April to 30 November 2021. Owners were asked to record pruritus using a validated Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) score and the weekly medication of their dog. Furthermore, weather data, including pollen count, rainfall, relative humidity, hours of sunshine and temperature from the dog's location were collected daily. RESULTS: Of the evaluated parameters, only humidity and medication scores correlated positively with the PVAS scores of the atopic dogs. There was no correlation between specific pollen counts and PVAS scores of dogs with positive IDT reactions to that pollen. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The outcome of this study highlights the importance of a careful interpretation of positive IDT results in dogs with cAD and questions the validity of airborne pollen trap methodology in representing pollen exposure for dogs at ground level.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38887962/