Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fluconazole vs itraconazole for treating dog Malassezia skin infection
By Lee, Hayoon et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2024·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A single-blind randomised study comparing the efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole for the treatment of Malassezia dermatitis in client-owned dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 61 dogs with Malassezia dermatitis, a skin condition caused by yeast, were treated with either fluconazole or itraconazole for 28 days. Owners noticed improvements in their dogs' symptoms, including reduced itching and fewer yeast counts, by the second week of treatment. By the end of the study, all three treatment groups showed significant improvement, with no adverse effects reported from fluconazole. Both doses of fluconazole were found to be just as effective as itraconazole in treating this skin condition.
People also search for: dog skin problems treatment · Malassezia dermatitis in dogs · fluconazole for dog skin yeast infection
Abstract
BACKGROUND: No reports have compared the clinical therapeutic efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to compare the clinical therapeutic efficacy of fluconazole and itraconazole and to evaluate the adverse effects of fluconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis. ANIMALS: Sixty-one client-owned dogs with Malassezia dermatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The enrolled animals were randomly divided into groups receiving 5 mg/kg fluconazole (5FZ), 10 mg/kg fluconazole (10FZ) or 5 mg/kg itraconazole (5IZ). The drugs were orally administered once daily for 28 days. Cytological examination, clinical index score (CIS), pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) evaluation and blood analysis (for 5FZ only) were performed on Day (D)0, D14 and D28. RESULTS: On D14, significant reductions in mean yeast count (MYC), CIS and PVAS were observed in the 5FZ (n = 20, p < 0.01), 10FZ (n = 17, p < 0.01) and 5IZ (n = 16, p < 0.05) groups. In all three groups, a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in MYC, CIS and PVAS expression was observed on D28. There was no significant difference in the percentage reduction of MYC, CIS and PVAS among the groups. Moreover, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in each group between D14 and D28, except for the percentage reduction in MYC in the 10FZ and 5IZ groups. No adverse effects of fluconazole were observed in the 5FZ or 10FZ groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study indicates that 5FZ and 10FZ are as effective as itraconazole in canine Malassezia dermatitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38169074/