Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Itchy red eyes and allergy tests in dogs with atopic dermatitis
By Lourenço-Martins, Ana Mafalda et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2011·Portugal Department of Immunoallergology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Allergic conjunctivitis and conjunctival provocation tests in atopic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 60 dogs with atopic dermatitis (a common skin allergy) showed signs of allergic conjunctivitis, which included red, watery eyes and itching. About 60% of these dogs had noticeable eye problems, with redness being the most common symptom. The severity of their eye issues was linked to how much their skin was affected by the allergy. The study also found that a specific test for allergens, called the conjunctival provocation test, was effective in identifying the cause of the eye problems in these dogs. This suggests that dogs with skin allergies may also need their eyes checked for allergies.
People also search for: dog itchy eyes treatment · allergic conjunctivitis in dogs · atopic dermatitis eye symptoms · conjunctival provocation test for dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) is a very common disease, but little is known about eye involvement. The conjunctival provocation test (CPT) is used in human to study the ocular response to allergenic stimuli and to evaluate anti-allergic therapy. To our knowledge it has not been used in dogs. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of ocular signs in a population of atopic dogs and relate these with clinical cAD scores; and the usefulness of CPT for dust mites in atopic dogs with itchy eyes. PROCEDURES: Sixty cAD patients were evaluated for (i) ocular signs of allergic conjunctivitis including conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, epiphora, ocular discharge, pruritus and corneal involvement, graded 0 to 3 according to severity, and (2) cAD Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-03). Additionally, CPTs for Dermatophagoides farinae (n = 12) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (n = 12) were performed in sensitized atopic dogs and 24 control dogs. RESULTS: Periocular and ocular signs of allergy were present in 60% (36/60) of cases. Conjunctival hyperemia (90%) was the most common sign. Severity of ocular signs was significantly correlated with eye pruritus (r(s)  = 0.690, P = <0.001) and skin lesions score for head region (r(s) = 0.261, P = 0.04). A highly significant difference (P < 0.001, Fisher test) was found in CPTs between the test and the control groups. CONCLUSION:  Allergic conjunctivitis signs associated with cAD seem under valuated so these patients would benefit from an ophthalmologic evaluation. Furthermore, we found CPT to be a reliable, easy to perform and safe test for the etiologic diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis in the dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21733066/