Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How skin water loss relates to allergy severity in dogs
By Zając, Marcin et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2014·Private Veterinary Practice·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Assessment of the relationship between transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and severity of clinical signs (CADESI-03) in atopic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 26 dogs aged 1 to 7 years with atopic dermatitis (a common allergic skin condition) had their skin's water loss measured to see if it could help assess the severity of their skin issues. The study found that higher water loss from the skin was linked to more severe symptoms in certain areas, like the ears, nose, and between the toes. While this method showed promise in some regions, it wasn't consistent across all areas tested. This suggests that measuring water loss could be useful for understanding skin problems in dogs, but more research is needed.
People also search for: dog skin problems · atopic dermatitis treatment for dogs · how to assess dog skin allergies
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic skin disease of dogs. Objective documentation of disease severity is important for the assessment of responses to therapeutic interventions. One common means of assessing the severity of clinical signs is the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI)-03. In addition, studies of the biophysical parameters of the skin suggest that assessment of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) may also have value for estimation of disease severity. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to verify the correlation between TEWL and CADESI-03 measured at 10 different body sites. ANIMALS: Twenty-six dogs with AD (age range 1-7 years, median age 3 years). METHODS: The assessment was performed at the following 10 body sites: the lumbar, inguinal, ventral abdominal, interdigital regions, axillary fossa, lateral thorax, lateral aspect of the antebrachium, concave surface of the auricle, cheek and bridge of the nose. RESULTS: Positive correlations were found between TEWL and the total CADESI-03 for the auricle (r = 0.59), bridge of nose (r = 0.62) and interdigital skin (r = 0.47). Positive correlations were also observed between TEWL and local CADESI-03 scores for the axillary fossa (r = 0.73), inguinal region (r = 0.55) and interdigital skin (r = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The results indicate that it may be possible to use measurement of TEWL to assess the severity of skin lesions, but a positive correlation was found in only five of 10 body regions examined.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25132586/