Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparing cyclosporine and methylprednisolone for treating dog skin
By Steffan, Jean et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2003·Novartis Animal Health Inc.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of cyclosporine A with methylprednisolone for treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: a parallel, blinded, randomized controlled trial.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with itchy skin due to atopic dermatitis (a common allergic skin condition) was treated with either cyclosporine or methylprednisolone for four months. Both treatments helped reduce skin lesions and itching, but the dogs receiving cyclosporine showed a slightly better overall response. However, some dogs on cyclosporine experienced vomiting, while those on methylprednisolone were more prone to infections. Overall, both medications were effective, but cyclosporine may be the better option for some dogs, despite the potential for gastrointestinal side effects.
People also search for: dog itchy skin treatment · cyclosporine for dog allergies · methylprednisolone side effects in dogs
Abstract
The objective of this multicentre, parallel, blinded, randomized controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of cyclosporine (CsA group, 117 dogs) in comparison with methylprednisolone (MP group, 59 dogs) in the treatment of atopic dermatitis for 4 months. Mean induction dose of both drugs (5 mg/kg CsA, 0.75 mg/kg MP) was tapered over time according to the clinical response. At the end of the study, the mean estimated percentage reduction from baseline (confidence interval) of lesion scores was 52% (44-59) and 45% (35-56), and the reduction in pruritus score was 36% (27-43) and 33% (23-43) in dogs in the CsA and MP groups, respectively. These percentages were not significantly different between groups. A significantly better overall assessment of efficacy was obtained in the CsA-treated dogs (76 vs. 63% responses excellent or good in the CsA compared with MP group). CsA-treated dogs presented a higher frequency of gastrointestinal disorders, mainly vomiting, but MP dogs tended to be more susceptible to infections. There was no remarkable change over baseline of the haematological and biochemical parameters in the two groups.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12603681/