Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to measure itching severity in dogs accurately
By Rybnícek, J et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2009·Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Further validation of a pruritus severity scale for use in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 713 dog owners brought their pets in for skin problems, particularly itching (pruritus). Researchers tested a new scale to measure how severe the itching was, finding that it effectively distinguished between dogs with skin issues and those without. The scale showed that dogs with skin disease had a wide range of itching severity, while those without typically scored low. After treatment, dogs showed a significant decrease in itching scores, with owners expecting more than just a 50% improvement for it to be considered successful. This scale can help vets better assess and monitor itching in dogs.
People also search for: dog itching treatment · how to measure dog skin problems · pruritus scale for dogs
Abstract
A scale to assess the severity of pruritus in dogs was further validated. Comparison of the scale with one containing visible numerical markings demonstrated that owners were heavily influenced by the presence of numbers, resulting in a loss of the scale's ability to generate continuous data. The presence of a traditional visual analogue scale was therefore essential. The scale was tested on 713 owners who presented their dogs for veterinary attention. Pruritus scores in 408 dogs with skin disease covered the full range of possible values (0 to 10). In 305 dogs with no skin disease, 90 owners gave a score greater than zero. Comparison of the scores seen in pruritic dogs, and dogs with no evidence of skin disease, allowed a 'normal range' of 0-1.9 to be established. The scale was able to discriminate between conditions typically regarded as pruritic or non-pruritic. When the scale was assessed for its ability to detect changes in pruritus score following treatment, a median reduction of 4.4 points was observed. The scale was also used to determine what magnitude of response owners would expect following treatment of their pruritic dogs. Only 12% would have been satisfied with a 50% reduction, a figure that is typically quoted as a satisfactory response in clinical trials of anti-pruritic drugs. As a result, alternative methods of assessing clinical trials are proposed. This study has shown the scale to be a valuable tool for clinical assessment of patients, and for monitoring treatment responses in clinical trials.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19171021/