Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hair cortisol and quality of life in dogs with atopic dermatitis
By Stuart Marques, Vanessa et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Surgery, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hair cortisol concentration, disease severity and quality of life in dogs with atopic dermatitis during lokivetmab therapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of ten dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin condition causing itching) were treated with lokivetmab, a medication aimed at reducing their symptoms. Over the course of the treatment, the dogs showed a significant decrease in itching and an improvement in their quality of life, as reported by their owners. Additionally, the dogs' hair cortisol levels, which can indicate stress, significantly dropped after treatment. This suggests that lokivetmab not only helps with the skin issues but may also reduce stress in dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are no studies which evaluate hair cortisol as a biological marker of stress and anxiety in pruritic dogs during atopic dermatitis therapy. OBJECTIVES: A longitudinal evaluation of hair cortisol concentrations, the severity of disease and the QoL in dogs with cAD during therapy with lokivetmab. ANIMALS: Ten client-owned dogs with cAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dogs were assessed at three time points: at the initial visit at day (D) 0 and at D28, when lokivetmab (2.2-3.2 mg/kg) was administered, and at D56 for one further evaluation. At all time points, pruritus and lesion severity was assessed using the pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) and Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index, 4th iteration (CADESI-04). Dog owners filled out a validated QoL questionnaire and hair cortisol concentrations were measured from samples collected from the same area on each dog. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in PVAS (p < 0.001) and improvement in QoL of dogs (QoL1) and owners (QoL2) after lokivetmab administration, with a positive correlation of the PVAS with QoL1 and QoL2 (r = 0.71 and 0.52, respectively). There was no difference in CADESI-04 scores at the different time points (p = 0.515). A significant reduction in hair cortisol levels at D56 was measured compared with D28 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hair cortisol may be a useful marker of stress in dogs with cAD. These results highlight the negative impact of cAD on the QoL of dogs and their owners, and the positive benefit of lokivetmab therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37165693/