Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Shampooing dogs with ultrapure soft water to reduce itching
By Ohmori, Keitaro et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2010·Graduate School, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pilot evaluation of the efficacy of shampoo treatment with ultrapure soft water for canine pruritus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Eleven dogs with itching skin were treated with a special shampoo using ultrapure soft water (UPSW) to see if it would help reduce their symptoms. After four weeks, those using UPSW showed significant improvements in their itching and skin condition compared to those using regular tap water. The dogs treated with UPSW also had better skin barrier function, meaning their skin was less likely to lose moisture. No side effects were reported during the study, suggesting that this treatment could be a good option for managing skin issues in dogs.
People also search for: dog itching treatment · shampoo for dog dermatitis · ultrapure soft water for dogs
Abstract
Ultrapure soft water (UPSW) is water in which calcium and magnesium ions have been replaced with sodium ions using a cation-exchange resin. We recently demonstrated that washing with soap and UPSW reduced the clinical severity of dermatitis and improved the skin barrier function in NC/NgaTnd mice, a murine model for human atopic dermatitis. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of shampoo treatment with UPSW for dogs with pruritus. Eleven dogs with pruritus were randomly assigned to two groups depending on whether they received weekly shampoo treatment with UPSW or tap water for 4 weeks. After a washout period, the treatment protocol was switched such that each dog received both treatments. The pre-treatment and post-treatment values of the following were compared: pruritus scores assessed by the owners; dermatitis scores recorded by an investigator; and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Shampoo treatment with UPSW significantly decreased pruritus and dermatitis scores in the dogs, whereas shampoo treatment with tap water did not. In addition, shampoo treatment with UPSW, but not with tap water, significantly reduced TEWL in the dogs. Adverse events due to the treatment were not observed in the dogs. Furthermore, we found that topical application of UPSW for barrier-disrupted skin caused by tape stripping in healthy dogs decreased TEWL more rapidly than topical application of tap water. Our findings suggest that shampoo treatment with UPSW promotes skin barrier recovery and thus could be considered as a possible therapeutic option in the management of pruritus and dermatitis in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20492627/