Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Atopic dermatitis signs in dogs improve longer after stopping
By Steffan, J et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2004·Novartis Animal Health·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Remission of the clinical signs of atopic dermatitis in dogs after cessation of treatment with cyclosporin A or methylprednisolone.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 78 dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin allergy) was treated for four months with either cyclosporin A or methylprednisolone, two medications that help reduce itching and skin lesions. After stopping treatment, most dogs treated with methylprednisolone showed a return of symptoms within about 28 days, while those on cyclosporin A had a longer period before relapsing, averaging about 41 days. Overall, both treatments improved the dogs' skin conditions significantly, but the dogs on cyclosporin A had better long-term results with less severe symptoms after treatment ended.
People also search for: dog itching treatment · atopic dermatitis in dogs · cyclosporin A for dog skin problems · methylprednisolone side effects in dogs
Abstract
Seventy-eight dogs with atopic dermatitis were treated for four months with either cyclosporin A or methylprednisolone. During the two months after the treatment ceased, 87 per cent of the dogs treated with methylprednisolone relapsed after a mean period of 27.9 days, whereas only 62 per cent of the dogs treated with cyclosporin A relapsed after a mean period of 40.7 days (P < .0.001). The clinical condition of the dogs was evaluated either when they relapsed, or two months after the treatment ceased if they had not relapsed. Both the skin lesions and pruritus increased significantly more markedly in the dogs treated with methylprednisolone than in those treated with cyclosporin A. At the end of the study the skin lesions were markedly less severe than before the therapy; in the dogs in both groups that did not relapse, the lesion score was improved by 77 per cent two months after the treatment had stopped, and in the dogs that did relapse the lesion scores had improved by 45 per cent and 35 per cent in the dogs treated with cyclosporin A and methylprednisolone, respectively. Pruritus remained well controlled in the dogs that did not relapse, but increased to baseline levels or close to baseline in the dogs that relapsed.
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/15200072/