2025, Szczepaniak, Marcin, Pomorska-Handwerker, Dorota, Jank, Michał, Kurosad, Agnieszka

Atopic dermatitis is the most common allergic disease in dogs. The main sign of the disease is severe pruritus, whereas potential therapies include treatment of the causes and symptomatic treatment. The latter involves the use of glucocorticosteroids, oclacitinib, and lokivetmab, but less severe signs can be treated with polyunsaturated fatty acids, antihistamines, cannabidol, or palmitoylethanolamide. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of palmitoylethanolamide combined with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the symptomatic treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs. The study was performed on 10 dogs. The study arm received palmitoylethanolamide in combination with polyunsaturated fatty acids. In all animals, the intensity of pruritus (pVAS) and the severity of skin lesions (CADESI 04) were assessed six times at weekly intervals. In the study arm, there was a statistically significant reduction in pruritus after 4 weeks of treatment, and a reduction in skin lesions was achieved after 3 weeks of treatment. Palmitoylethanolamide combined with polyunsaturated fatty acids effectively reduces the intensity of skin lesions and pruritus.

2024, Gawor, Jerzy, Jank, Michał, Harvey, Colin E., Nicolas, Celine S.

Many dental homecare products are marketed, several of which have been evaluated using a “clean tooth” protocol (the teeth are scaled at the start of the trial). The efficacy of dental products in dogs that have not had their teeth professionally cleaned (“dirty tooth model”) has been studied far less often. Some dogs for which professional dental cleaning is indicated will not have their teeth cleaned because of anesthetic risk or for other reasons. In this study, 6 dental homecare products were evaluated against a negative control group; none of the dogs received professional dental cleaning at the start of the study. The home care protocols tested were: brushing every other day using a toothpaste, feeding a dental chew once daily (VF), adding a water additive in the water daily (AQ), brushing once a week + VF daily, brushing once a week + AQ daily, VF + AQ daily. Dental deposits (plaque and calculus) and periodontal health were assessed on awake dogs, before and after receiving the assigned homecare regimen for 8 weeks. Results were compared with an untreated control group. Dental deposits were reduced by regular mechanical action (brushing or VF daily). Periodontal health status was improved when AQ daily was combined with either brushing once a week or VF daily. Two scoring techniques useful for determining a recommendation from a veterinarian to commence home oral hygiene or recommend dental scaling as a necessary first step are described.