Epidemiological observations on pastern dermatitis in young horses and evaluation of essential fatty acid spot-on applications with or without phytosphingosine as prophylactic treatment

Background - Equine pastern dermatitis (EPD) is a common multifactorial clinical syndrome in horses. Treatment can be difficult;pathogenesis and triggering factors cannot always be determined. Objectives - To assess risk factors for developing EPD in a large group of horses kept under the same conditions and to analyse whether or not a spot-on containing essential fatty acids and antimicrobial agents is able to prevent the development of EPD or accelerate the healing process. Animals - Each year 50 young, privately owned, warmblood horses were prospectively included. Methods - All horses were examined weekly between August and October for the presence of typical EPD skin lesions. Additionally, in the first year, horses were randomly divided into three subgroups of intervention. The pastern areas were treated once weekly either with 0.6 mL of a spot-on containing essential fatty acids and aromatic oils, or a preparation containing additional antibacterial phytosphingosine, or not at all. Results - Nonpigmented pastern areas were affected significantly more often than pigmented pastern areas (P < 0.0001). The interaction between moisture and opportunistic pathogens seemed to be a major triggering factor for EPD. There was no difference in the occurrence of EPD in the three subgroups. The lesion scores of affected limbs in both spot-on groups were significantly lower compared to the control group. Conclusion and clinical importance - Moisture and lack of pigmentation predisposed to EPD. Topical application of the tested spot-on once weekly did not prevent the disease. A positive effect of both spot-on products on the severity of EPD lesions was detected

A randomised, double-blinded comparison between subcutaneous rush and intralympathic allergen immunotherapy induction in atopic dogs

BackgroundAtopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin diseases in small animal practice. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only curative treatment for the disease, and oral, subcutaneous and intralymphatic administration of allergens are commonly employed. ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of AIT following an induction phase with intralymphatic injections (ILIT) or rush immunotherapy (RIT). AnimalsFifty privately owned dogs with AD. Materials and MethodsIn a double-blinded study, dogs were randomly assigned to either four monthly ILIT of allergen extract or RIT with five injections administered subcutaneously at hourly intervals on the first day. They were assessed by validated scores;Canine Atopic Dermatitis Lesion Index (CADLI) and pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) at the beginning of the study and after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The latter were performed daily for 7 days before each revisit. Medication scores and a total clinical score were calculated and compared between each group and time point. ResultsThere was no significant difference in CADLI and PVAS scores, or CADLI and medication scores between groups at any of the time points. A significant improvement with both ILIT and RIT was seen in total and pruritus scores, respectively. An owner global assessment of good-to-excellent treatment efficacy was seen in 40% of the dogs;total scores improved by 27% and 35% in the RIT and ILIT group, respectively. Adverse effects were not seen. Conclusions and Clinical RelevanceInduction of AIT can be conducted either as RIT or ILIT with no loss in efficacy