A prospective study on canine atopic dermatitis and food‐induced allergic dermatitis in Switzerland

Abstract

Canine atopic dermatitis sensu stricto and food-induced allergic dermatitis are common canine skin conditions, which are often considered clinically undistinguishable. Several attempts have been made to describe populations of atopic dogs and determine breed predisposition but the results were often biased by the use of hospital populations as control group. The present study aims to describe a population of Swiss atopic and food-allergic dogs and to compare it with a data set representing more than 85% of all Swiss dogs. The study, which was carried out during 1 year in several practices and teaching hospital in Switzerland, describes a group of 259 allergic dogs, determines breed predisposition for atopic dermatitis and food-induced allergic dermatitis, compares the clinical signs and features of both conditions, and outlines the clinical picture of five frequently affected breeds.

Canine atopic dermatitis in the Middle East: clinical signs, signalment and common allergens

“…In our study otitis externa was found in 49% of the dogs. Very similar findings were recently reported in surveys from five locations on three continents (Jaeger et al 2010) and also to other studies from Greece and Switzerland (Saridomichelakis et al 1999;Picco et al 2008).…”

“…Our data did not show any associations between breeds and the distribution of the other lesions of CAD, however, such associations have been reported (Picco et al 2008;Jaeger et al 2010;Wilhem et al 2011). The clinical significance of these findings is unclear, however, and none of these associations was included in the new criteria for the diagnosis of CAD (Favrot et al 2010).…”

“…The breeds predisposed to CAD exhibited clinical signs significantly earlier as was also found in the case of Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and their crosses (Fraser et al 2008). In a survey from Switzerland, the predisposed breeds were older at onset than in this study (Picco et al 2008). Most of the dogs lived indoors and very few lived strictly outdoors.…”

“…In another endemic area in Northern California FAD was diagnosed concurrently in 50% of the dogs with atopic dermatitis (Zur et al 2002). In a survey of CAD in Switzerland, a flea non-endemic country, 15% of the dogs had dorso-lumbar skin lesions (Picco et al 2008). These findings suggest that dorso-lumbar distribution of skin lesions can frequently be present in dogs with CAD.…”

“…CAD is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific diagnostic test or pathognomonic sign; rather, diagnosis is based on meeting certain criteria and eliminating other pruritic diseases (Willemse, 1986;Reedy et al 1997;Griffin and DeBoer, 2001;Scott et al 2001;Favrot et al 2010). Published studies have described the disease in various continents and countries (Saridomichelakis et al 1999;Masuda et al 2000;Mueller et al 2000;Youn et al 2002;Zur et al 2002;Tarpataki et al 2006;Nodtvedt et al 2007;Picco et al 2008). However, the multiple aspects and presentations of the disease in the Middle East have not been reported, and the aim of this study is to describe CAD as well as the common environmental allergens associated with affected dogs in this part of the world.…”