The therapeutic efficacy of Aloe vera gel ointment on staphylococcal pyoderma in dogs

Abstract

Background and Aim: Staphylococcus pyoderma is a common problem in dogs that need a novel treatment rather than antibiotic therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) gel ointment on dogs' Staphylococcus pyoderma compared to gentamicin ointment. Materials and Methods: The inhibition zone of A. vera extract 20% and 40% and gentamicin 1% against Staphylococcus aureus was determined on well diffusion agar. Twenty Baladi local breed dogs were used as control negative group before intradermal inoculation with 105 CFU S. aureus. The animals were classified into four equal groups, control positive group without treatment (n=5), treated groups by 20% A. vera gel ointment (n=5), 40% A. vera gel ointment (n=5), and gentamicin ointment 1% (n=5). Topical application of A. vera and gentamicin ointments was carried out twice daily for 2 weeks until complete healing of dogs' pyoderma. Clinical evaluation was recorded. Inflammatory, oxidant, and antioxidant parameters were measured in serum. Results: The inhibition zone of A. vera extracts 20% and 40% was 19 mm and 23 mm, respectively, while gentamicin 1% was 18 mm. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (of A. vera 20% and 40% were 13.70 with R2=0.98. Dogs' pyoderma treated with A. vera gel ointment 20% and 40% were more likely to have low haptoglobin and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations than gentamicin 1% ([odds ratio [OR]=4.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.31-17.40; p<0.05]; [OR=5.2; 95% CI=1.04-22.30; p<0.05]), respectively. Conclusion: It seems evident that A. vera has therapeutic effect, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects against dogs' staphylococcal pyoderma than gentamicin that would support its further use rather than antibiotics in one health arena.

Biochemical and histopathological changes related to the topical application of Aloe vera ointment for canine pyoderma

“…In the present study, the indicators of liver function (i.e., AST and ALT levels) and kidney function (e.g., BUN and creatinine) were higher in dogs experimentally infected with pyoderma; our results are similar to those reported for dogs with pyoderma and dermatophytosis [20] but disagree with the results of other studies [21,22]. The increased concentrations of BUN and creatinine may be due to dehydration caused by the hemorrhagic conditions revealed from pyoderma lesions, whereas the increased levels of AST and ALT may be related to increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, as reported in a previous study by our group [13]. Serum glucose concentrations were lower in the experimentally infected dogs compared with those of negative control dogs; these findings are in line with those previously documented in dogs [21].…”

“…All procedures in this study were approved by the University of Sadat City for the Care and Use of Animals in Education and Scientific Research (Approval code VUSC-007- [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

“…Twenty 2-3-year-old male dogs were housed for 2 weeks to acclimatize to individual cages (120 cm×140 cm×160 cm (width×height×depth)) and had free access to food and water. Ivermectin 1% [(Paramectin ® ,Pharma Swede, Egypt] was used for deworming by SC injection at a dosage of 10 mg/50 kg in compliance with manufacturer's guidelines [13].…”

“…Each dog's fur was shaved, and the skin was washed with sterile water and soap. Under local anesthesia, dogs were intradermally inoculated with 1 ml broth containing 10 5 colony-forming unit of S. aureus RMSA4 strain as previously described [13,14]. Three days after inoculation, skin pyoderma appeared.…”

“…Dogs were further divided into positive control untreated group (n=5) and treated groups with A. vera ointment at 20% (n=5) and 40% (n=5) and gentamicin 0.1% ointment (n=5). A. vera 20% and 40% ointments were prepared by our research group [13,15], whereas the gentamicin sulfate 0.1% ointment was commercially purchased (Garamyci n® ointment 0.1%, Schering-Plough Company, USA).…”