Contact Dermatitis in Dogs

Contact Dermatitis in Dogs

By: Dr. Rosanna Marsalla

Section: Veterinary Care In-depth


Treatment In-depth

  • The main therapy for allergic contact dermatitis consists of allergen avoidance and topical or systemic administration of cortisone-like drugs called corticosteroids. Anti-inflammatory dosages of the corticosteroid prednisone usually are used (0.25 to 0.5 milligram per pound of body weight for 5 to 7 days followed by an alternate day protocol as needed). This approach usually is sufficient to control clinical signs. Topically-administered steroids that may be beneficial include Escort® or FS Shampoo®.
  • Hyposensitization (allergy shots) has been ineffective.

  • Antihistamines and essential fatty acids are not effective in animals with contact allergy.

  • Pentoxifylline (Trental®) has been used recently to inhibit allergic contact reactions in rodents, people and dogs

  • Pentoxifylline works by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor, an important mediator of contact dermatitis.

  • Pentoxifylline works better as a preventative agent than a treatment when lesions are already present. Therapy with pentoxifylline should be started two days before exposure to the offending allergen. Pentoxifylline usually is well-tolerated and adverse effects are dose-dependent. Adverse reactions include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It also may cause flushing of the skin and tremors.

  • Secondary bacterial infections should be treated with systemic antibiotics (cephalexin 10 to 15 milligrams per pound body weight twice daily for a minimum of 3 weeks).

    Follow-up

    Complete resolution of clinical signs usually is obtained after 10 to 14 days of avoidance of the offending substance. No prevention is possible unless the offending substance has previously been identified.

    •  
    Printable Version
     
    Have a Pet Question?
    Review the Most Frequent Questions
    Answered by Dr. Jon and His Staff of Veterinarians
    Ask Dr. Jon
    Dr. Jon's Newsletter
    Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...
     
     

    Related Articles

    • 1 Atopy in Dogs

      Atopic disease (atopy) is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2 Skin Discharge or Odor in Dogs

      Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3 Pruritus (Itchiness) in Dogs

      How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4 Skin Lesion or Sore in Dogs

      There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of dogs, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.

      Read MoreRead More
    Related Articles
    • 1Skin Lesion or Sore in Dogs

      There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of dogs, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2Atopy in Dogs

      Atopic disease (atopy) is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3Skin Discharge or Odor in Dogs

      Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4Pruritus (Itchiness) in Dogs

      How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.

      Read MoreRead More
     

    Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

    Dogs & Puppies
    Cats
    Related Articles
    • 1Skin Lesion or Sore in Dogs

      There are many different types of skin lesions that can occur in the skin of dogs, and each lesion or combination of lesions can be caused by multiple diseases and conditions.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 2Atopy in Dogs

      Atopic disease (atopy) is a pruritic (itchy) skin disease of animals that is caused by an allergy.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 3Skin Discharge or Odor in Dogs

      Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.

      Read MoreRead More
    • 4Pruritus (Itchiness) in Dogs

      How pruritus affects your dog’s health depends on the degree of the pruritus. Severe pruritus leads to intense scratching, which may result in painful skin lesions that may become infected.

      Read MoreRead More