百田 豊

A 12-year-old female Shih-Tzu with hyperadrenocorticism and hypothyroidism developed concurrent refractory generalized demodicosis that did not respond to doramectin treatment. Although amitraz treatment was effective, the dog developed severe diabetes, which resulted in the cessation of amitraz and trilostane. Attempts to control the diabetes were unsuccessful, and its hyperadrenocorticism was left untreated, leading to the recurrence of demodicosis. However, demodicosis went into complete remission with a single dose of fluralaner. Transient erythematous papules appeared on the trunk three days after the administration of fluralaner, but no other adverse reactions were noted. We demonstrated that fluralaner is a potent treatment for demodicosis, and skin eruptions are possible after the first dose of the drug.

Background - Hydration is one parameter of skin barrier function. The Skicon-200EX (R) and Corneometer CM825 (R) are hygrometers used to measure skin hydration in humans based on different measurement methods. The ASA-MX3 (R) is a hygrometer used to obtain measurements at haired skin sites in humans. Hypothesis/Objectives - To validate three hygrometers to measure skin dryness in dogs. Animals - Six clinically normal research dogs. Methods - In vivo evaluation of three hygrometers for three different skin types was performed. Measurement of hydration was performed at five different regional sites. Dry and moist skin were induced by treatment with a sorbent and petrolatum, respectively, and measurements were collected for 120 min. Skin sites with three different hair lengths were evaluated to determine whether hair would interfere with hydration measurements. Results - All three hygrometers obtained measurements at the nonhaired skin sites, except the ASA-MX3 (R) hygrometer at the ear site. At the dry skin sites the Skicon-200EX (R) hygrometer detected a significant decrease of water content for longer than the other devices. At the moist skin sites the Corneometer CM825 (R) and ASA-MX3 (R) hygrometers showed a significant increase in water content. The ASA-MX3 (R) hygrometer was the only device that could obtain measurements at sites with hair. Conclusions and clinical importance - The Skicon-200EX (R) hygrometer was the most sensitive for detecting skin dryness, whereas the Corneometer CM825 (R) and ASA-MX3 (R) hygrometers detected an emollient effect. Only the ASA-MX3 (R) could provide measurements at the haired sites. This study may assist in the selection of a hygrometer based on the purpose of use.

Background - Application of herbal paste and oil to a dog's coat and body before rinsing (often combining with shampooing) is a cosmetic therapy available in Japan. It is highly appreciated by users, who claim that the treatment makes the coat shinier, improves volume and eliminates tangles. However, there has been no scientific evaluation of such treatments. Hypothesis/Objectives - Improvement of hair condition is derived from oils such as sebum and conditioning oils because chemicals are not used. Therefore, we examined nonpolar lipids (the primary lipids in dog hair) and the botanical oils used in this therapy. Animals - Hair samples were obtained from six beagle dogs. Methods - Groups were based on different combinations of the following processes: rinsing, shampooing, herbal therapy and herbal therapy with oil extract. Analysis of lipids was performed by high performance thin layer chromatography. Results - The processes of shampooing and herbal therapy were associated with an equivalent reduction in cholesterol ester and triglyceride (TG). However, hair treated by herbal therapy combined with oil extract had an almost three-fold higher TG content, even after shampooing. Conclusions and clinical importance - This study demonstrated that the herbal therapy was able to coat hair samples with TG that was not removed with rinsing. Further investigation is required to evaluate the possible benefits of the application of botanical products containing lipids, such as TG, on hair coat quality in dogs.