VETgirl October 2025 BEAT e-Magazine

QUARTERLY BEAT / OCTOBER 2025

May 14, 2025

May 13, 2025

Managing Canine Atopic Dermatitis in 2025 by Dr. Thomas Lewis, DACVD • The International Committee on Allergic Disease in Animals recommends a multi-faceted approach when treating atopic dermatitis in dogs: ◦ Treat an acute flare ◦ Attempt to identify and avoid all triggers of flare ◦ Improve skin and coat hygiene ◦ Treat ongoing pruritus with drug therapy ◦ Allergen-specific immunotherapy should be offered when feasible • Zenrelia™ (ilunocitinib) is the second Janus kinase inhibitor (JAK) to receive FDA approval for the treatment of allergic and atopic dermatitis in dogs. In a published comparison study, Zenrelia™ (daily dosing) and Apoquel® (twice daily dosing) have similar efficacy regarding reduction of pruritus for the first 14 days. After 112 days of treatment, 78% of dogs receiving daily Zenrelia™ have an itch level of very mild or less (remission), whereas 53% of dogs receiving once daily Apoquel® have achieved the same level of control. • Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is the only treatment for atopic dermatitis that can actually change the course of the disease, rather than just manage symptoms. Successful implementation requires skill in creating a treatment tailored to your patient’s specific allergens, and route of administration either by injection or sublingual drops.

Buffering the Chaos: Acid-Base Traditional Analysis by Walter L. Brown, RVTg, VTS (ECC)

• The body is smart and will attempt to compensate for a primary acid–base disturbance but it never overcompensates ; an over- exaggerated response would mean there is a mixed acid-base disturbance. • Base-excess (BE), or “base deficit” when the value is negative, reflects the net effect of all the body’s buffer systems. Outside the species normal reference range, a negative BE (e.g., -15 mEq/L or mmol/L) indicates metabolic acidosis, and a positive BE (e.g., + 10 mEq/L or mmol/L) indicates metabolic alkalosis. • Gastrointestinal losses can produce various acid–base disturbances: vomiting causes hydrogen-ion loss and metabolic alkalosis, whereas diarrhea causes bicarbonate loss and metabolic acidosis. • Whichever component (CO 2 or HCO 3 -) moves in the same direction as pH generally represents the primary process. • You can use your TCO 2 (total CO 2 ) on your biochemistry panel – it’s not an exact proxy for PaCO 2 when evaluating acid-base status, however. TCO 2 is only about 1 mEq/L higher than serum bicarbonate (HCO 3 -), so it can be used as an approximation for HCO 3 - if needed.