Primary efficacy outcomes
There were no statistical differences between breeds for all the parameters evaluated.
After 6-month EPIT, all dogs had reduced pruritus scores, with a 63.1% mean improvement, and 13/15 dogs improved their severity level, while two dogs maintained their moderate-to-severe level. Of note, 4/8 dogs starting the study with a severe pruritus concluded the 6-month EPIT with a normal status (table 1). Moreover, all dogs showed improved pruritus scores (56.1% mean improvement) and severity level at three months, including the two dogs that maintained their initial moderate-to-severe level at six months, but were normal-to-mild at three months. According to the success criteria, 73.3% of dogs (11/15) succeeded in pruritus evaluation at six months.
Regarding skin lesions’ evaluation, 9/15 dogs (60%) improved in severity after EPIT, with a 56.5% mean improvement, whereas 5/15 dogs (33.3%) maintained their initial normal (2/3) or mild (3/6) range. Furthermore, at both three- and six-month timepoints, all but one dog were in the normal-to-mild range, and no dog was severe (table 2). After EPIT, 66.7% of dogs (10/15) succeeded in skin lesion evaluation, considering the defined criteria.
Concerning OGATE, 14/15 owners rated the response to EPIT as good-to-excellent, ranking success as 93.3%, while the remaining owner assessed it as a fair response.
Over six months, EPIT significantly improved mean PVAS10 scores from 5.27±1.81 to 2.15±1.83 (p=0.000015), as that of 2D-IGA from 2.40±1.06 to 1.67±0.62 (p=0.006). Noteworthy, a significant improvement was evident after one month of treatment for both PVAS10 (p=0.003) and 2D-IGA (p=0.009) scores (table 3, figure 3).