INTERLEUKINS SUPPRESSORS AN ALTERNATIVE IN THE THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT OF ALLERGIC SKIN IN DOGS

Itch or pruritus (scientifically named) represents one of the most common presenting complaints of pet owners at veterinary. The dog will repeatedly scratch, lick or chew its coat, and over a period of time create bald patches and damaged skin. In chronic or severe cases dogs present with secondary lesions, including scarring, bleeding, crusting and ulceration, accomplished by alopecia, inflammation and malodor of the coat. In case of allergic dermatitis the common therapeutic approaching has as a main objective the reducing of the itch and of the secondary dermatologic changes, using steroids (with unpleasant systemic short-long term side-effects and complications), antihistaminic, antibacterial and etiothrop products. For the veterinary specialist, a key therapeutic challenge is finding a way to break the itch cycle, and halt the inflammatory process, without causing systemic sie-effects. New researches reveals key findings around the mechanism of itch in allergic skin diseases, and the role of inflammatory and pruritogenic cytokines (IL-31), their therapeutic role (which inhibit the JAK enzyme system) in suppressing the activity of allergic cytokines.