Prospective open pilot study on the use of ciclosporin for feline allergic skin disease

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of ciclosporin in cats with allergic skin disease. Methods: Ten cats with signs of allergic skin disease were administered ciclosporin daily at a dose of 3.6 to 8.3 mg/kg for one month. None of these cats had previously responded to a hypoallergenic diet trial, and all animals had previously been treated with endectoparasiticidal drugs, with no improvement two weeks before entering the trial. On days 0 and 30, owners assessed pruritus with a visual analogue scale, and veterinarians evaluated cutaneous lesions. Results: All the cats had pruritus and erythema, five had alopecia, two had an eosinophilic plaque, one had miliary dermatitis and two had both alopecia and an eosinophilic plaque. Good or excellent improvement was observed in 40 per cent of cats for pruritus, 57 per cent of cats for alopecia and 60 per cent of cats for erythema. A significant decrease in mean scores was observed for pruritus only, while for erythema and alopecia, it was close to being significant (P < 0.052). Clinical Significance: Ciclosporin may be helpful in symptomatically treating signs of feline allergic skin disease. However, it is important to remember that ciclosporin is not licensed for use in cats.