Complementary Effect of Oral Administration of Lactobacillus paracasei K71 on Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

We investigated the complementary effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei K71 (K71) on canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). Five dogs were diagnosed as having cAD and they were treated with prednisolone, 0.5 mg/kg, every other day. Among them, K71 (K71 group) and cetirizine hydrochloride (positive control group) were prescribed as complementary therapy for 12 weeks for three and two dogs, respectively. The change of disease severity of skin symptoms were evaluated with the following three indexes: canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index (CADESI) scored by the veterinarian, pruritus scored by the owners, and the amount of steroid required. Improvements of skin symptoms were observed in all five cases at the end of investigation. However, all of the indexes in the K71 group were clearly better than those of the positive control group. These results suggest that oral administration K71 is a useful complementary therapy for cAD.