Abstract
BackgroundCanine otitis externa is a painful condition which can be challenging to treat due to difficulties in the administration of otic medication. This can be due to lack of owner compliance in the application of ear drops or due to the resentment that some dogs demonstrate when attempts are made to administer topical medication into a sensitive ear canal. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of a topical LED-illuminated gel (LIG) in canine otitis externa in comparison to standard of care therapy. Dogs with spontaneous otitis externa were randomly allocated in three groups: groups QW received LIG once weekly; BW received LIG twice weekly; group C received enrofloxacin and silver sulfadiazine twice daily. LIG consists of a topical application of a gel containing chromophores that, when illuminated by a LED lamp, re-emit fluorescent light which can stimulate physiological responses, promoting healing and controlling bacteria. The evaluation protocol (T0 to T5) considered clinical assessment (OTIS-3-index-scoring-system; pruritus-severity-scale; pain-severity-score; aural temperature), cytological scoring system, quali-quantitative bacteriologic assessment.ResultsAll groups (QW, n = 21; BW, n = 23; C, n = 20) showed improvement during the study (QW: P < 0.02 for cytological and pain scores, P < 0.003 for bacteriologic assessment, P < 10− 4 for pruritus, total OTIS-3 and temperature assessments; BW: P < 10− 4 for all clinical, cytological and bacteriologic assessments; C: P < 0.02 for all clinical and cytological assessments, P < 10− 4 for bacteriologic assessment). The highest clinical score reduction occurred in Group BW (P < 0.014 in T3; P < 0.001 in T4 and P < 10− 4 in T5). BW reached the clinically relevant effect level at T3 (− 3.26 ± 1.21 levels), QW reached it at T4 (− 3.24 ± 0.99), C did not reach it. No differences between groups were seen in the reduction of CFU/mL (T0-T5).ConclusionsAll treatment groups showed a positive clinical effect. LIG administered twice-a-week was the most favourable protocol of the study. LIG may be considered beneficial in the management of canine otitis externa; it seems to be effective in controlling the clinical condition, including the signs of inflammation and local pain, the bacterial growth, and it may help increasing treatment compliance.
Highlights
Canine otitis externa is a painful condition which can be challenging to treat due to difficulties in the administration of otic medication
The exogenous chromophores in the topical gel responded to the Light-emitting diode (LED) light illumination, with a visible colour change of the gel from orange to pink occurring in all treatment applications
Bacteriological assessment in this study showed that the use of LED-illuminated gel (LIG) favoured improvement of clinical condition with a low rate of bacterial growth, as evidenced by the results presented in this study, in line with other previous trials [22]
Summary
Canine otitis externa is a painful condition which can be challenging to treat due to difficulties in the administration of otic medication. This can be due to lack of owner compliance in the application of ear drops or due to the resentment that some dogs demonstrate when attempts are made to administer topical medication into a sensitive ear canal. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of a topical LED-illuminated gel (LIG) in canine otitis externa in comparison to standard of care therapy. Primary causes which underlie all cases of canine otitis include ectoparasites, allergy, keratinization disorders and autoimmune disease. Perpetuating factors which drive the otitis once it has been established and need to be treated to prevent recurrence are those caused through chronic disease such as a chronic inflammatory state and the progressive pathologic changes within the canal and otitis media [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
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