Date Received: 10-03-2026 / Date Accepted: 27-08-2026 / Date Published: 30-10-2026
This study was conducted to describe the clinical characteristics of dogs with dermatitis and to pilot-monitor changes in pruritus severity following oclacitinib administration at a companion animal clinic in Hanoi. Among 193 dogs examined between June and August 2024, 57 cases (29.53%) were diagnosed with dermatitis. Pruritus was the most common clinical sign (80.70%), followed by erythematous papules with scaling/crusting (59.65%) and pustules (40.35%). Routine diagnostic tests indicated that suspected bacterial (42.11%) and fungal (38.60%) etiologies were the most frequently identified categories. Twelve dogs presenting with pruritus were subsequently monitored using a six-point ordinal pruritus scale (0-5) following oclacitinib administration. The median baseline pruritus score was 3.5, with a Min-Max range of 2-5, decreasing to 2 (1-3) at 4 hours (padj = 0.003) and further declining to 1 (0-2) at 72 hours (padj = 0.001). These preliminary findings demonstrate a reduction in pruritus severity following oclacitinib administration in this pilot cohort of 12 dogs. However, larger randomized controlled clinical trials are required to comprehensively evaluate its therapeutic efficacy.
