Fluorescent Light Energy Shown To Decrease Reliance On Prolonged Antibiotic Treatment In Cases Of Canine Interdigital Furunculosis
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Canine interdigital furunculosis (CIF) is a challenging, chronic and complex condition of skin on the feet of dogs. The nature of the condition often results in secondary bacterial infection involving prolonged courses of systemic antibiotics. In a newly published study results show that the use of fluorescent light energy (FLE) in cases of CIF reduces time to clinical resolution and increases the resolution rate while minimising the need for antibiotics.1 These promising results are welcome as the veterinary industry continues to champion and improve its position on antimicrobial stewardship. The full study can be read here: https://bit.ly/wileyclinicaltrial
Conducted as a multicentric international study involving board-certified veterinary dermatologists, the trial included 35 dogs with CIF in at least two paws. Each dog acted as its own control, and was treated with systemic antibiotics, with one paw being treated with FLE and the other paw without. Paws were allocated based on a coin toss, and the study was single blinded; the principal investigator was responsible for the assessment of lesions, and the co-investigator was responsible for administration of FLE treatment.
The dogs were assessed over an 8-week period with check-ups every 14 days. At every check-up the paws treated with FLE showed a greater improvement than paws without FLE treatment. The lesions were assessed and scored with the global lesion score, the pruritic visual analogue scale, a cytological scoring, and photographic documentation.
The results of the study demonstrate that FLE combined with systemic antibiotics significantly reduced the time to clinical resolution compared to antibiotics alone. By week four, 50% of paws in the FLE group had reached clinical resolution compared to 17% in the control group. Moreover, by week eight, 88% of paws in the FLE group had healed compared to 54% in the control group.
Reflecting on the importance of these findings, Dr Anja Lange, DVM, Department of Dermatology, AniCura Kleintierspezialisten Augsburg GmbH, Augsburg, Germany, says “Canine interdigital furunculosis is a challenging condition to treat that can be prolonged and frustrating. Having FLE as an additional management tool is very exciting, not least because it speeds up time to healing, but it also requires us to use less antibiotics. The use of FLE was well accepted by all of the dog owners from the study and the dogs themselves tolerated it well, showing it can be a very useful adjunct to cases in clinical practice.”
Phovia is an FLE therapeutic approach which involves applying chromophore gel to the surface of the lesion and illuminating it with a blue LED light for two minutes. This process is carried out twice at each session. FLE is thought to act by upregulating key growth factors, modulating the inflammatory response, and dynamically regulating the different phases of wound healing.
This study has strengthened the trust in using FLE on dogs with CIF. The use of the split-body design enhances the validity of the results and allows for a more direct comparison between FLE-treated and control paws and minimises interindividual variability.
For further information visit https://www.vetoquinol.com/en/phovia/phovia_system email [email protected] or read the full paper here: https://bit.ly/wileyclinicaltrial
References
- A blinded randomised split-body clinical trial evaluating the effect of fluorescent light energy on antimicrobial management of canine interdigital furunculosis
A. Lange, U. Mayer, E. Bensignor, L. Cornegliani, D. Ferreira, I. Matricoti, M. Mosca, L. Ordeix, D. Pin, F. Scarampella, E. Videmont, A. Yu, O. Fantini https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.13340
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