Diagnosis and therapy of atopic dermatitis in the dog

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common skin diseases of the dog. Diagnosis and therapy can be challenging for the practitioner. The pathogenesis is not fully understood and curative therapy is currently not available. The present paper reviews diagnosis and therapy of this disease. The diagnostic criteria, possible differential diagnoses and different allergy tests used to identify offending allergens are discussed. The therapeutic part describes the use of allergen avoidance, control of flare factors, allergen-specific immunotherapy, topical drugs, such as shampoos, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Special emphasis is put on the importance of developing an individual mangement programme adapted to each patients' indivual needs.