An Itch That Needs Scratching

The Internet – it’s not just for weight-loss spam and flame wars anymore.  Thanks to an NC State veterinarian, it can help your itchy dog stop scratching.

Canine atopic dermatitis is one of the most common dog skin allergies, affecting up to 10 percent of all dogs in the United States.  While it isn’t a life-threatening illness, it does affect the quality of life for many pets and their owners. NC State veterinarian Thierry Olivry, a professor of immunodermatology who has studied skin problems in dogs for more than 15 years, decided to do something about it.

He led the development and publication of open-source standard of care guidelines for the condition and is making it available to veterinarians around the world. The guidelines are available for free here.

“The great thing about this publication is that it is free and available to any veterinarian who needs it—and we’ve got an international group working on translating it into different languages in order to make it truly open source and accessible to everyone,” Olivry says.