Glue Fur For Lacerations ???

Hello Summarians!

Here are a couple of studies that examine how allergies affect us and our animal companions. It highlights that we do have some ability to help manage these challenging issues by both documenting changes and by modifying the surrounding environment.

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Environmental Causes Of Atopy In Dogs

Allergies are becoming increasingly common in both pets and humans, with veterinary data showing significant rises in atopic dermatitis and allergy-related conditions. Canine atopic dermatitis is a multifactorial syndrome influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. While genetics predispose certain breeds, especially West Highland White Terriers, the dramatic rise in cases is largely linked to changing lifestyles and environmental exposures. This trend parallels the human allergy epidemic and is best explained through the concept of the exposome, which captures the lifetime sum of environmental exposures and their biological impact. External factors such as pollution, urbanization, and diet, along with internal factors like the microbiome and stress, shape immune responses and disease development. Epigenetic changes also play a key role, linking environmental exposures to altered gene expression and increased allergic risk. 

Epidemiological studies consistently show that rural living and exposure to diverse microbiota, animals, and natural environments are protective, while urban life, extremely clean homes, and limited microbial diversity increase allergy risk. Dogs living indoors are more frequently affected, largely due to exposure to dust mites, chemicals, and a more homogenized microbiota shared with humans. Reduced exercise and increasing obesity, particularly in urban areas, also contribute by promoting low-grade inflammation. Stress is another factor, with evidence showing that canine stress mirrors that of their owners, lowering the threshold for atopic disease expression. 

Diet plays a crucial role through its effects on the gut–skin axis. Studies suggest that nonprocessed and raw-based diets in early life may provide protective effects, potentially by supporting microbiome diversity and regulating immune responses. However, the evidence is conflicting, as ultraprocessed diets are sometimes associated with increased risk, while other studies find no such link. Importantly, raw diets carry significant health risks if not balanced, underscoring the need for careful owner education. Overuse of antibiotics has also been linked to gut dysbiosis and worsening atopic dermatitis, reinforcing the need for responsible antibiotic stewardship. 

Pollution and chemical exposure are major contributors, as urban dogs are more vulnerable to particulate matter, passive smoking, and household cleaning products that disrupt epithelial barriers. The epithelial barrier hypothesis suggests that these exposures lead to barrier dysfunction, sensitization, and chronic inflammation, creating a vicious cycle of worsening disease. Evidence also shows pollutants induce epigenetic changes, upregulating inflammatory pathways and predisposing to allergic disease. 

Overall, canine atopic dermatitis highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Preventive strategies emphasize modifiable factors, including increased outdoor activity, reduced exposure to pollutants and passive smoking, mindful use of antibiotics, balanced diets, stress management, and careful selection of topical products that do not damage the skin barrier. By focusing on lifestyle and environmental adjustments, veterinarians can help mitigate allergy risks, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to broader One Health initiatives. 

Marsella, R. (2025). Environmental factors are responsible for the rise of atopic dermatitis in dogs: veterinarians should focus on modifiable influences. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.06.0391 

Bottom line — We should focus on aspects we can change.

Fur Apposition Technique For Lacerations

The hair apposition technique (HAT) in human medicine has been shown to reduce complications, scarring, and pain while shortening repair time and lowering costs compared to suturing. Inspired by this, a veterinary adaptation called the fur apposition technique (FAT) was evaluated in a prospective, nonrandomized controlled pilot study for simple laceration repair in small animals. The study compared FAT to standard suturing, examining wound healing, repair time, and time to discharge. FAT demonstrated feasibility, with all wounds healing successfully and no patients requiring revision surgery. A key advantage of FAT was a significantly shorter time to discharge due to the lack of sedation or anesthesia, which are typically required for suturing and carry some risk even in healthy animals. However, unlike human studies that showed faster repair times with HAT, this study found no difference between FAT and suturing, likely due to patient movement, clinician inexperience with FAT, and a learning curve associated with the technique. 

Case selection proved important since FAT was performed without sedation in awake animals, meaning wound location and temperament must be considered. Only simple lacerations under 10 cm, without infection or deep tissue involvement, were included. The study also noted that while clipping hair is standard practice, FAT was performed without clipping, and no infections were observed; all patients received prophylactic antibiotics. The small sample size (16 wounds, including only two cats) limited the ability to evaluate species differences, wound location effects, or other modifiers, though all wounds healed successfully. 

Overall, FAT was found to be a promising, noninvasive alternative for simple laceration repair in veterinary medicine, reducing anesthesia needs and time to discharge while maintaining similar healing outcomes to suturing. The technique requires further research with larger samples, broader patient populations, and evaluations of factors such as scarring, pain, cost, and clinician experience. Until more data are available, FAT should be reserved for carefully selected cases of simple lacerations in dogs and cats. 

Codd, C. M., Kwong, G. P. S., & Atilla, A. (2025). Fur apposition technique—a new technique for simple laceration closure in small animals (dogs and cats): a pilot study. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.04.0278 

Bottom line — Interesting pilot study.

Scoring System For Hives In Horses

Chronic recurrent urticaria is a frequent condition in horses, to which they seem more susceptible than other species. It can present in acute or chronic forms, and its pathogenesis remains poorly understood, though immunologically mediated mechanisms such as Type I, II, and III hypersensitivities have been described. Potential allergens include insects, environmental triggers, foods, supplements, drugs, and vaccines. Current treatments, such as corticosteroids, antihistamines, disinfectants, and barrier-repair products, often have limited efficacy or adverse effects. To address the lack of a validated system for evaluating chronic urticaria in horses, the Equine Urticaria Activity Score (EqUAS) was developed, modeled after validated scoring systems used in human and veterinary medicine. 

The study aimed to test the intra- and interobserver reliability of the EqUAS and to determine whether observer experience influenced scoring outcomes. Results demonstrated excellent inter- and intraobserver reliability, with intraobserver reliability slightly higher, consistent with trends observed in other ordinal grading systems. Importantly, the reliability of the EqUAS was not significantly affected by the clinical experience of the observers, indicating that the system can be applied consistently across varying levels of expertise. 

Limitations of the study included the absence of a power analysis due to a lack of prevalence data for chronic urticaria in horses and the use of photographs instead of live assessments. While photographs facilitated standardization and allowed for repeated scoring, they may have reduced sensitivity to small lesions that could be detected by palpation. Despite these limitations, the study found that the EqUAS is a highly reliable tool for grading urticaria in horses, even when applied to photographic evaluations. 

In conclusion, the EqUAS demonstrates excellent intra- and interobserver reliability and functions effectively regardless of observer experience. It provides a valuable tool for both clinical practice and research, with potential for use in remote assessments and future validation in live clinical examinations of horses with chronic recurrent urticaria. 

Birkmann K, Waldern N, Jucker S, Balaschitsch K, Zablotski Y, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A. Validation of the Equine Urticaria Activity Score for the assessment of chronic recurrent urticaria in horses. Vet Dermatol. 2025; 36: 630–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.13358 

Bottom line — Valuable system that can help with communication.

Just putting things in perspective …