Cyclosporin has been increasingly used for the treatment of skin diseases in small animals. Reported uses include the treatment of atopy, cutaneous lupus erythematosus, feline acquired alopecia resembling pseudopelade of humans, pemphigus erythematosus, pemphigus foliaceus, perianal fistulae and sebaceous adenitis. In addition, cyclosporin has been used anecdotally for several other skin diseases. Few side effects have been noted at doses therapeutic for dermatologic diseases. Current suggestions for monitoring, and the value of trough cyclosporin serum concentrations for prediction of toxicity and efficacy are discussed.

Background Prednisone doses of up to 8 mg/kg/day have been used to treat feline pemphigus foliaceus (PF). Oral prednisolone has more favourable pharmacokinetics in cats than prednisone; therefore, lower doses of prednisolone may be effective in treating feline PF. Hypothesis/Objectives To assess the dose of prednisolone required to induce and maintain remission of PF in cats. Animals Thirty‐seven client‐owned cats with a diagnosis of PF treated with prednisolone monotherapy for induction of remission. Methods A retrospective analysis of records of a veterinary dermatology referral practice between the years of 1995 and 2013 was carried out. History, clinical signs, cytological and/or histopathological findings, lack of response to antimicrobials, absence of fungal hyphae on periodic acid Schiff staining and/or negative fungal culture and positive response to immunosuppressive therapy were used to confirm the diagnosis. Cats were included in the study if prednisolone was used as the monotherapy induction protocol. Results Complete remission was achieved within 8 weeks in 97% of cats with a median induction dose of 2 mg/kg prednisolone daily. In cats requiring ongoing treatment, 67% were maintained in remission with prednisolone monotherapy. The median maintenance dose was 1.2 mg/kg/week. In 14% of cats, medication was eventually discontinued. Conclusions and clinical importance Daily prednisolone at 2 mg/kg is an effective dose for inducing remission of PF in cats. Adverse effects were uncommon with this dose. In a small population, permanent remission may be induced. Secondary bacterial overgrowth and exudate in claw folds resolved in all cases with immunosuppressive therapy; therefore, antimicrobial therapy may be unnecessary.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare disease distinguished by rapid progression of painful, necrolytic, cutaneous ulcers with irregular, violaceous undermined borders. Azathioprine with glucocorticoids may lead to a better outcome than ciclosporin and glucocorticoids (currently the first-line treatment in humans and the only reported treatment in dogs).

Cyclosporin was well tolerated and efficacious in the symptomatic treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs attending two veterinary dermatology referral centres in Australia, under Australian field conditions, when administered at 5 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks.

An 8-month-old, crossbred dog, presented with a painful, swollen face. The problem was of 4 weeks duration and had not responded to antibiotics. A diagnosis of canine juvenile cellulitis was based on the clinical presentation and supportive cytological and histopathological changes. Attempts to identify canine distemper virus were not successful. Complete resolution occurred with glucocorticoid therapy. This is the first report of canine juvenile cellulitis in a dog of this age.

The purpose of this study was to determine if Cyclosporin A, given at a dose of 5 mg kg−1 per day for 42 days, negatively influenced intradermal skin test results in dogs with atopic dermatitis. Six mixed‐breed dogs of varying ages and sexes with a clinical diagnosis of atopic dermatitis were included in this study. All dogs were intradermally skin tested (IDT) with 61 allergens from varying groups, grass pollens, weed pollens, tree pollens, moulds, insects and dust mites. IDT reactions were recorded as absent, weak, moderate or strong reactions. All dogs showed several strong reactions in the initial IDT. On days 0 to 42, the dogs received 5 mg kg −1 per day of Cyclosporin A. On day 42, all dogs showed a marked reduction in pruritus. A second IDT was performed and the results of both tests compared. The χ2‐test was used to statistically analyse changes between pre‐ and post‐treatment reactions for each of the allergen groups. There were no mould reactions recorded and this group was discarded from analysis. When all reactions were used in analysis, Cyclosporin A tended to significantly reduce the number of IDT reactions. However, when only moderate and strong reactions were considered (weak reactions excluded) there were no significant differences between pre‐ and post‐treatment results for the other allergen groups. Cyclosporin A at a dose of 5 mg kg−1 per day for 42 days controlled pruritus, but did not significantly alter moderate and strong intradermal skin test reactions in the six dogs tested. This suggests that Cyclosporin A, at this dose, did not prevent mast cell degranulation.  Funded by Novartis Animal Health, Australia.

Mucocutaneous pyoderma is a disease of unknown aetiology affecting mucocutaneous skin and is responsive to antibacterial therapy. It is reported to affect the lips, nasal planum, nares, perioral skin and less commonly, the eyelids, vulva, prepuce and anus. Three cases of mucocutaneous pyoderma are presented. Two of the cases showed ulcerative lesions in the inguinal and axillary regions in addition to more typically reported lesions. Two of the dogs had concurrent atopic dermatitis and the third had clinical signs suggestive of hyper-sensitivity disease. The clinical and histopathological features, differentiation of mucocutaneous pyoderma from discoid lupus erythematosus, and long-term management of mucocutaneous pyoderma are discussed.