Altered blood oxidative stress markers in association with antioxidant supplemented therapy for mange, tick, and flea allergic dermatitis of dogs

Skin diseases are among the most common health problems in dogs. The study aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress biomarker profile in mange-, tick-, and flea-infested dogs and to assess the value of antioxidant supplementation as complementary therapy to standard treatment. Thirty-seven dogs were enrolled in the study, and they were divided into three groups: apparently healthy group (11 dogs), mange group (8 dogs), and tick- and flea-infested group (18 dogs). Four dogs out of mange group and eleven dogs out of tick- and flea-infested group were treated with specific therapy supplemented with vitamin E and selenium (tocopherol 50 mg + Se 1.5 mg/ml) 0.5 ml/20 kg IM weekly in mange group and vitamin E capsule at dose of 40 IU/Ib in ticks and fleas group for 3 weeks as antioxidant therapy. Oxidative stress biomarkers were measured including SOD, GPX, catalase, and MDA. In mange group, there were significant increase in SOD, MDA, and significant decrease in GPX, catalase enzymes in diseased groups, while after treatment SOD was significantly decreased in antioxidant supplemented group only. Catalase was significantly increased, MDA was significantly decreased in specific and antioxidant supplemented groups but no significance differences between two types of treatment were noticed. In tick- and flea-infested group, there were significant decrease in GPX and increase in MDA in diseased groups; after treatment there were significant increase in GPX and catalase only in antioxidant supplemented group and significant variances between two protocols of therapy in catalase level only. Vitamin E and selenium can be used with standard therapy to accelerate the clinical recovery of external parasitism in dogs.