Tips for relieving caregiver burden in owners of dogs with allergic dermatitis

According to Brittany Lancellotti, DVM, DACVD, owners of dogs with allergic dermatitis that is well controlled have similar levels of caregiver burden as owners of healthy dogs. At the 2024 Fetch Long Beach conference in Long Beach, California, Lancellotti sat down with dvm360 and shared ways that veterinarians can help relieve caregiver burden in their clients.

Below is the interview transcript

Brittany Lancellotti, DVM, DACVD: So caregiver burden is something that a lot of pet owners will experience in animals that have allergic dermatitis. This is a chronic disease, and we see higher levels of caregiver burden in owners of pets that have chronic diseases like allergic dermatitis. So, veterinarians can help to relieve caregiver burden through a number of different ways. What we found is that owners of healthy dogs and owners of dogs with allergic dermatitis have similar levels of caregiver burden if the allergic dermatitis is well-controlled. So get that disease under control, figure out the primary triggers and figure out the medications that gets the animal in remission. We also can decrease caregiver burden by simplifying the plan, so using fewer medications—which we can do if we find out what the primary trigger is, that will allow us to use fewer therapies, and simplifying the plan. And then also long-acting treatments like ear medications that stay over the course of several weeks—that could help to simplify the plan and lower that caregiver burden as well.