You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Atopic dermatitis in pets is a complex condition not caused by inhaled allergens as originally thought

The late phase reaction seen in atopic dermatitis involves the activation of inflammatory cells and the use of prostaglandin E1 analogues (eg Misoprostol), which have previously been used to treat gastric ulcers, has proved useful in managing the pruritus in atopic dermatitis because they inhibit this phase of the inflammatory reaction.

Initial studies with misoprostol in atopic dogs were reported to be encouraging (Ref:  Susan H. Bertram Veterinary Product News 10:10). An initial dose of 6 micrograms misoprostol/kg body weight three times daily produced a clinical improvement in 7-10 days with few side-effects. Once pruritus was under control the dose could be reduced to twice daily administration.

This topic was the subject of an excellent feature article in the Veterinary Record (Veterinary Record 2013;172:201-207 doi:10.1136/vr.f1134) and this can be found here : http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/172/8/201.full . It  is now known that canine atopic dermatitis is a complex and multifactorial disease involving immune dysregulation, allergic sensitisation, skin barrier defects, microbial colonisation and environmental factors..

Updated January 2016