KLOX FLUORESCENCE BIOMODULATION SYSTEM (KFBS), AN ALTERNATIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CLINICAL MANIFESTATION OF CANINE PYODERMAS

Canine pyodermas are one of the most common compliant in small animal practice [1]. With the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria, alternative treatments that increase efficacy and reduce antibiotic use have gained popularity [2]. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of Klox Fluorescence Biophotonic System (KFBS) to accelerate the clinical resolution time in the treatment of both canine deep and superficial pyoderma. A total number of 45 dogs were enrolled in this study, eighteen with a dignosis of superficial pyoderma and twenty-seven affected by deep pyodermas. For superficial pyoderma a group received only oral antibiotic cefadroxil (n=8; 20 mg/kg, twice daily) while other groups involved received only KFBS at once (n=5) or twice weekly (n=5) frequency. For deep pyoderma, five and eight dogs received only KFBS or oral antibiotic cefadroxil (20 mg/kg, twice daily), respectively. Additional treatment groups involved oral cefadroxil (same dosage) and KFBS at once (n=5) or twice weekly (n=9) frequency. The KFBS treatment exhibited excellent safety profile and achieved complete resolution (CR) for superficial pyoderma in 2.4 ± 1.1 (p=0.05) and 2.3 ± 0.7 (p<0.05) weeks in once-KFBS and twice-KFBS dogs, respectively, whereas cefadroxil treated group required 3.75 ± 1.0 weeks for clinical resolution. KFBS achieved CR for deep pyoderma in 4.3 ± 1.3 weeks in all dogs, whereas cefadroxil treated group required 15.5 ± 3.5 weeks for CR. In deep pyoderma-affected dogs’ skin biopsies obtained before and after KFBS treatment revealed a significant mRNA up- regulation of EGF, PDGF, TGF-beta VEGF as well as matrix metalloproteinase 1 (p≤0.01) and down regulation of TNF-alpha, compared to cefadroxil group. KFBS has demonstrated to have an excellent safety profile and and it is effective as sole treatment for canine superficial pyoderma, reducing the time for CR, alongside avoiding the prescription of antibiotic administration. In deep pyodermas, KFBS significantly accelerate time to CR and reduce the duration of exposure to systemic antibiotics for deep pyoderma treatment. The rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance makes the prolonged use of antibiotics difficult to justify; the choice of agents should be based on bacterial culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing and prescribed only if there are no other options [3,4]. [1] Noli C. Staphylococcal pyoderma. In:Foster A, Foil C, eds. BSAVA Manual of Small Animal Dermatology. Gloucester:BSAVA Publications, 2003: 159–168. [2] Fitzgerald JR. Vet Dermatol 2009; 20: 490–495.Summers JF, Brodbelt DC, Forsythe PJ, Loeffler A and Hendricks A. Vet Dermatol 2012; 23: 305–e61. [4] Bannoehr J, Ben Zakour NL, Waller AS et al. J Bacteriol 2007; 189: 8685–8692