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Health

Atopic Dermatitis in Dogs: What’s the Best Treatment?

Skin diseases worry pet owners because they affect dogs’ health and well-being. They are multifactorial, involving environmental and immune factors.

October 5, 2026

Estimated reading time 3 min read

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Skin diseases are a major concern for pet owners, as they affect not only the health but also the well-being of their dogs. These are multifactorial diseases, meaning that many factors can be involved in their onset and development. While many factors may be environmental, others relate to the animal’s immune system, which overreacts to them. One of the most common skin diseases in dogs is atopic dermatitis. Let’s explore it in more detail.

What is Canine Atopic Dermatitis? What factors are involved?

Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD) is a disease characterized by skin inflammation and intense itching. Its origin and development are still partly unknown, although we know it can be influenced by genetic factors in the dog, which, in combination with other environmental factors, cause its body to overreact to certain substances. It has been determined that between 10% and 15% of dogs may be affected by this disease.

Different genetic and environmental factors are recognised as causes of skin diseases:

Allergic diseases: individual reactions to flea bites (FAD), to environmental factors (CAD) through contact with certain substances in the environment (detergents, plants, chemicals).
Dogs may be allergic to certain proteins like beef, dairy, chicken and wheat.
The animal’s genetics, whereby the animal is predisposed to developing the disease due to defects in the structure of its skin, which is the primary barrier for preventing the onset of other diseases.
Skin parasites: fleas, ticks, mites, and lice.
Infections: bacteria, viruses, and fungi that normally inhabit the animal’s skin and that, in the event of an imbalance, can contribute to the clinical picture of the disease.
Autoimmune diseases: especially of the skin, but also systemic ones.
Tumoral diseases: such as cutaneous lymphoma.

What is the best treatment for atopic dermatitis in dogs?

The treatment of atopy in dogs is not a cure, but it helps to control the disease. First, the signs are already present in your dog, such as itching and possible secondary infections, must be controlled to improve the animal’s well-being and avoid complications. Secondly, action must be taken on those environmental factors that may be contributing to the manifestation of the disease.

The vet will always tailor the treatment to each individual dog, with the priority being to relieve discomfort and avoid the distress that itching and complications cause to the animal.

Controlling environmental causes is the key to keeping dermatitis under control: if we reduce all the factors that can trigger the dog’s immune system in the environment, we will manage to reduce or eliminate the signs.

What is the role of Bravecto® in reducing the signs of Canine Atopic Dermatitis?

Effective external parasite control prevents the presence of fleas, ticks, and mites that could trigger a worsening of the signs of atopic dermatitis in dogs. We know that flea bite allergy is the most common in dogs and is a factor that potentiates the onset of dermatitis.

External deworming with Bravecto® has proven to be effective in eliminating and preventing 100% of fleas on the animal, helping to control the population in the environment. Its rapid action prevents females from laying viable eggs and continuing their life cycle in the environment, thus preventing reinfestation of the animal.

The extended duration of up to long acting of Bravecto® provides longer lasting protection than monthly products making protection convenient, with fewer doses to remember.

Furthermore, in the case of atopic dermatitis in dogs, we may need to apply products or medicated baths to the skin. Bravecto® Chew is administered orally, so the dog can be bathed as needed without any risk of reducing its protective effect, unlike those antiparasiticides that are applied directly to the dog’s skin.