Safety of long-term administration of a 0.01% fluocinolone shampoo in allergic dogs

Nine dogs with allergic dermatitis were bathed twice weekly with a 0.01% fluocinolone shampoo for 6 months to evaluate the shampoo's effects on the adrenal-pituitary axis, serum chemistries, complete blood counts and cutaneous histology. A group of 5 normal control dogs were bathed twice weekly for 6 months with the shampoo vehicle to determine whether or not the stress of bathing would have any effects on the monitored indices. Skin biopsies were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study, and serum chemistries and serum cortisols postadrenocorticotrophic hormone administration were evaluated every 8 weeks. There was no effect of the drug over time on serum chemistries or cortisol. Individual dogs in the treatment group had decreased epidermal and dermal thickness as well as decrease in size or number of sebaceous glands after treatment. None of the dogs exhibited the combination of morphologic changes characteristic of an atrophic dermatosis due to hyperadrenocorticism.