Survey highlights gaps in canine pruritus management expectations

A new global survey found substantial alignment—and persistent gaps—between dog owners and veterinarians managing canine pruritus and allergic skin disease. The gaps were shown particularly around treatment expectations, compliance, cost, and the need for therapies with rapid onset and targeted antipruritic activity.¹

Presented by Merck Animal Health, the survey for pet owner and veterinarian perspectives on canine pruritus included 1710 dog owners across 8 countries and 1413 companion animal veterinarians across 11 countries. Data was collected for this quantitative study through an online survey administered by a professional market research organization that adheredto global market research guidelines and codes of conduct, according to Merck.¹

Survey results shows about one-third of canine patients seen by US veterinarians have itchy skin or allergic skin disease, compared with 27% globally, according to Merck Animal Health. Approximately 2 in 5 dogs with skin conditions were newly diagnosed in both US and global responses.¹

“Allergic skin disease is one of the most common clinical signs among dogs of all ages. Knowing that many dog owners and veterinarians are managing dogs with allergic skin disease, we wanted to understand the challenges they are facing when it comes to diagnosis, treatment, and compliance,” Linda Horspool, BVMS, PhD, DipECVPT, FRCVS, director of scientific marketing affairs, global marketing companion animals for Merck Animal Health, said in a news release.¹

Horspool noted that veterinarians and owners both reported frustration around communication, diagnosis, and treatment planning. “Both parties have the same goal of finding a solution that is effective, safe and starts working fast,” she said.¹

In a dvm360 interview, Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, a dermatology practitioner for the Animal Dermatology Group in Louisville, Kentucky, addressed potential causes of pruritus. “Some of the diseases that we see that cause pruritus include food hypersensitivity, ectoparasites like flea allergy and scabies. Secondary infections can also cause itching, and all of these things can complicate our true diagnosis, especially when we're trying to treat a dog or a cat with allergic disease and ultimately, atopic dermatitis,” Griffin said.²

Disease burden extends beyond the patient

The survey highlighted the quality-of-life burden associated with chronic pruritus. Among US dog owners, 34% reported that their dog’s allergic skin disease had a notable negative impact on their own quality of life; globally, 31% reported the same. In the US, 43% of owners of dogs with itchy skin reported a significant negative impact on the dog’s quality of life, compared with 39% globally.¹

Most owners who had sought veterinary care for a dog with pruritus had discussed itch with the veterinarian: 86% in the US and 90% globally. Among those owners, 61% in the US and 60% globally scheduled the appointment specifically to discuss itchy skin.¹

Treatment switching was also common. In the previous year, 28% of US dog owners and 36% of US veterinarians reported switching therapies used to manage allergic skin disease. Globally, those figures were 29% and 41%, respectively.¹

Efficacy and safety remain top priorities

When selecting antipruritic therapies, US and global dog owners ranked effectiveness for itch as the most important treatment feature, followed by safety profile and targeted itch relief. Veterinarians in both the US and global cohorts ranked effectiveness and rapid onset as the most important features.¹

Despite those preferences, Merck reported continued use of antihistamines and corticosteroids. In the US, 41% of dog owners reported using antihistamines for canine allergic skin disease in the previous year, and 23% reported using corticosteroids. Globally, 27% reported antihistamine use and 19% reported corticosteroid use. Lower proportions reported use of Janus kinase inhibitors—15% in the US and 11% globally—or monoclonal antibodies, reported by 8% of US owners and 11% globally.¹ Long-term or high-dose glucocorticoid use in dogs can be associated with clinically relevant adverse effects, including immunosuppression, gastrointestinal signs, and iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism.³

Why owners and veterinarians stop therapies

Poor efficacy was the most common reason both US dog owners and veterinarians discontinued antipruritic treatments. Among US dog owners, 32% said they stopped a product because it was not as effective as desired, 28% cited cost, 21% cited safety concerns, and 21% said 1 dose did not last long enough.¹

Among US veterinarians, 44% cited poor efficacy, 38% cited less targeted treatment, and 28% cited poor safety profile as reasons for discontinuing or moving away from a therapy. Globally, dog owners most often cited poor efficacy (22%), slow onset (20%), and the dog not enjoying treatment administration (18%). Global veterinarians cited poor efficacy (46%), less targeted treatment (31%), and poor safety profile (27%).¹

Compliance and affordability shape treatment decisions

The survey also showed that ease of administration and compliance influence adoption of new treatments. US dog owners who started a new therapy most often cited veterinary team recommendation (40%), improved safety for the dog (38%), and easier administration or application (35%). Globally, owners cited veterinary recommendation and ease of administration or application equally at 32%, followed by improved safety at 31%.¹

US veterinarians most often reported recommending a new treatment because of better efficacy (46%), innovation that added to the clinical toolbox (44%), better client compliance (28%), more targeted treatment (26%), and price (26%). Globally, veterinarians cited better efficacy (48%), innovation (36%), more targeted treatment (32%), faster onset of action (27%), and better client compliance (26%).¹

Cost remained a major unmet need. More than half of US veterinarians (52%) and 46% of veterinarians globally identified more cost-effective options as the top unmet need in canine antipruritic treatment. Merck also reported that 6% of US veterinarians and approximately 1 in 10 veterinarians globally identified medication options for dogs aged 6 months or older as an unmet need. Worldwide, 13% of dogs with allergic skin conditions seen by veterinarians were 6 to 11 months old; in the US, that figure was 9%.¹

Communication gaps remain clinically relevant

Qualitative interviews with 60 veterinarians and 25 dog owners across 5 countries, including the US, identified recurring themes around the chronicity and variability of allergic skin disease. Veterinarians reported fatigue related to managing a condition that differs substantially between patients and noted that owner misunderstanding of disease chronicity and treatment function can impair compliance.¹

Owners, meanwhile, reported trying to build treatment routines, but some said they stretched dosing intervals to manage costs. Many also reported receiving insufficient information or instruction from their veterinarian.¹

For practices, these findings reinforce the value of setting expectations early: allergic skin disease often requires ongoing reassessment, treatment adjustment, owner education, and practical adherence support. Clear conversations about onset of action, administration frequency, cost, safety, and what treatment success should look like may reduce frustration for both clients and veterinary teams.¹

Methodology

The quantitative dog owner survey included respondents aged 18 years or older who owned 1 to 4 dogs and were primary or shared decision-makers for their dog’s health care. Participants had to own a dog that had shown or been treated for signs of atopic or allergic dermatitis in the previous 12 months. The owner survey was conducted from February 20 to April 16, 2025, and took approximately 24 minutes to complete.¹

Veterinarian respondents were full-time practitioners who personally saw pruritic dogs, including atopic dermatitis cases; had practiced for 2 to 40 years; and were primary or shared decision-makers for products recommended or prescribed in their practices. The veterinarian survey was fielded from November 4, 2024, to January 13, 2025, and took approximately 38 minutes to complete. Responses were anonymized, free-text answers were grouped by subject, and analysis used descriptive analytics.¹

References

1. Merck Animal Health. Study reveals dog owners and veterinarians see challenges in treating allergic skin disease, highlighting a need for a targeted rapid onset treatment for dogs of all ages. Merck Animal Health website. June 17, 2026. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.merck-animal-health.com/news-and-insights/news-releases/study-reveals-dog-owners-and-veterinarians-see-challenges-in-treating-allergic-skin-disease-highlighting-a-need-for-a-targeted-rapid-onset-treatment-for-dogs-of-all-ages
2. Griffin J, Bautista-Alejandre A. A veterinary dermatologist discusses pruritis and her upcoming keynote at Fetch Charlotte. dvm360. March 14, 2025. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/a-veterinary-dermatologist-discusses-pruritus-and-her-upcoming-keynote-at-fetch-charlotte
3. Sousa CA. Glucocorticoids in veterinary dermatology. In: Bonagura JD, Twedt DC, eds. Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy. 14th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2009:400-404.