Occurrence of infections in dogs receiving ciclosporin in a single-centre UK referral population.

Ciclosporin doses above 8 mg/kg/day and concurrent mycophenolate significantly increase infection risk in dogs.

This retrospective cohort study evaluated infection risk in 265 dogs receiving oral ciclosporin at a UK referral hospital between March 2015 and September 2022 (281 prescribed courses). Overall, 33.2% of dogs developed one or more new infections during the study period. Bacterial infections were most prevalent (26.0%), followed by unknown etiology (5.6%), fungal (4.5%), and parasitic (1.1%). The integument and urogenital systems were the most common infection sites. Binary logistic regression identified three significant risk factors: increasing body weight (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.07), ciclosporin doses exceeding 8 mg/kg/day (OR 3.01; 95% CI 1.41–6.46), and concurrent use of a third immunosuppressive agent (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.09–3.51). Concurrent mycophenolate mofetil use conferred the highest infection risk among combination immunosuppressive regimens (OR 3.43; 95% CI 1.47–7.99). These findings suggest that clinicians should carefully stratify infection risk prior to initiating ciclosporin, particularly in heavier dogs, those requiring higher doses, or those on multi-drug immunosuppressive protocols. Regular monitoring for integumentary and urogenital infections is warranted throughout treatment. Owners should be counseled regarding infection risk before and during therapy. Limitations include the retrospective, single-center design and potential confounding from underlying diseases necessitating immunosuppression.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.