{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nAllergic otitis externa is common in dogs and recurrence may lead to repeated consultations and antimicrobial use. Long-term data on proactive topical corticosteroid maintenance are limited.Objectives\n\nTo describe 12-month relapse frequency in dogs with allergic otitis externa receiving proactive hydrocortisone aceponate maintenance therapy and compare consecutive-day and non-consecutive-day schedules.Methods\n\nMedical records of client-owned dogs prescribed hydrocortisone aceponate ear spray were retrospectively reviewed. Maintenance started after clinical and cytological remission. Only dogs with confirmed continuation, stable concomitant allergy management and complete 12-month outcome data were included. Relapse was defined as recurrent otitis externa requiring veterinary examination, cytology and additional otic treatment. Dogs were grouped by schedule: Protocol 1, two consecutive days; and Protocol 2, two non-consecutive days weekly. Outcomes were compared using Fisher exact and Mann-Whitney U tests.Results\n\nSeventy-one dogs were included; 36 in Protocol 1 and 35 received Protocol 2. During 12 months, 50/71 dogs (70.4%) had no relapse, 12/71 (16.9%) had one relapse and 9/71 (12.7%) had multiple relapses. At least one relapse occurred in 9/36 dogs (25.0%) in Protocol 1 and 12/35 (34.3%) receiving Protocol 2 (p = 0.443). Multiple relapses occurred in 2/36 (5.6%) and 7/35 (20.0%) dogs, respectively (p = 0.085). Relapse counts did not differ significantly between protocols (p = 0.290).Conclusions\n\nMost dogs had no relapse or only one relapse during proactive hydrocortisone aceponate maintenance. No statistically significant difference was detected between schedules, but equivalence or non-inferiority cannot be concluded.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Clinical Dermatology, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.",
    "Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, CIISA - Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.",
    "Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Lisbon, Portugal."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Elisa Maina",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-8255-0563"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jasmine Chantale Rigert",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-3405-7695"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Carlotta Filippini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Regula Cao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ana Oliveira",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7893-7520"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1srxzcmq28wqm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1002/vms3.71276",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13685675",
  "id": "1srxzcmq28wqm",
  "issns": [
    "2053-1095"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904785",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2708|Dermatology and Skin Diseases"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223131349",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13685675?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13685675",
  "pmid": "42904785",
  "published": "2026-10-30",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1srxzcmq28wqm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:53Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42904785",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42904785"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2708|Dermatology and Skin Diseases",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Proactive Treatment of Canine Allergic Otitis Externa With Hydrocortisone Aceponate: A Retrospective Observational Study.",
  "title_text": "Proactive Treatment of Canine Allergic Otitis Externa With Hydrocortisone Aceponate: A Retrospective Observational Study.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1srxzcmq28wqm",
  "venue": "Veterinary medicine and science",
  "versions": []
}