Treatment complexity and caregiver burden are linked in owners of dogs with allergic/atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND: Skin disease severity and treatment plan complexity are both related to owner experience of caregiver burden; however, to date they have not been examined simultaneously in owners of dogs with atopic or other chronic allergic dermatitis. HYPOTHESES/OBJECTIVES: We expected to replicate and extend previous work by showing that caregiver burden is linked to treatment complexity and disease severity in this population. Moreover, we hypothesized that a relationship between burden and treatment complexity would be present in both subjective (owner report of experience) and objective (number of weekly treatments) measures, and that these relationships would exist independent of skin disease severity. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty‐six owners of dogs with atopic or other chronic allergic dermatitis recruited through social media dog allergy groups. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Cross‐sectional online assessments were completed for caregiver burden, treatment plan complexity and skin disease severity. RESULTS: Caregiver burden was correlated with skin disease severity (r = 0.40) and both subjective (r = 0.37) and objective (r =0.30) measures of treatment complexity (P < 0.01 for all). Relationships between caregiver burden and treatment complexity remained significant after accounting for skin disease severity. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Greater treatment plan complexity is associated with higher caregiver burden in owners of dogs with atopic or other chronic allergic dermatitis. The independence of this relationship highlights the importance of simplicity in effective treatment planning.