This article is sponsored content brought to you by Avet Health.
Managing complex skin problems can be complex for everyone involved. Having versatile products in the toolkit is essential to provide much needed relief. This is the thinking behind AVet Health’s HCA Spray.
“A fast-acting and effective topical corticosteroid is a really helpful tool to have when treating inflammatory and pruritic skin conditions in dogs”, says Dr Cybele, Technical Veterinarian at AVet Health, about HCA spray.
“It’s a hydrocortisone aceponate spray that is quick-drying, fast-acting and skin-specific. This means it can provide fast, effective relief without the side effects associated with systemic steroids.”
Here, Dr Cybele answers some questions about Wagg & Purr HCA Spray:
Why do you think HCA Spray is useful for vets?
“Effectively treating pruritic skin can be complex, especially in cases that require lifelong management. Wagg & Purr HCA Spray is a versatile tool that gives vets options, especially in trickier situations, such as those requiring longer term use of steroids.”
How is HCA Spray administered?
“It’s administered by delivering two pump sprays on a surface area equivalent to 10cm x 10 cm – and the spray should be held approximately 10 cm from the area being treated. This can be repeated to treat up to one-third of a dog’s body surface area. And it should be given once daily for up to 7 days.
For smaller lesions, a vet can recommend a single pump spray.”
Can it be prescribed for more than 7 days?
“Yes, it can be. We recommend that each vet determines this on a case-by case basis. Naturally, a vet should perform a risk-benefit assessment to determine that the benefits of extending the duration of treatment outweigh the risks for the individual patient.
And HCA Spray can also be used adopting a pulse therapy approach.”
Are there any contraindications for use?
“The two big ones are, do not apply HCA Spray to cutaneous ulcers, and it’s not recommended for breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs, because its safety has not been evaluated in these dogs.
A few other cautions to note are, if there is a concurrent bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection, the infectious agent should be controlled with appropriate treatment.
Also, glucocorticoids can slow growth, so we recommend only using HCA Spray in young animals, under 7 months of age, following a risk-benefit assessment, and subject to regular clinical evaluations.
And finally, HCA Spray should also only be used in animals with Cushing’s or diabetes following a risk-benefit assessment, where the benefits are believed to outweigh the risks for the individual patient.”
How is HCA Spray different to the other hydrocortisone aceponate spray available on the market?
“At AVet Health, we appreciate that managing pruritic skin is complex, and that vets have a lot going on in their days. So, one of our goals is to help vets by creating resources that make it easier to learn more about HCA Spray and to communicate to their clients how HCA Spray fits into a pet’s skin management plan. Keep an eye out for our HCA Spray support materials, which include videos, client prescriber handouts and more.”
A safe choice
HCA Spray is skin specific, so it does not have the side effects associated with oral steroids
- Unique metabolism in the epidermis
- No systemic or local side effects*
- Negligible systemic bioavailability*
- Reduced risk of interactions with other medications
High quality and effective
- Controls inflammatory skin reactions
- Controls immunological skin reactions
- For small or large lesions
- Simple administration
- Fast acting
- Economical – 500 sprays per bottle
Scan the QR code to watch our technical veterinarian profile HCA Spray.
