Assessment of the barrier function of canine skin after repeated decontamination

Working canines often deploy into environments with unknown chemical and biological contaminants. Disaster canines may be deployed for lengthy periods and thus may experience longer periods of environmental exposure with greater possibility for contaminant contact. The skin functions as a protective barrier to prevent potential contaminants and pathogens from entering the system. To mitigate the effects of contaminant exposure to canine and handler, daily decontamination efforts are often required. However, little data exist on the effect of repeated decontamination to the canine skin. The objective of this study was to identify changes to the skin associated with a 14-day serial decontamination program. Labrador retrievers (n = 8) were decontaminated daily using a dish detergent solution (1:8, detergent:water). Skin measurements were collected weekly for pH, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), sebum, and moisture. Additionally, visual assessments were recorded for skin health, coat condition, and dander scores (back and body). Statistical tests were conducted with SAS (version 9.4) with measured data analyzed using a PROC GLM two-way ANOVA and visual assessments analyzed using the PROC FREQ Chi-square test. Significance was set at 5% for all tests. Repeated decontamination significantly increased TEWL (P < 0.0001) through day 16 with values returning to baseline by day 49. Sebum was also affected by repeated, daily decontamination efforts (P = 0.0387). However, higher sebum values are seen later in the study, on day 42, and may be associated with recovery. In contrast, moisture content (P = 0.3842) and pH (P = 0.7462) were unaffected by repeated decontamination. Interestingly, dander scores assessed on the back were worsened by repeated decontamination (P = 0.0222), but dander scores assessed across the whole body were unaffected (P = 0.1804). Coat shine and softness were unaffected by decontamination (P = 0.1156 and P = 0.3418, respectively). Overall coat condition remained unchanged as a result of repeated decontamination efforts (P = 0.9466). These data demonstrate negative impacts to the skin barrier associated with daily decontamination, which may increase the risk of inflammation and skin damage (Ananthapadmanabhan et al., 2004; Vidémont et al., 2012). Future work should include investigations into safer methods of decontamination to mitigate these risks.