In dogs with chronic enteropathy (idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease) is budesonide more effective than prednisolone or prednisone in resolving clinical signs?

TL;DR

This study compared budesonide and prednisone in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease and found no significant difference in effectiveness.

Contribution

The study provides a comparison of two treatments for canine inflammatory bowel disease.

Findings

No significant differences in remission rates were found between budesonide and prednisone groups.

Adverse effects occurred at similar frequencies in both treatment groups.

Abstract

In dogs with chronic enteropathy (idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease) is budesonide more effective than prednisolone or prednisone in resolving clinical signs or improving the canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity index (CIBDAI) or the canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI)?

Treatment.

One double-blinded randomised control trial.

Moderate.

The outcome of this study identified that no significant differences in remission rates (> 75% decrease in CIBDAI scores) were observed between the prednisone and budesonide groups. Frequency of adverse effects were also similar between the two groups.

A single study with moderate power of evidence alongside some significant limitations, particularly population size, cannot be used as the sole provider of an answer to the PICO question. As such, further studies with greater power would be required before a definitive assessment of comparative treatment efficacy can be made.