Table 3.
Overview of treatment regimens
| Treatment Group | Dogs (n) | Median initial dose | Mean initial dose | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | 26 | |||
| Dexamethasone | 20 | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.2–1.15 mg/kg/day |
| Prednisolone | 26 | 2.2 mg/kg/day | 2.4 mg/kg/day | 1.73-4 mg/kg/day |
| CS + Ci | 15 | |||
| Dexamethasone | 13 | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.54 mg/kg/day | 0.4–0.98 mg/kg/day |
| Prednisolone | 15 | 2.5 mg/kg/day | 2.63 mg/kg/day | 2–4 mg/kg/day |
| Ciclosporin | 15 | 6 mg/kg/day | 6.4 mg/kg/day | 5.43-12 mg/kg/day |
| CS + CA | 5 | |||
| Dexamethasone | 4 | 0.44 mg/kg/day | 0.47 mg/kg/day | 0.4–0.6 mg/kg/day |
| Prednisolone | 5 | 1.9 mg/kg/day | 2.11 mg/kg/day | 1.73-3 mg/kg/day |
| Cytosine arabinoside | 5 | 200 mg/m2 | 175 mg/m2 | 100–200 mg/m2 |
| CS + 2 | 5 | |||
| Dexamethasone | 4 | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.625 mg/kg/day | 0.5-1 mg/kg/day |
| Prednisolone | 5 | 2 mg/kg/day | 2.0 mg/kg/day | 1.78–2.3 mg/kg/day |
| Ciclosporin | 2 | 6 mg/kg/day | 6 mg/kg/day | 6 mg/kg/day |
| Cytosine arabinoside | 3 | 100 mg/m2 | 133 mg/m2 | 100–200 mg/m2 |
| Leflunomide | 1 | 2 mg/kg | 2 mg/kg | 2 mg/kg |
| Lomustine | 1 | 30 mg/m2 | 30 mg/m2 | 30 mg/m2 |
| CS + Le | 3 | |||
| Dexamethasone | 1 | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.5 mg/kg/day | 0.5 mg/kg/day |
| Prednisolone | 3 | 2.29 mg/kg/day | 2 mg/kg/day | 2–4 mg/kg/day |
| Leflunomide | 3 | 1.04 mg/kg/day | 1.04 mg/kg/day | 0.58–1.5 mg/kg/day |
Overview of different treatment regimens and distribution of included dogs surviving > 72 h from time of diagnosis (n = 54) to different treatment groups . CA = cytosine arabinoside, Ci = ciclosporin, CS = corticosteroids, Le = leflunomide, + 2 = more than 2 add-on drugs. Treatment with cytosine arabinoside was given initially as IV-infusion, followed by subcutaneous injections every 12 h for 48 h every 3–4 weeks. Dogs receiving dexamethasone received it before starting oral treatment with prednisolone.