A preliminary investigation of the impact of artificially carbonated water bathing on canine skin physiological and barrier function

Abstract Background The effect of carbon dioxide (CO2)‐rich water bathing on the skin has been studied extensively in humans. However, there have been few studies evaluating the impact of CO2‐rich water bathing on canine skin physiology and barrier functions. Objectives To evaluate the impact of artificially carbonated water (ACW) bathing on skin parameters in healthy beagles. Animals Six healthy beagles with no history of skin disease. Materials and Methods Body temperature, skin temperature, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration and skin blood flow were evaluated before and after single ACW bathing (37°C, 20 min) with a CO2 concentration of >1000 ppm. Results After ACW bathing, skin blood flow significantly increased (p < 0.0001), yet there were no significant changes in body temperature (p = 0.3124), skin temperature (p = 0.4911), TEWL (p = 0.5167) or skin hydration (p = 0.3084). There were no adverse events during the trials. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Artificially carbonated water water bathing could potentially increase skin blood flow without affecting skin temperature, body temperature and skin barrier function in dogs, similar to its effects in humans.