Nutritional Intervention Alleviates Signs of Dermatological Problems in Dogs by Modulating Immune Regulation and Skin Microbiome
June 2024
in “
Current Developments in Nutrition
”
Studysummary This study found that a dietary intervention in dogs alleviated atopic dermatitis symptoms by modulating immune responses and skin microbiome composition compared to baseline, but with similar non-significant trends when compared with a positive control diet. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study demonstrates that a nutritional intervention can alleviate symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs by modulating immune responses and the skin microbiome. In a study involving 30 dogs, those with dermatological disorders showed significant improvements when fed a test food (TF) compared to a positive control food (PC). Specifically, TF reduced pruritus, erythema, and alopecia by 42.8%, 57.1%, and 28.5%, respectively. The intervention also led to changes in gene expression related to immune regulation, wound healing, and hair follicle regeneration, and altered the skin microbiome by reducing pathogenic species. The study was funded by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.
