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. 2021 Nov 19;17(1):354.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-03063-w.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial measuring the effect of a dietetic food on dermatologic scoring and pruritus in dogs with atopic dermatitis

Miguel Sánchez de Santiago  1 , José Luis González Arribas  1 , Yolanda Moral Llamas  1 , Iveta Becvarova  2 , Hein Meyer  3
Affiliations

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial measuring the effect of a dietetic food on dermatologic scoring and pruritus in dogs with atopic dermatitis

Miguel Sánchez de Santiago et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common condition that often requires multimodal therapy. Including a diet in the multimodal management of AD may reduce medication doses, saving pet owners money and reducing side effects. The objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was to determine if a diet fortified in antioxidants, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the clinical signs of AD. Forty client-owned dogs with AD were enrolled in the study and assigned to either an enriched diet (diet B) or control diet (diet A) for 60-days. CADESI-4 index scores and owner-reported pruritus scores were measured periodically.

Results: Total CADESI-4 index scores for dogs eating diet B were lower on day 60 compared to baseline (P = 0.003). There was no statistical difference in scores for dogs eating diet A over a 60-day period. Diet B dogs had 25 and 49% reductions in CADESI-4 index scores on days 30 and 60, respectively (P = 0.0007) while diet A had no change over the study period. When comparing the percent change in owner-reported pruritus scores, diet B also performed better than diet A. By day 60, owners feeding diet B to their dogs reported a significant reduction (P < 0.0001) of 46.4% in itching, while those on diet A reported a 26.8% reduction, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.08).

Conclusions: These study results demonstrate feeding a diet enriched with ingredients to improve skin health and reduce inflammation improves the clinical signs of AD in dogs.

Keywords: Allergy; Atopy; Canine; Dermatology; Diet; Nutrition; Veterinary.

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Conflict of interest statement

Iveta Becvarova and Hein Meyer are fully employed with Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. The Complutense University of Madrid Veterinary School received a study grant from Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. to support this study. Drs. Rollins and Werre received consultancy fees for their assistance with writing the manuscript and with the statistical analysis, respectively.

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