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. 2025 Apr 14;21(1):269.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04720-0.

Exploring the potential link between vegetable oil supplementation and adverse food reactions in dogs: a preliminary study

Elisa Maina  1 , Eric Cox  2   3
Affiliations

Exploring the potential link between vegetable oil supplementation and adverse food reactions in dogs: a preliminary study

Elisa Maina et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Adverse food reactions (AFR) are a common cause of skin diseases in dogs, with a prevalence of up to 24%. Research in humans and mice has shown that a high intake of vegetable oils rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) can increase the risk and severity of allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between AFR and the supplementation of vegetable oils in the canine diet.

Results: A total of 459 dogs were analyzed, with atopic dermatitis (22.66%) and adverse food reactions (AFR) (8.06%) being the most common diagnoses. Oil supplementation was recorded in 14.16% of dogs, with extra-virgin olive oil being the most common (70.77%). Dogs with AFR and concurrent AFR and CAD showed significantly higher oil supplementation rates compared to other conditions (P < 0.05; P < 0.001). No significant association was found between oil type and diagnosis (P = 0.563). After excluding EFA-supplemented dogs and those on prescription dermo diets, oil supplementation was still more prevalent in dogs with AFR compared to other conditions (29.31% vs. 10.10%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Vegetable oil supplementation was more frequent in dogs with AFR than in those with other dermatological conditions. This is the first study to evaluate the relationship between vegetable oil supplementation and AFR in dogs. While vegetable oil supplementation is associated with AFR, further studies are needed to establish causality and better understand the role of n-6 PUFA in the development of food allergies in dogs.

Keywords: Adverse food reactions (AFR); Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD); Dietary Intake Survey; Dietary Supplements; Essential Fatty Acids (EFA); N-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA); Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio; Skin Diseases in Dogs; Vegetable Oils.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The owners of dogs interviewed in this study were part of the study approved by the Ethical Committee of Ghent University, Belgium (EC 2013/189 for healthy dogs and EC 2013/198 for allergic dogs) and by the Deontological Committee of the Belgian government (232663/13_11_2/14). This study involved gathering information from clients regarding their dogs’ health and perspectives and is not considered experimental. Therefore, no additional ethical approval was required. The animals were treated in accordance with high ethical standards and national legislation. Informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from all clients, who were fully informed about the nature and purpose of the study. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Percentages of dogs supplemented with vegetable oil among animals with AFR, concurrent AFR and CAD, CAD, and other skin diseases. The percentages are based on the following numbers of dogs supplemented with vegetable oil: 11 out of 37 dogs with AFR (29.7%), 9 out of 27 dogs with concurrent AFR and CAD (33.3%), 15 out of 104 dogs with CAD (14.4%), and 30 out of 291 dogs with other skin diseases (10.3%). Only dogs supplemented with vegetable oil before the onset of clinical signs are included in the graphic. The total number of dogs under each condition is reported in Table 3
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of cases by oil supplementation and diagnosis (AFR (white bars) vs. other diseases (black bars). The bar chart shows the number of cases of AFR and other diseases based on oil supplementation. The asterisk (*) indicates a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0010): The comparison reveals that the prevalence of AFR is significantly higher in the group receiving oil supplementation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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