Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How omega-3 fatty acids affect itching and inflammation in dogs
By Nesbitt, Gene H et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2003·Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of n-3 fatty acid ratio and dose on clinical manifestations, plasma fatty acids and inflammatory mediators in dogs with pruritus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suffering from itching (pruritus) were given different diets containing varying amounts of n-3 fatty acids to see if it would help reduce their symptoms. After 8 weeks, all the dogs showed improvement in their itching, regardless of the diet they received. While the fatty acid levels in their blood changed according to the diets, the n-3 fatty acid supplements didn't provide any extra benefit beyond regular veterinary care. This suggests that managing itching in dogs may not require additional n-3 fatty acids if they are already receiving proper treatment.
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Abstract
The use of n-3 fatty acids is often recommended to manage pruritus. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of various doses of n-3 fatty acids at different n-6:n-3 ratios on plasma fatty acids, clinical response and inflammatory mediators in pruritic dogs. After baseline assessment, dogs were randomly assigned to receive diets varying in both total n-3 and n-6 fatty acid dose and n-6:n-3 ratio. The total clinical score decreased significantly in all four diet groups after 8 weeks with no difference between groups. Plasma fatty acid changes generally mirrored the fatty acid content of the test diets, although alterations appeared to depend on both the dose of n-3 fatty acids and the n-6:n-3 ratio. In this clinical trial, which controlled dietary intake of fatty acids, n-3 fatty acid supplementation did not appear to have an added benefit on clinical signs over thorough clinical management.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12662263/