Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nutrition and skin diseases in veterinary medicine.
- Journal:
- Clinics in dermatology
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Hensel, Patrick
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Veterinarians often see skin problems in pets that are related to their food and nutrition, with reactions to certain ingredients being the most common issue in small animals. Canine atopic dermatitis, which is a skin condition caused by allergies, has also been a focus of research over the past ten years. Nowadays, serious nutritional deficiencies are rare because most pet foods are of high quality, but issues can still arise from poorly stored food or improper care of exotic pets and farm animals. Some pets, especially certain Nordic breed dogs and goats, may have inherited issues that affect how their bodies absorb zinc, which can lead to skin problems. Overall, understanding the link between diet and skin health is important for managing these conditions effectively.
Abstract
Veterinarians are confronted with a variety of food and nutrition-related skin diseases, with cutaneous food adverse reaction the most common in small animal dermatology. In addition to canine atopic dermatitis, cutaneous food adverse reaction has been an area of interest for extensive research for the last decade. Nutritional deficiencies and toxicoses are rare these days due to commercially available high-quality diets; however, poorly stored diets, inadequate husbandry of exotic pets, or problems in a farm animal environment may result in zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fatty acid, or copper deficiency. Inherited deficiencies due to abnormal zinc absorption through the gastrointestinal tract must be considered in Nordic breed dogs and goats.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21034992/