Beyond the flare-up: mastering multimodal dermatological care with targeted nutrition

Dermatological issues are a frequent challenge in veterinary practice, often driven by complex environmental or food sensitivities. Diagnosis is notoriously difficult, particularly when concurrent allergies add layers of complexity to a case.

For veterinarians and pet parents alike, recurring flare-ups can feel like a significant setback. While fast-acting medications are essential to calm the initial crisis, they aren’t always enough. In fact, one in three patients return for additional care within the first two months¹. This recurrence drives deeper frustration and highlights the critical need for long-term, multimodal support. Nutrition is fundamental to achieving this lasting control.

Understanding the allergic landscape

To effectively manage dermatological issues, it is helpful to understand the primary drivers behind them:

• Allergies, especially environmental sensitivities, are the most common cause of dermatological issues in dogs.
• Approximately 30% of dogs with atopic dermatitis also experience adverse food reactions².

• Conversely, only 10% of dogs with allergies react specifically to food ingredients ³.

• These skin issues often start early; 22% of dogs with adverse food reactions show clinical signs by 6 months of age⁴.

Science behind the skin barrier

In an untreated patient, the skin barrier is weak, allowing environmental allergens to easily penetrate. This penetration results in irritated skin and an increased release of histamines and cytokines.

By integrating a daily nutritional solution into your multimodal protocol, you can help support and strengthen the skin barrier against environmental irritants, no matter the season. This extends care well beyond the crisis phase and provides vital long-term support.

One nutrition for both environmental and food sensitivities

Hill’s Prescription Diet Derm Complete offers a comprehensive solution for managing these complex cases. It is recommended as the initial management diet for all skin conditions, barring a known allergy to eggs or a fat sensitivity.

The clinical science behind Derm Complete focuses on several key areas:

• Novel Protein Approach: It is made with egg as the single intact animal protein source. Because egg makes up only 4% of food allergies in dogs, it effectively avoids common food allergens⁵.
• Barrier Fortification: The formula is fortified with omega-3s and omega-6s to help support healthy skin, which acts as a barrier against potential environmental allergens.
• Inflammation Control: A specifically formulated low omega-6 to omega-3 ratio helps break the cycle of skin inflammation.
• Immune Modulation: Derm Complete features whole egg, polyphenols, and antioxidants designed to help modulate immune function and improve overall skin health. Furthermore, bioactives and phytonutrients work to dampen the immune reaction to environmental allergens.

Complete care for every life stage

Because dermatological issues can present at any age, the Hill’s Prescription Diet Derm Complete portfolio offers a solution for any breed size and life stage. Whether you are treating an adult dog or a puppy, you can provide tailored, scientifically backed nutrition.

Going beyond nutrition

Hill’s provides extensive tools to help veterinary professionals manage every dermatological case. You can easily make nutritional recommendations for pet parents using the Quick Reco tool, continue your professional development with RACE-approved CE at Hill’s Veterinary Academy, or visit HillsVet.com for detailed product information and clinical studies.

References

1. Data on file – Internal analysis

2. Sofou EI, Samuel (Badulescu) E, Aleksandrova S, Chatzis M and Saridomichelakis MN. Randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled challenge test with single food items in dogs with atopic dermatitis and adverse food reactions, Veterinary Dermatology 37(2): 247-256.

3. Muller GH, Kirk RW and Scott DW (1989). Food hypersensitivity. In Dyson J (ed), Small Animal Dermatology, WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia: 470-474.

4. Olivry T and Mueller RS (2019). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (7): signalment and cutaneous manifestations of dogs and cats with adverse food reactions, BMC Vet Res 15(1): 140.

5. Mueller RS, Olivry T and Prélaud P (2016). Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats, BMC Vet Res 12: 9.