Are there any anti-inflammatory diets for reducing drug use in atopic dermatitis?

Advance Veterinary Atopic Care  aims to improve atopic dermatitis by:

• Reducing allergens in the diet.
• Protecting the skin barrier.
• Improving skin healing.
• Reducing the inflammatory response and thus improving the pruritus.

These goals are based on research conducted by Affinity in a clinical study that demonstrated the benefits obtained in atopic dogs fed Advance Veterinary Atopic Care.

The study was performed on dogs from seven different veterinary clinics. It included dogs of different ages, sexes and breeds all with a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. The aim was to determine whether the Advance Veterinary Atopic Care anti-inflammatory diet could improve the management of atopic dermatitis in dogs. The indicator for improved disease management was a reduction in cortisone dose, the size of lesions and pruritus.

The study included 25 dogs that met Favrot’s criteria for the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis and excluded those with other pruritic conditions. Animals were randomised into the ATOPIC group (fed with Advance Veterinary Atopic Care) or the CONTROL group (fed with a commercial maintenance diet).

Both groups started with a daily dose of cortisone 0.5 mg/kg, which was subsequently reduced depending on the degree of pruritus. The efficacy of the diet was evaluated according to:

• The severity of lesions at baseline, day 28 and day 56, as assessed with the CADESI-03 index.
• The evolution of pruritus intensity, measured by the owners using the Pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS); a 10 cm linear scale scored from 0 to 10. Intensity was assessed at baseline and on days 14, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56. 3
• The total dose of cortisone/kg administered during the study.

The main results were:

At baseline, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to the CADESI-03 scale and the level of pruritus.

• On days 28 and 56, the CADESI-03 score was lower for dogs in the ATOPIC group than those in the CONTROL group. 
• Pruritus intensity on days 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 was also lower in the ATOPIC group.
• Throughout the study, less cortisone was administered to dogs in the ATOPIC group (13.63 mg/kg vs 22.61 mg/kg, p = 0.004). The reduction was such that by the end of the study all dogs in the ATOPIC group no longer required cortisone therapy.

Based on these data, the authors concluded that a diet such as Advance Veterinary Atopic Care improves the management of atopic dermatitis.