Keynote Message

There are three categories to group dermatological diseases in dogs and cats due to nutritional interventions: Food intolerance or hypersensitivity, malnutrition or excess nutrition with certain nutrients (e.g., protein, vitamins, trace elements) including responsive skin diseases, and, finally, nutritional support of dermatological diseases independent of the reason.

Food Intolerance and Food Hypersensitivity:

A recent thesis determined the prevalence of nutritional skin diseases in cats from 2010 to 2015 at the veterinary hospital of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Considering all cats, including those with the suspicious nutritional causes of skin diseases, only 0.84% had the diagnosis or suspicious diagnosis to suffer from a nutrition-related skin disease. In less than half of the suspicious cases, the diagnosis nutrition-related skin disease could be verified.

The presentation will focus on the diagnoses of food intolerance and compare the state of the art in veterinary and human medicine. An overview about the properties of commercially available diets will be given as well.

Under- and Overnutrition and the Nutritional Support of Skin Diseases:

The role of nutrition due to the health of coat and skin and possibilities to support the therapy of dermatological diseases are shown and illustrated with case examples.

Obesity and nutrient deficiencies as a possible reason for skin and coat alterations will be discussed. Finally, also zinc- and vitamin A-responsive dermatitis will be presented.

References

References can be provided electronically.

1.  Atrissi N. Futtermittelunverträglichkeit bei der Katze. Diploma thesis, University of Veterinary Medicine Vieanna, Austria; 2017.

2.  Belova S, Wilhelm S, Linek M, Beco L, Fontaine J, Bergvall K, Favrot C. Factors affecting allergen-specific IgE serum levels in cats. Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research. 2012;76:45–51.

3.  Cummings JE, Kovacic JP. The ubiquitous role of zinc in health and disease. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. 2009;19(3):215–240.

4.  German AJ. The growing problem of obesity in dogs and cats. The Journal of Nutrition. 2006;136(7 Suppl):1940S–1946S.

5.  Hirt R, Iben C. Possible food allergy in a colony of cats. The Journal of Nutrition. 1998;128(12 Suppl):2792S–2794S.

6.  Jensen-Jarolim E, ed. Comparative Medicine - Disorders Linking Humans with Their Animals. Springer, ISBN 978-3-319-47007-8, 2017:109–129. http://www.springer.com/br/book/9783319470054

7.  Scott DW, Miller WH, Erb HN. Feline dermatology at Cornell University: 1407 cases (1988–2003). Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2013;15(4):307–316.

8.  Tash A. Eine Evaluierung der Diätfuttermittel zur Behandlung bzw. zur Diagnose einer Futtermittelunverträglichkeit bei der Katze. Diploma thesis, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria; 2017 (under review).