Itch Happens: New Help for Atopy

Dermatology cases are very common and identifying and treating the root cause is critical to relieve the patient's irritating clinical signs. Nutrition plays a key role in the health of the epidermal barrier; thus, many dermatologic diseases may respond to specific dietary interventions. This presentation reviews the main causes of skin issues in dogs and how to diagnose the underlying condition as we work toward a rule-out diagnosis of canine atopic dermatitis. We will then delve deeper into the treatment of atopic dermatitis with a focus on the nutrients that can support the skin barrier and immune system to help manage atopic dogs in practice.

• Understand the common clinical presentation of canine atopic dermatitis, including typical population and age range, genetic predisposition, seasonal nature of environmental allergies, and clinical signs
• Recognize the process of diagnosing canine atopic dermatitis through ruling out primary skin infections, parasites, and food allergies
• Understand the nutrients that have been clinically demonstrated to support the skin barrier and moderate the immune system to help alleviate the clinical signs of atopy