The most common reason owners make an appointment in a veterinary clinic is for ‘Skin Problems’.

In our dogs and cats, almost 30% of patients present to their veterinarian with skin related complaints, almost three times the next largest category (vomiting and diarrhoea).

There are many theories for this high number of skin problems. In human medicine, skin conditions are also common (13%). In human medicine, one of the most common causes of “skin disease” is atopic dermatitis (AD).

Much less is certain about the causes of AD in the veterinary world. But we do know that it is common, and a problem for both your pets and you.

Dogs and cats with atopic dermatitis are itchy. They scratch. They move restlessly from spot to spot because they can’t settle. They rub, chew, lick, bite or scratch at their feet, flanks, ears, groin, pretty much anywhere they can get teeth to. What you as the pet owner end up seeing, is patches of hair loss, reddening and thickening of the skin – and a miserable member of the family.

The term used to talk about the causes of AD is “multifactorial” – it seems that cases can be causes by allergens in the environment (dust, pollen, mould) or food allergens. One of the more exciting concepts relating to Atopic dermatitis is the link between the health of the “epidermal lipid barrier”  

 Help improve the epidermal lipid barrier by providing a balanced diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids

Animals with Atopic dermatitis have disturbed epidermal differentiation. This leads to an impaired lipid barrier, which is the layer of fats that bathes every skin cell across your pet’s body. This lipid barrier is constantly turning over, and humans with atopic dermatitis have been shown to have abnormal levels of essential fatty acids – most notably Omega 3s, between cells.

At Hempooch™, we provide the perfect non irritating shampoo and conditioners which may help gently soothing the skin, and the high proportion of Omega 3s in our products is the perfect aid to heal the lipid barrier. Hempooch™ oral supplementation helps keep the bodies Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio high.

And in cases where flare ups occur, and treatment by your veterinarian is needed – repeated scientific studies have demonstrated that supplementation with Omega 3 fatty acids – both orally and on the skin – actually reduce the amount of immunosuppressive drugs need to control and treat the flare ups.

Hempooch™ gentle shampoo, leave in conditioner and oral supplementation are the perfect combination of products to help keep your pet’s skin healthy from the inside out, and outside in.

Sources:

Verhoeven, E. W. M., et al. (2008). "Skin diseases in family medicine: prevalence and health care use." Annals of family medicine 6(4): 349-354.

Saevik, B. K., et al. (2004). "A randomized, controlled study to evaluate the steroid sparing effect of essential fatty acid supplementation in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis." Vet Dermatol 15(3): 137-145.

Müller, M. R., et al. (2016). "Evaluation of cyclosporine-sparing effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis." Vet J 210: 77-81.