Lymph food to improve canine atopic dermatitis - a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial in dogs with standard-care treatment

Q: What was the study designed to test regarding canine atopic dermatitis?

The study tested whether an enriched complementary lymph food could improve CAD clinical signs and blood parameters in dogs receiving standard-care treatment.

Q: How were itch and skin lesion severity measured during the trial?

Owners recorded pruritus weekly using the Pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS), while veterinarians assessed skin lesions monthly using the CAD Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-4).

Q: What outcomes differed between the active lymph food group and the placebo group?

The active group showed greater reductions in CADESI-4 and PVAS scores, declined medication use, and increased red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, and serum iron compared with placebo.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

Micronutritional deﬁcits are linked to increased morbidity and mortality, and canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) may involve iron depletion and subclinical inﬂammation despite typical meat-based diets, suggesting micronutritional malabsorption. This randomized, double-blinded, 112-day study evaluated whether a complementary lymph food enriched with whey protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants could improve CAD clinical signs and blood parameters. Thirty-eight CAD dogs received either active lymph food or a hydrolyzed placebo, with outcomes assessed using PVAS, CADESI-4, and blood tests.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background on canine atopic dermatitis

Nutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and malabsorption

Methods

Study design and grouping

Outcome measures

Results

Clinical scoring and symptom changes

Medication use and hematologic parameters

Conclusion

TYPE Original Research PUBLISHED 19 December 2025 DOI 10. 3389/fvets.2025.1657869 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Regiane R. Santos, Schothorst Feed Research, Netherlands REVIEWED BY Elena Dalle Vedove, CIAM S. r.l, Italy Christopher Thomas, Cardiff University, United Kingdom *CORRESPONDENCE Franziska Roth-Walter [franziska. roth-walter@vetmeduni.ac.at](franziska. roth-walter@vetmeduni.ac.at) RECEIVED 11 July 2025 REVISED 24 October 2025 ACCEPTED 24 November 2025 PUBLISHED 19 December 2025 CITATION Frizzo-Ramos C, Doulidis PG, Burgener IA, Horvath Ungerbck C, Einspieler V, Weiser U, Panakova L and Roth-Walter F (2025) Lymph food to improve canine atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial in dogs with standard-care treatment. Front. Vet. Sci. 12:1657869 . doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1657869 COPYRIGHT © 2025 Frizzo-Ramos, Doulidis, Burgener, Horvath Ungerbck, Einspieler, Weiser, Panakova and Roth-Walter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Lymph food to improve canine atopic dermatitis: a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial in dogs with standard-care treatment Carolina Frizzo-Ramos1,2 , Pavlos G. Doulidis2 , Iwan Anton Burgener2 , Christa Horvath Ungerbck2 , Veronika Einspieler2 , Ulrike Weiser2 , Lucia Panakova2 and Franziska Roth-Walter1,3* 1 Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 2 Department for Companion Animals and Horses, Clinical Unit of Small Animals Internal Medicine, Dermatology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 3ViaLym FlexCo, Tulln, Austria Introduction: Micronutritional deﬁcits are linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) often presents with iron depletion and subclinical inﬂammation, despite their typical meat-based diets, suggesting widespread micronutritional malabsorption. This study aimed to determine if a complementary lymph food—enriched with whey protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and designed to bypass mucosal malabsorption barriers—could improve CAD clinical signs and blood parameters. Animals: Thirty-eight dogs diagnosed with canine atopic dermatitis were included in the study. Methods: In a 112-day, double-blinded, randomized study, 38 CAD dogs daily received 10 g of either the active lymph food (n = 19) or a hydrolyzed food placebo (n = 19) . Owners weekly recorded pruritus using the Pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS) and logged medication use (Janus kinase inhibitors, corticosteroids, antihistamines, cyclosporine, and Lokivetmab) . Veterinarians monthly assessed skin lesions via the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-4) . Blood samples were collected at baseline and at the study’s end. Treatment success was deﬁned as a decrease of ≥2 on the PVAS anda ≥50% reduction in CADESI-4 . Results: The complementary lymph food was well-accepted by the dogs. The active feed group showed signiﬁcantly greater reductions in both CADESI-4 scores (−55%) and PVAS scores (−1.8) compared to the placebo group (+26%, p < 0.0003 and −0 .05%, p = 0.0074, respectively), indicating an added beneﬁt to standard care treatment. Medication use signiﬁcantly declined in the active group. Furthermore, red blood cell counts, packed cell volume (PCV), and serum iron increased in the active group but not in the placebo group. A threefold signiﬁcantly greater proportion of dogs in the active group achieved treatment success compared to the placebo group. Conclusion: Lymphatic nutrient f

FAQs

What was the study designed to test regarding canine atopic dermatitis?

The study tested whether an enriched complementary lymph food could improve CAD clinical signs and blood parameters in dogs receiving standard-care treatment.

How were itch and skin lesion severity measured during the trial?

Owners recorded pruritus weekly using the Pruritus Visual Analog Scale (PVAS), while veterinarians assessed skin lesions monthly using the CAD Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index (CADESI-4).

What outcomes differed between the active lymph food group and the placebo group?

The active group showed greater reductions in CADESI-4 and PVAS scores, declined medication use, and increased red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, and serum iron compared with placebo.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya