The Epidermal Barrier and canine inflammatory skin disease

Essential fatty acids are increasingly being used in the management of skin conditions especially where long-term treatment is required. They are beneficial due to their effects on the epidermal barrier and via modulation of inflammation. Two precursor essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha linolenic acid, together with gamma linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid can be supplemented as liquids, capsules or in food.

This paper reviews the role of essential fatty acids in maintaining the skin's barrier functions and the role of supplementation in certain dermatological conditions including canine atopic dermatitis, canine seborrhoea, sebaceous adenitis and symmetric lupoid onychodystrophy.