Identification of modifiable pre- and postnatal dietary and environmental exposures associated with owner-reported canine atopic dermatitis in Finland using a web-based questionnaire

Abstract

A cross-sectional hypothesis generating study was performed to investigate modifiable exposures such as whether feeding pattern (a non-processed meat based diet, NPMD, or an ultra-processed carbohydrate based diet, UPCD), certain environmental factors and their timing of exposure might be associated with the development of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). Also, genetic and demographic factors were tested for associations with CAD. The data was collected from the validated internet-based DogRisk food frequency questionnaire in Finland. A total of 2236 dogs were eligible for the study (the owners reported 406 cases and 1830 controls). Our main interest was to analyze modifiable early risk factors of CAD, focusing on nutritional and environmental factors. We tested four early life periods; prenatal, neonatal, early postnatal and late postnatal periods. Twenty-two variables were tested for associations with CAD using logistic regression analysis. From the final models we identified novel dietary associations with CAD: the NPMD during the prenatal and early postnatal periods had a significant negative association with the incidence of CAD in adult dogs (age above 1 year). Oppositely, UPCD was associated with a significantly higher risk for CAD incidence. Other variables that were associated with a significantly lower risk for CAD were maternal deworming during pregnancy, sunlight exposure during early postnatal period, normal body condition score during the early postnatal period, the puppy being born within the same family that it would stay in, and spending time on a dirt or grass surface from 2 to 6 months. Also, the genetic factors regarding maternal history of CAD, allergy-prone breeds and more than 50% white-colored coat all showed a significant positive association with CAD incidence in agreement with previous findings. Although no causality can be established, feeding NPMD early in life seemed to be protective against CAD, while UPCD could be considered a risk factor. Prospective intervention studies are needed to establish the causal effects of the protective role of NPMD on prevalence of CAD during the fetal and early postnatal life.

Early Life Modifiable Exposures and Their Association With Owner Reported Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptoms in Adult Dogs

“…During the early and late postnatal periods, there were significant negative associations between the NPMD and incidence of IBD for the same dogs later in life. These findings are in accordance with several studies, which stated that a raw meat-based diet stimulated the growth of a balanced gut microbiome in healthy dogs which improved their gut function in comparison to dogs fed an extruded dry food (28,30,36,67). Our observations are in accordance with the hygiene hypothesis, which states that the more microbial exposures in the early life, the more developed immune system in adulthood (22,23).…”

“…The whole questionnaire is in Finnish language. As mentioned elsewhere ( 36 , 39 , 40 ) the FFQ includes 50 questions generating 1,332 data points, reported by the dog owners. It aims to gather information on the owner's dog's diets and lifestyle at different time points throughout its life, as well as data on the dog's health conditions, background, and demographic information.…”

“…Recently, diet composition has been shown to substantially impact the abundance and modulation of gut microbiome in dogs and humans (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34). Moreover, the diet processing; whether the diet is offered as a non-processed/raw diet or as an ultra-processed diet, has been observed to impact human and canine health (35,36).…”

Atopic Dermatitis in Domestic Animals: What Our Current Understanding Is and How This Applies to Clinical Practice

“…A similar situation may apply to our pets. While pets in the past were more exposed to an outdoor environment with less exposure to house dust mites and more exposure to parasites and bacteria, the current conditions of ingesting processed foods rather than raw diets, an increased exposure to indoor environments and house dust mites, and a decreased exposure to beneficial bacteria may contribute to an increased development of clinical signs of atopic dermatitis [ 49 , 50 ].…”

Puppyhood diet as a factor in the development of owner‐reported allergy/atopy skin signs in adult dogs in Finland

“…Deworming the dams during pregnancy, sunlight exposure, normal body condition score, born in the same family where the dog lives, and exposure to rural environment have all been found to decrease owner‐reported AD prevalence 11 . Additionally, other genetic and background factors such as the maternal history of owner‐reported AD, age, sex, breed, and color have previously been studied 11 .…”