The human body can achieve nitrogen balance with a diet containing 8 essential amino acids (AAs). The therapeutic application of AA-based diets in human medicine has a well-documented history, leading to their use in veterinary medicine beginning in the late 20th century as research clarified species-specific needs. Modern veterinary nutrition now prioritizes AA bioavailability and balance to meet physiological demands. Therapeutic diets incorporate the advancements documented in human medicine while considering interspecies differences, breed predispositions, and life-stage requirements. As outlined in this issue by Dr. Sarah Wilson, the development of AA-modified diets for hepatic diseases, food allergies, and critical illnesses reflects this progress. Nevertheless, challenges remain in ensuring palatability, cost efficiency, and owner compliance. Ongoing research into species-specific AA needs will further improve clinical nutrition strategies for multiple diseases and, therefore, more “naturally” improve patient outcomes.
What We’re Reading
In each issue, a member of our Editorial Advisory Board will share a recent open access publication of interest.
Antimicrobial Use Guidelines for Canine Pyoderma by the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID)
Loeffler A, Cain CL, Ferrer L, et al. Vet Dermatol.
doi.org/10.1111/vde.13342
WHAT WAS INVESTIGATED? An international panel of veterinary dermatologists, internists, microbiologists, and pharmacologists discussed the latest evidence-based medicine in the field of canine pyoderma.
WHAT WAS FOUND? The guidelines were updated from the previous iteration published in 2014. Topical antimicrobial therapy continues to play a vital role, either as monotherapy or adjunct to systemic antimicrobial therapy. When systemic antimicrobial therapy is indicated, bacterial culture with antibiotic susceptibility test should be performed to guide antimicrobial selection.
TAKE-HOME POINTS
- Skin cytology should be performed before initiating antimicrobial therapy.
- The treatment of choice for surface and superficial pyoderma is topical antimicrobial therapy alone.
- Systemic antimicrobials should be reserved for deep pyoderma or when topical antimicrobial therapy for superficial pyoderma fails.
- Treatment should not be stopped until the patient has been reevaluated, which should be done every 2 to 3 weeks, and all active lesions have resolved.
— Heng L. Tham, DVM, DACVD, Fellow MCVS
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