Nutrition is moving back into the dermatology workup
Bottom line
Nutrition is getting renewed attention as a practical, and often overlooked, part of veterinary dermatology. Recent coverage from dvm360 highlighted board-certified dermatologist Robert Ward’s warning that nutritional dermatoses still belong on the differential list, even though true deficiencies are less common than they once were. In the Vet Blast podcast discussion, Ward also acknowledged why many general practitioners keep these cases “in the back” of their minds rather than at the top of the list: they are not usually the first thing clinicians jump to in itchy pets. Still, he pointed to the return of homemade and raw feeding patterns as one reason veterinarians may again encounter diet-related skin disease, including zinc-responsive dermatosis and hepatocutaneous syndrome, while also stressing that food allergy workups remain essential in nonseasonally pruritic pets. Separate Veterinary Practice News coverage has made a similar case: a thorough feeding history, alongside a standard dermatologic exam, can prevent missed diagnoses and move nutrition back into routine skin care. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For general practitioners and dermatology teams, the takeaway is less about a new discovery than a shift in clinical discipline. Nutrition assessment is increasingly being framed as part of every dermatology workup, not an afterthought. That means documenting all foods, treats, supplements, table scraps, and homemade components; recognizing that nutritional dermatoses may be uncommon but still clinically relevant; distinguishing food allergy from nutritional deficiency and other pruritic disease; and remembering that skin barrier support may be influenced by dietary protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. WSAVA’s nutrition toolkit likewise recommends addressing nutrition at every patient visit and includes diet history tools that can help standardize this process. (dvm360.com)
What to watch: Expect more continuing education and clinical guidance aimed at helping veterinarians integrate structured diet histories, elimination diet planning, and nutrition screening into everyday dermatology cases. dvm360 has already positioned the topic as part of broader nutrition education programming, including its Fetch Encore virtual symposium focused on “Fueling Better Outcomes with Nutrition.” (dvm360.com)
Nutrition is re-emerging as a quiet but consequential theme in veterinary dermatology. In a May 5, 2026, dvm360 podcast feature, Robert Ward, BVM&S, MSc, MRCVS, DACVD, argued that nutritional dermatoses still deserve a place on every dermatologist’s differential list, particularly as homemade and raw diets bring deficiency-related disease back into view. The Vet Blast conversation also made clear why these cases are easy to miss: even general practitioners who think about nutrition often keep it in the background rather than jumping to it first in itchy pets. His comments land in a clinical environment where infection, parasites, and immune-mediated disease often dominate the initial workup, and where nutrition can be easy to relegate to the background. (dvm360.com)
The broader idea isn’t new, but it appears to be gaining traction again. Veterinary Practice News has previously reported that unbalanced diets can quickly disrupt normal skin health and function, and that scaling, alopecia, and recurrent skin infections may be among the first signs of clinically important dietary deficiencies. The publication has also emphasized that a detailed feeding history can materially improve dermatology diagnostics, especially when pets are receiving treats, supplements, or home-prepared foods that don’t show up in the main diet line of the medical record. (veterinarypracticenews.com)
Ward’s dvm360 discussion focused on several conditions that make the nutrition-dermatology link clinically relevant. He highlighted zinc-responsive dermatosis, hepatocutaneous syndrome, and the role of fatty acids in skin barrier function, while also underscoring that food allergy remains a major part of dermatology, especially in nonseasonally itchy pets. In the dvm360 transcript, Ward said clinicians must be careful that home-cooked diets used during food-allergy workups don’t introduce deficiencies that create additional problems. The podcast framing also underscored that nutritional dermatoses are not usually the first diagnosis clinicians pursue, which is part of why Ward argued they still need deliberate consideration on the differential list. (dvm360.com)
That caution aligns with wider guidance from the profession. WSAVA’s Global Nutrition Toolkit says nutrition should be addressed at every patient visit and offers diet history forms designed to make nutritional assessment more efficient for veterinary teams. Meanwhile, the 2023 AAHA management guidelines for allergic skin diseases in dogs and cats include dietary measures, such as essential fatty acids and dermatologic diets aimed at barrier support, as part of multimodal management. Taken together, those resources suggest nutrition is relevant at two levels: as a possible cause of dermatologic disease, and as a supportive tool in managing chronic allergic skin disease. (wsava.org)
Industry and expert commentary around the topic is notably practical rather than dramatic. Veterinary Practice News has advised sending diet history forms before appointments for itchy pets to streamline the visit and improve the quality of the history collected. Earlier dermatology coverage has also warned how easy it is for elimination trials to fail when pet parents add toppers, treats, or “just a little” chicken to a prescribed diet. dvm360 has also been folding the subject into broader continuing education, including promotion of its Fetch Encore virtual symposium, “Fueling Better Outcomes with Nutrition,” built around live CE from veterinary nutrition experts. That reflects a recurring theme in dermatology: nutrition questions are often less about exotic pathology than about disciplined history-taking, compliance, communication, and clinician education. (veterinarypracticenews.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a reminder that some skin cases won’t resolve on cytology, flea control, or anti-pruritic therapy alone. A complete dermatology database may need to include a structured nutritional history, especially in pets on homemade, raw, boutique, or heavily supplemented diets, and in cases with nonseasonal pruritus, poor coat quality, scaling, or recurrent disease. It also reinforces the value of partnering with a boarded nutritionist when designing home-cooked elimination trials or evaluating whether a diet is complete and balanced. Inference: as alternative feeding practices remain popular among pet parents, and as more CE spotlights nutrition’s role in case outcomes, the odds of seeing nutrition complicate dermatology cases in general practice may rise, even if classic deficiency diseases remain relatively uncommon. (dvm360.com)
What to watch: The next step is likely not a single landmark study, but more integration of nutrition tools into routine dermatology workflows, continuing education, and guideline-based multimodal care, especially for allergic and chronic recurrent skin cases. (dvm360.com)
Common questions
Why is nutrition being discussed in veterinary dermatology again?
Because homemade and raw feeding patterns may bring diet-related skin disease back into view, even though true deficiencies are still uncommon.Which skin problems can be linked to nutrition?
The article names zinc-responsive dermatosis, hepatocutaneous syndrome, scaling, alopecia, recurrent skin infections, and skin barrier issues related to dietary protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.What should be included in a dermatology diet history?
All foods, treats, supplements, table scraps, and homemade components.When should food allergy still be considered?
In nonseasonally pruritic pets, and during elimination diet workups, while avoiding home-cooked diets that could create deficiencies.