Why nutrition is moving back into the dermatology workup

CURRENT FULL VERSION: Nutrition is moving back toward the center of veterinary dermatology, not as a niche add-on, but as a routine part of the skin workup. In a May 5, 2026, dvm360 Vet Blast podcast article, board-certified veterinary dermatologist Robert Ward said nutritional dermatoses still deserve a place on the differential list, especially as homemade and raw diets reintroduce deficiency-related concerns that had become less common with modern formulated foods. In the podcast conversation, Ward also acknowledged why these cases are often overlooked in first-line practice: for many general practitioners, nutritional dermatoses are something to keep “on the back” of the list rather than a first assumption, in part because modern commercial diets have made classic deficiencies less common. (dvm360.com)

That message lands alongside broader industry discussion about how often nutrition is underused in practice. A recent Today’s Veterinary Practice summary of a JAVMA survey reported that among 561 small animal veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada, the biggest barriers to nutrition conversations were pet parent preconceived notions, lack of time, and resistance to discussing food choices. The same survey found clinicians viewed direct, compassionate communication and specific recommendations as the most helpful ways to move those conversations forward. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

On the dermatology side, Veterinary Practice News recently argued that every visit should include a complete diet history, because nutrition affects both diagnostic accuracy and long-term skin management. Its reporting framed skin and coat quality as visible markers of overall health and warned that incomplete feeding histories can lead clinicians to miss preventable dermatoses or undermine diet trials through small, repeated “leaks,” such as treats, flavored medications, scavenging, or food sharing in multi-pet homes. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

Ward’s comments help explain why this matters clinically. In the dvm360 coverage, he highlighted zinc-responsive dermatosis, hepatocutaneous syndrome, and fatty-acid-related skin-barrier issues as examples of conditions where nutrition can shape either the diagnosis or the management plan. His framing also underscored a practical point for clinicians: these are not always the first disorders that come to mind in an itchy or scaling patient, which is exactly why they can be missed unless diet is reviewed deliberately rather than incidentally. That aligns with the published literature: reviews of canine atopic dermatitis have long pointed to epidermal barrier abnormalities, altered lipid composition, and increased transepidermal water loss, while a more recent review concluded diet plays a large role in canine atopic dermatitis management, particularly when food allergy is part of the case. At the same time, that review found only minimal evidence for many commonly discussed adjuncts, including probiotics, zinc, vitamins, and cannabinoids. (dvm360.com)

There’s also an education and workflow angle. WSAVA’s Global Nutrition Guidelines and toolkit provide structured aids such as diet-history forms, body condition tools, and practical resources for the veterinary healthcare team, while the Pet Nutrition Alliance offers additional nutrition education and practice resources. Those tools matter because nutrition discussions in dermatology often fail less from lack of interest than from inconsistency, time pressure, and the challenge of translating broad advice into a specific feeding plan that pet parents will actually follow. They may be particularly useful in helping teams surface the less-obvious cases Ward described, where nutrition is relevant but not initially front-of-mind. (wsava.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story is really about case discipline. When nutrition is treated as a routine dermatology variable, not just a last-resort explanation for pruritus, clinicians may catch deficiency states earlier, choose elimination diets more strategically, and reduce the number of cases complicated by unrecognized feeding variables. It also reinforces a more proactive model of skin care, one that pairs anti-inflammatory therapy with barrier support, nutrition review, and stronger client communication. That may be especially useful in primary care, where most itchy pets first present and where incomplete diet histories can quietly derail both diagnosis and adherence. Ward’s comments add an important nuance: because nutritional dermatoses are no longer as common as they once were, they may be easier to deprioritize unless practices build nutrition screening into the standard workflow. (veterinarypracticenews.com)

What to watch: The next step is likely not a single new product or guideline, but a practice shift: more standardized nutrition intake in dermatology visits, more careful oversight of homemade and raw diets, and more emphasis on coaching pet parents through strict diet trials and evidence-based skin-support recommendations. If that happens, nutrition may become less of a covert factor in dermatology, and more of a documented, billable, and clinically useful part of everyday care. This final point is an inference based on the direction of recent trade coverage, available guideline tools, and the communication barriers identified in the JAVMA survey. (dvm360.com)