With an adapted topical approach, you can maintain a healthy skin barrier and alleviate kerato-seborrheic disorders.
Kerato-seborrheic disorders (KSDs) are an increasingly common diagnosis seen in the veterinary setting. The key to combating these disorders involves first pinpointing and targeting the cause, then selecting an effective topical treatment that reduces symptoms by protecting and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
KERATO-SEBORRHEIC DISORDERS: A REFRESHER
In animals affected with KSDs, there is always an anomaly of keratinization characterized by abnormal exfoliation of corneocytes and/or an anomaly of sebum production. Seborrhea can come in two forms: dry seborrhea (dry skin and coat and dull hair that easily fractures) and oily seborrhea (greasiness). Both are often accompanied by keratinization disorders that are visible through dandruff.
CONSIDERING THE CAUSES
Kerato-seborrheic disorders can be primary or secondary to many skin diseases. Primary seborrhea is inherited and usually occurs in certain breeds where gene mutations have been identified. Secondary KSD can usually be traced back to many other underlying disorders such as hormonal imbalances, allergies, parasites, etc.
TREATMENT
Treatment must be adapted to the case, but in general, keratomodulating shampoos, rehydrating lotions, topical or oral essential fatty acid supplementation, and immunomodulators all play a role in restoring healthy skin.
Evidence-based dermo-cosmetic products can help moisturize and regulate keratinization and sebum production. They help reduce dandruff, shedding and bad odors.
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY SKIN BARRIER
The skin barrier is composed of the stratum corneum, the hydrolipidic film, and the microbiota. When these elements are fully functional, the skin is healthy and protected. If the cutaneous barrier is impaired, it leads to several disorders, including KSD.
ESSENTIAL 6® SPOT-ON (DERMOSCENT®, LDCA) IS A MUST-HAVE
• Its innovative formula contains only natural active ingredients: a synergy of essential oils that provide sebo-regulating, deodorizing and anti-dandruff properties; hemp and neem seed oils rich in essential fatty acids to support the skin barrier; and anti-oxidizing vitamin E.
• The single-dose format enables optimal user compliance: one pipette applied on one spot of the skin between the shoulders once a week. It helps decrease shampoo frequency and substitutes for daily intake of essential fatty acids.
• Its ability to help redress kerato-seborrheic disorders has been proven in several peer-reviewed publications. A largescale study on 210 dogs and 79 cats conducted by veterinary dermatologists demonstrated its efficacy in sebo-regulating skin and coat, diminishing dandruff, bad odors and hair loss.1 In another blinded study carried out by Prof. Hoffman and her team at Texas A&M University, Essential 6® spot-on improved odor in dogs with direct action on the cutaneous microbiota shift. Moreover, a novel association between cutaneous malodor and two bacterial genera, Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas, was highlighted for the first time.2
1 Bensignor E., Nagata M., Toomet T. Preliminary multicentric open study for dermocosmetic evaluation of a spot-on formulation composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential oils. PMCAC (2010) 45, 53-57.
2 Meason-Smith C., Older C., Ocana R., Dominguez B., Lawhon S., Wu J., Patterson A., Rodrigues Hoffmann A. Novel association of Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas with malodour in bloodhound dogs, and the effects of a topical product composed of essential oils and plant-derived essential fatty acids […] Veterinary Dermatology (Dec. 2018); 29(6) p.465-475. Short Communication NAVDF 2018 in Hawaii.
AUTHOR PROFILE
Dr. Lionel Fabries graduated from Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse in France in 1981 and completed a veterinary ophthalmology degree in 1982 prior to becoming a visiting scholar in the University of Florida as one of Prof. Kirk Gelatt’s staff during 1982-83. For over 30 years, he has been practicing medicine and surgery on small animals, mainly in ophthalmology and cardiology. He has played an active role as a member of the Board in the French Association of Small Animals Veterinarians and has given regularly lectures in the above mentioned two disciplines. As a member of the European Society of Veterinary Dermatology since 2004, Lionel attended numerous congresses and workshops, and has since developed his practice in dermatology. In 2003, he founded with two associates LDCA to offer a comprehensive range of dermo-cares for companion animals under the brand Dermoscent® to enrich veterinarians’ arsenal in addressing skin disorders.
