In a lecture at the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Washington, DC, Andrew Simpson, DVM, MS, DACVD, a specialist at VCA Animal Hospitals, set out to debunk various dermatology fads circulating the veterinary world.

 One of the topics Simpson covered was the use of probiotics for treating canine atopic dermatitis and other dermatologic symptoms.

In veterinary medicine, studies on the dermatological effect of probiotics are few. However, as Simpson explained during the session, studies in human medicine show probiotics can be beneficial in treating atopic dermatitis in children. Researchers hypothesize that probiotics work in this capacity by modulating the immune system response, shifting it away from a T helper 2 (Th2)-dominated profile, which is commonly associated with atopic dermatitis, towards a T helper 1 (Th1)-mediated response.

Still, results across studies remain inconsistent, suggesting that probiotic effectiveness depends on the species and/or strain of lactobacillus that is being used.

In a study by the University of Florida, pregnant dogs with high levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is a factor for atopic dermatitis predisposition, were given 

strain in the third week of gestation. The puppies continued receiving this probiotic until they were 6 months old.

was partially effective in preventing the development of atopic dermatitis in these dogs, with clinical results being mixed and some puppies still developing atopic dermatitis.

 According to Simpson, skin barrier function benefits were also still evident 3 years later. However, no decrease in clinical signs was observed.

In a different 2015 study comparing cetirizine with 

, a similar reduction in clinical signs of mild canine atopic dermatitis was observed at 38.1% vs 45.8% throughout 12 weeks of treatment. Fewer clinical signs for pruritus were also observed (38.1% vs 26.8%).

 showed positive dermatological effects, Simpson expressed reservation about the study’s design. “It's interesting [the researchers] chose antihistamines, since...antihistamines, in general, tend to have a lower yield of efficacy,” he said.

 “I think it would be better to maybe compare [

] to steroids or Cytopoint or Apoquel or something with a higher success rate.”

“We'd be interested to see, you know, what is it like in severe cases? You know, some of these mild cases, those might sort of fluctuate very subtly throughout the week or throughout the month,” he continued.

 probio-65 for 2 months in participants with severe canine atopic dermatitis found that the probiotic significantly reduced the disease severity index in the patients. Specifically, lesional and itch scores were lower compared to placebo groups.

In a separate 2019 study, researchers investigated the effects of 

 (FortiFlora; Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets), on dogs already on oclacitinib (Apoquel; Zoetis), to see if the addition of the probiotic helped reduce the dose of the medication or the need for it.

The study’s results found that the addition of 

to the dogs’ diet was not associated with oclacitinib dose reduction compared to the placebo. Overall, no difference was noted in participants being supplemented with 

Gut microbiota dysbiosis and atopic dermatitis

More recently, a study published this year found that probiotics can improve canine atopic dermatitis by improving gut microbial dysbiosis.

The study looked at changes in the gut microbiota using polymerase chain reaction after administering 

at a concentration of 50 million colony-forming units per gram over 16 weeks.

Comparisons of fecal microbiota at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks highlighted the association between gut microbiota dysbiosis and canine atopic dermatitis. Most notably, the study’s results found that daily administration of the probiotics for 16 weeks significantly reduced the severity of clinical symptoms.

Still, research evidence on the dermatological benefits of probiotics are limited and vary. A retrospective study published in July that reviewed 5 trials—3 oral and 2 topical—found that probiotics did not have a significant effect on atopic dermatitis.

“We definitely need more prospective studies, things that are controlled, comparing it to what we know are acceptable or effective products,” said Simpson. “And then there could be some differences between genera, or differences between species, or maybe differences with, ‘Are we using a single organism or using multiple organisms? Are we using a certain concentration, certain parts of their development? [Are these] mild cases? [Are they] severe cases?’”

“I... think we need to fine tune and understand, really, what is that connection between the gut health and skin health? I think it's there. We just really haven't defined it as much as we would need to,” he concluded.

Simpson A. Debunking derm fads. Presented at: American Veterinary Medical Association Convention; Washington, DC; July 18-22, 2025.

Ohshima-Terada Y, Higuchi Y, Kumagai T, Hagihara A, Nagata M. Complementary effect of oral administration of 

 2015;26(5):350-353.e74-e75. doi:10.1111/vde.12224

Kim H, Rather IA, Kim H, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a probiotic strain 

 Probio-65 for the prevention of canine atopic dermatitis. 

Yamazaki C, Rosenkrantz W, Griffin C. Pilot evaluation of 

 SF68 as adjunctive therapy for oclacitinib-responsive adult atopic dermatitis in dogs. 

 2019;60(8):499-506. doi:10.1111/jsap.13042

Song H, Mun SH, Han DW, et al. Probiotics ameliorate atopic dermatitis by modulating the dysbiosis of the gut microbiota in dogs. 

Articles

An evidence-based lecture at the 2025 AVMA Convention broke down study findings on various strain-specific probiotics in veterinary medicine.

Can probiotics help treat canine atopic dermatitis? What the research really says

Southern Veterinary Partners (SVP) and Mission Veterinary Partners (MVP) are now operating together as Mission Pet Health. SVP and MVP merged in late 2024, and the unified name signals the launch of new branding and a new digital experience that will launch August 4, 2025, at missionpethealth.com. The “transformative moment” also spotlights the combined company’s operational infrastructure, shared culture of excellence, and bold vision for the future of pets, clients, and care teams.

Jay Price, DVM, CEO of Mission Pet Health, said the combined company is grounded in veterinary care and driven by passion. “We are excited to launch the next chapter of our combined company, Mission Pet Health, which represents our legacy and our future,” Price said in a news release. “This next chapter brings together our talent, resources, and value to accelerate our ability to deliver better care for the communities we serve and [a] better experience for our people.”

Mission Pet Health’s highest priority is delivering the best possible health and wellness outcomes for animals while providing best-in-class experiences for clients and team members, according to the company. The organization is committed to providing consistent, personalized, and high-quality care experiences for its clients and pets through local clinics and providers, with strategic investments in talent, technology, and clinical support.

At the heart of Mission Pet Health are the dedicated and talented team members who bring compassion and expertise to their clients and pets every day, according to Mission Pet Health. The growing suite of professional development opportunities—including a proprietary veterinary technician school, specialty training, and mentorship programs—empowers the Mission Pet Health team to deliver increasingly exceptional care by further advancing their skills.

With proven track records of clinical and operational excellence, according to Mission Pet Health, SVP and MVP each earned recognition on prestigious workplace ranking lists such as Inc 5000, US News & World Report, and Newsweek. In 2024, Newsweek

named SVP the eleventh most loved workplace in America, marking its third consecutive top 25 ranking.

Southern Veterinary Partners and Mission Veterinary Partners join together as Mission Pet Health. News release. Mission Pet Health. July 21, 2025. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/07/21/3118686/0/en/Southern-Veterinary-Partners-and-Mission-Veterinary-Partners-Join-Together-as-Mission-Pet-Health.html 

Southern Veterinary Partners and Mission Veterinary Partners merged in late 2024.

Merger of veterinary organizations yields a new name

During this interview with dvm360 from the 2025 AVMA Convention, Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai, BVSc, MS, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology; Immunology), shares the difference between reinfection and resistance 

Video interview with Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai, BVSc, MS, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology; Immunology)

During her lecture at the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Washington, DC, Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai, BVSc, MS, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology; Immunology), broke down the current understanding out there in regard to resistance in heartworms, hookworms, and tapeworms in canine patients. In an interview following her lecture with dvm360, she explained that it can be difficult to determine if it is resistance or reinfection, but provided some ways veterinary professionals can try and differentiate the 2 options. 

Below is a full transcript, edited lightly for clarity

Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai, BVSc, MS, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology; Immunology)

Jeba Jesudoss Chelladura [and] I'm a veterinarian by training. I am a specialist in veterinary parasitology and board-certified in veterinary parasitology and Immunology. I'm an assistant professor at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

Yeah, so reinfection versus resistance is a hard diagnosis to make. Sometimes there are, in some cases, we have a PCR that can confirm resistance, like with hookworms, we have a PCR that can confirm fenbendazole resistance with this reinfection, then, if you use those same tests, then you won't have a resistance marker, for example. 

But essentially, reinfection means you have a mixed population, whether it could be susceptible populations of worms or resistant populations of the worm, but you have it, you know, just as a new infection, almost, whereas with resistance, you have the same drug, same worms, that you have been trying to kill for a while, and so they cannot be killed, right? So that's resistance versus then reinfection a whole new population.

Videos

With small companion animal parasite resistance being an increasing fear, how can professionals tell the difference between resistance and reinfection? 

Is it resistance or reinfection?

Jenny Cassibry Fisher, RVT, VTS (Oncology), discusses how skilled technicians and assistants can help provide veterinary health services to more patients.

Utilizing the veterinary team to improve access to care

Jenny Cassibry Fisher, RVT, VTS (Oncology), director of medical excellence for Mission Pet Health (formerly SVP + MVP), discusses how skilled technicians and assistants can help provide veterinary health services to more patients in a 

 interview. A continuing education presenter at the 2025 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Louisville, Kentucky, Fisher spoke to attendees about veterinary team collaboration for managing complicated diseases in patients during one of her lectures. Her talk emphasized how utilizing the advanced skills and knowledge of credential veterinary technician specialists brings value to the team.

Considering treatment options for canine osteosarcoma

The following is a transcript of the video:

Jenny Cassibry Fisher, RVT, VTS (Oncology)

: One of the ways that veterinary professionals can help decrease the care gap that exists, which is the care that a pet should receive and then the care that they actually do receive. So, one of the ways that we can help reduce that care gap is by utilizing our veterinary technician specialists. Truly is that mid-level practitioner position, utilizing their skills and knowledge, utilizing our credential technicians to the fullest scope of their license as well, which opens up and allows our veterinary assistants to also be an extremely important and vital part of the veterinary health care team. Utilizing all 3 of those positions to the fullest extent of how they were designed is going to only help us to decrease that care gap and hopefully offer more care to more patients.

During the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Washington, DC, Vernard Hodges, DVM; Terrence Fergusion, DVM, and fellow volunteers spent a couple of hours with middle school and high school students to educate them on what it is like to become a veterinary professional in their successful Vet for a Day program.

“It is so important that we continue to spend time with an incoming generation and let them know there is so much more to vet [medicine] than simply being a veterinarian. While that's amazing, we need technicians, assistants, receptionists, and managers. And to see all parts of that come together in such a beautiful way—it's really impactful,” said Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, who was volunteering at the event.

Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, surrounded by students at the Vet for a Day event at its CPR station 

The workshop gives up to 50 students the chance to see veterinary medicine live and up close—but not with real animals—to explore animal-handling techniques from experienced veterinarians and technicians. The program kicked off with a Q&A-style session for the first hour, during which students were also invited to ask questions and participate in a guessing game with the Critter Fixers team. They then took a 15-minute break before going into hands-on demonstrations for suturing, ultrasounds, cardiopulmonary resuscitation on molds, and other simulated equipment.

The program was created by Ferguson and Hodges, owners of Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospitals and the stars of the hit National Geographic television show

The pair travel all over, welcoming students from middle school and high school to meet with people of all backgrounds in veterinary medicine to be mentored and provide a forum to openly ask questions. Parents also are invited to attend the event

“Vet for a Day is an opportunity for AVMA, and...it has a lot of other sponsors as well, working with Critter Fixers, who have emulated and started the Vet for a Day concept, at least in that title. We're really talking to younger students. We know that high school [and] elementary are really where people are getting engaged in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] and thinking about veterinary medicine,” Jennifer Quammen, DVM, MPH, the 2025-2026 AVMA president-elect, told 

during the event. “This is an opportunity for us as veterinary professionals, technicians, and doctors to hands-on interact with those students, and for those students and their parents, [who] are often with them, to learn about the process of getting into veterinary school [and] what sort of things they need to study. Hopefully [these are] some seeds we can plant that will grow a tree and bear some fruit of future veterinarians and future veterinary technicians.” 

The Vet for a Day event at the 2025 AVMA Convention is sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition and NVA General Practice, as well as donations that help make the event possible.

1. "Vet for a Day": DC-area students will learn about veterinary medicine from experts at 'Critter Fixers,' American Veterinary Medical Association, Hill's Pet Nutrition and NVA General Practice. News release. AVMA. July 7, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/vet-day-dc-area-students-will-learn-about-veterinary-medicine-experts-critter 

A group of volunteers led by Vernard Hodges, DVM; and Terrence Ferguson, DVM, will educate students in the Washington, DC, area on what it means to be a veterinary professional.

Vet for a Day takes on Washington, DC

A private animal hospital in South Korea recently reported that its cardiac surgical team has successfully performed what it describes as the "world’s first" surgical correction of a complex ventricular septal defect (VSD) in a canine patient.

 VSD is a common congenital defect observed in cats, dogs, and humans and is characterized by a hole in the heart’s wall that separates the ventricles.

“This veterinary milestone is highly significant, as it marks the first such case not only in Korea but also globally, with no previous reports of successful surgical treatment for complex VSDs,” NEL Animal Cardiovascular Center, the hospital that performed the procedure, stated in a news release.

When developing a surgical plan for the VSD case, NEL says the surgical team used knowledge gained from experience of more than 50 open heart surgeries that used cardiopulmonary bypass.

According to the center, the patient had a unique form of VSD consisting of a single, continuous defect that extended from the heart’s perimembranous region to the subarterial region. During the surgical procedure, the team confirmed the complex nature of the case.

The procedure involved making incisions in the right atrium and pulmonary artery to close the hole with a bovine pericardial patch. The left-to-right shunt was fully resolved immediately after surgery, eliminating the risk of progressive regurgitation caused by aortic valve prolapse.

 After the surgery, the patient’s cardiac function returned to a “near-normal” level. According to NEL, long-term prognosis is “highly favorable.”

Image courtesy of NEL Animal Cardiovascular Center. 

“Subarterial VSDs are particularly dangerous due to the risk of aortic valve prolapse and severe regurgitation, making early surgical intervention crucial,” NEL wrote.

“The success of this surgery offers new hope for animals with congenital heart defects, demonstrating the potential for a surgical cure.”

With no previous documented successful cases of VSD corrections in veterinary literature, the hospital referred to the procedure as a breakthrough case that expands the options for surgically treating congenital heart disease.

“Although this was a complex defect, thorough discussion and preparation among our medical team led to a successful outcome. We will continue our efforts so that more animals with congenital heart disease can lead healthy and normal lives,” Eom Tae-Heum, DVM, MVSc, director of NEL Animal Cardiovascular Center, who led the surgical procedure,

According to the news release, the center is in the process of preparing an academic analysis and official report on the case.

NEL Animal Cardiovascular Center achieves world’s first surgical correction of complex VSD in canine patient. News release. NEL Animal Cardiovascular Center. June 22, 2025. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250618427466/en/NEL-Animal-Cardiovascular-Center-Achieves-Worlds-First-Surgical-Correction-of-Complex-VSD-in-Canine-Patient

Tou SP. Cardiac shunts in animals. Merck Veterinary Manual. June 2025. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/circulatory-system/congenital-and-inherited-anomalies-of-the-cardiovascular-system/cardiac-shunts-in-animals

Ventricular septal defect (VSD). Mayo Clinic. October 21, 2022. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ventricular-septal-defect/symptoms-causes/syc-20353495

NEL medical staff. NEL Animal Medical Center. Accessed July 17, 2025. 

https://nelamc.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=nel_medical&wr_id=10

No prior successful cases of VSD corrections have been documented in veterinary literature.