Changes

==Why are they Important?==

==Why are they Important?==

Linoleic acid is '''concentrated in the skin and hair coat of cats and dogs to form the normal water permeable barrier of the epidermis'''<ref name="Elias">Elias PM, et al. The permeability barrier in essential fatty acid deficiency: Evidence for a direct role of linoleic acid in barrier function. J Invest Dermatol 1980;74:230-233.</ref>. '''Arachidonic acid is incorporated into the lipid bilayer of all cell membranes'''; it serves both as a structural component of cell walls and a precursor to normal inflammatory mediators<ref name="NRC">National Research Council (NRC). Fat and Fatty Acids In Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats. 2006 Washington, DC: National Academies Press p.81-110.</ref>.

Linoleic acid is '''concentrated in the [[Skin - Anatomy & Physiology|skin]] and [[Hair - Anatomy & Physiology|hair coat]] of cats and dogs to form the normal water permeable barrier of the epidermis'''<ref name="Elias">Elias PM, et al. The permeability barrier in essential fatty acid deficiency: Evidence for a direct role of linoleic acid in barrier function. J Invest Dermatol 1980;74:230-233.</ref>. '''Arachidonic acid is incorporated into the lipid bilayer of all cell membranes'''; it serves both as a structural component of cell walls and a precursor to normal inflammatory mediators<ref name="NRC">National Research Council (NRC). Fat and Fatty Acids In Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats. 2006 Washington, DC: National Academies Press p.81-110.</ref>.

Increased intake of LA above the minimal requirement may help improve skin and coat quality in dogs and cats<ref name="Rees">Rees CA, et al. Effects of dietary fatty flaxseed and sunflower seed supplementation on normal canine serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and skin and hair condition scores. Vet Derm 2001;12:111-117.</ref><ref name="Codner">Codner EC and Thatcher CD. The role of nutrition in the management of dermatoses. Semin Vet Med Surg (Sm Anim) 1990;5:167-177.</ref>. Modification of AA intake in relation to specific omega-3 fatty acids has been suggested as an aid in the management of inflammatory condition (such as [[Contact Dermatitis|allergic dermatitis]], nephritis, or [[Inflammatory Bowel Disease|inflammatory bowel disease]]) in dogs and cats<ref name="Raphael">Raphael W and Sordillo LM. Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Inflammation: The Role of Phospholipid Biosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2013;14:21167-21188.</ref>. '''Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids compete for the same metabolic enzymes'''; as such the total amount as well as the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is an important consideration when evaluating dietary balance or when attempting to modify concentrations of these nutrients for health and disease management.

Increased intake of LA above the minimal requirement may help improve skin and coat quality in dogs and cats<ref name="Rees">Rees CA, et al. Effects of dietary fatty flaxseed and sunflower seed supplementation on normal canine serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and skin and hair condition scores. Vet Derm 2001;12:111-117.</ref><ref name="Codner">Codner EC and Thatcher CD. The role of nutrition in the management of dermatoses. Semin Vet Med Surg (Sm Anim) 1990;5:167-177.</ref>. Modification of AA intake in relation to specific omega-3 fatty acids has been suggested as an aid in the management of inflammatory condition (such as [[Contact Dermatitis|allergic dermatitis]], nephritis, or [[Inflammatory Bowel Disease|inflammatory bowel disease]]) in dogs and cats<ref name="Raphael">Raphael W and Sordillo LM. Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Inflammation: The Role of Phospholipid Biosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2013;14:21167-21188.</ref>. '''Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids compete for the same metabolic enzymes'''; as such the total amount as well as the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is an important consideration when evaluating dietary balance or when attempting to modify concentrations of these nutrients for health and disease management.