Overview
On June 11, our Senior Scientific Director Raphaël Turcotte, PhD, presented new skin & coat research at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Seattle, one of the leading scientific meetings in veterinary internal medicine.
The headline was reproducibility. Our first published study on Superculture® Pet Immune (Sordillo et al., Animals, 2025) showed the ingredient delivered visible coat quality improvement in dogs selected for occasional itching. Raphaël presented additional coat quality data from a second, independent double-blind, placebo-controlled study in a different population of healthy dogs.
Abstract
Background: Skin and coat health is a primary concern for pet owners, yet evidence-based nutritional interventions remain limited. Indoles are beneficial microbial metabolites that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a regulator of skin immune and inflammatory responses, offering a promising approach to influence the gut–skin axis.
Hypothesis/Objectives: This study evaluated whether daily supplementation with Superculture® Pet Immune, an indole-rich postbiotic, improved coat quality in healthy dogs compared to placebo.
Animals: Forty healthy dogs (body condition score 4-5) were enrolled from a research colony of beagles and small breed dogs.
Methods: In this double-blind trial, dogs were stratified into two groups of 20 based on weight, body condition score, and sex. After a 7-day washout, groups received either Superculture® Pet Immune or placebo as a powder topper for 90 days. Coat softness and glossiness were assessed using a validated 4-point scale at Days 0, 28, 56, and 91.
Results: Superculture® Pet Immune improved coat softness at Day 56 (p = 0.002) and Day 91 (p = 0.002), while placebo did not (p = 0.19 & p = 0.11, respectively). SPI improved coat glossiness at Day 56 (p = 0.03) and Day 91 (p = 0.02), while placebo did not (p = 0.31 & p = 0.19, respectively).
Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Indole-rich postbiotic supplementation significantly improved coat softness and glossiness, corroborating previous findings. These findings support the use of indole-rich postbiotic supplementation as a nutritional strategy for enhancing coat health in dogs.
