Efficacy and safety of omega-3-enriched lickable treats as adjunctive therapy for feline chronic gingivostomatitis: A randomized controlled trial

Vet World Vol.18 August-2025 Article - 17

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(8): 2344-2356

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.2344-2356

Panithi Sukho¹, Sekkarin Ploypetch¹, Chakkarin Satthathum², Phirom Prompiram³, and Warunya Chakritbudsabong⁴

1. Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.

2. Surgery Unit, Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.

3. The Monitoring and Surveillance Center for Zoonotic Disease in Wildlife and Exotic Animals (MoZWE), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.

4. Department of Pre-clinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.

Background and Aim: Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a debilitating inflammatory condition of the oral cavity in cats, associated with chronic pain, salivation, halitosis, and reduced quality of life. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have known anti-inflammatory properties and may offer a supportive treatment option. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of two marine-derived n-3 PUFA sources – krill oil and green-lipped mussel (GLM) oil – administered through lickable cat treats in cats with FCGS.

Materials and Methods: Sixteen FCGS cats were randomized into three double-blinded treatment groups to receive daily lickable treats: Control (no n-3 PUFA), krill oil (100 mg), or GLM oil (100 mg) for 28 days. Clinical outcomes (stomatitis and pain scores, halitosis, and salivation) were assessed on days 0, 14, and 28 by veterinarians. Owner-reported outcomes and inflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin 6, interleukin 1 beta, and interferon-gamma) were also evaluated.

Results: Both krill and GLM oil treatments were well-tolerated, with no adverse changes in body weight, hematological, or biochemical parameters. Mean stomatitis and pain scores showed a non-significant downward trend in all groups. Halitosis and salivation improved in seven cats, particularly in the GLM and control groups. Owner-reported improvement was observed in 10 of 16 cats, with the highest in the krill oil group (75%). Cytokine levels demonstrated high variability and no statistically significant changes. No significant differences were observed between the n-3 PUFA sources.

Conclusion: Daily administration of n-3 PUFA-enriched cat treats is safe and may provide mild clinical benefit in cats with FCGS, particularly in alleviating oral discomfort. While no significant differences were found between krill and GLM oils, both formulations were palatable and suitable as adjunctive therapy. Further research with larger cohorts, extended durations, and sensitive scoring systems is warranted to optimize treatment protocols.

Keywords: adjuvant therapy, cat oral health, cytokines, feline chronic gingivostomatitis, green-lipped mussel oil, inflammation, krill oil, nutraceuticals, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, lickable cat treat.

How to cite this article: Sukho P, Ploypetch S, Satthathum C, Prompiram P, and Chakritbudsabong W (2025) Efficacy and safety of omega-3-enriched lickable treats as adjunctive therapy for feline chronic gingivostomatitis: A randomized controlled trial, Veterinary World, 18(8): 2344Sukho P, Ploypetch S, Satthathum C, Prompiram P, and Chakritbudsabong W (2025) Efficacy and safety of omega-3-enriched lickable treats as adjunctive therapy for feline chronic gingivostomatitis: A randomized controlled trial, Veterinary World, 18(8): 2344–2356.-2356.

Received: 19-04-2025 Accepted: 15-07-2025 Published online: 18-08-2025

Corresponding author: Warunya Chakritbudsabong E-mail: warunya.cha@mahidol.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2344-2356

Copyright: Sukho, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.