Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine pododermatitis and idiopathic disease.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Breathnach, Rory M et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Agriculture
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Pododermatitis is a common skin condition in dogs that causes inflammation, particularly on their paws. When dogs have this issue, veterinarians often need to run a series of tests to figure out what’s causing it, but sometimes the tests don’t reveal a clear reason, leading to a diagnosis of idiopathic pododermatitis, which means the cause is unknown. Dogs with this condition usually show signs like intense itching, redness, swelling, pain, and hair loss on their feet, but they generally feel fine otherwise. While treatments like antibiotics and special diets don’t help, these dogs often improve with medications that help regulate their immune system. In many cases, the treatment works well.
Abstract
Pododermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease of dogs. As pedal lesions are reported in many canine dermatoses, a methodical series of diagnostic tests is required to establish the underlying aetiology. However, laboratory/ancillary investigations may prove unrewarding, prompting a diagnosis of idiopathic disease. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of idiopathic pododermatitis including pedal conformation, trauma, immunosuppression, bacterial infection, furunculosis and dermal granuloma formation. Idiopathic pododermatitis accounts for 0.5% of all dermatology referrals to the authors' clinic. A sub-group within this population is characterised histopathologically by epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, spongiosis, dermal oedema and perivascular aggregates of lymphocytes and plasma cells. The term lymphocytic-plasmacytic pododermatitis (LPP) has previously been proposed to reflect the histological appearance of such lesions. Affected dogs, although systemically well, characteristically have pruritus, erythema, swelling, pain and alopecia of the feet. Although non-responsive to antimicrobial therapy, antiparasitic agents and elimination diets, these dogs typically respond well to immunomodulatory therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17919951/