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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Hereditary nose skin disease in Labrador retrievers and treatment

By Peters, Jeanine et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2003·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Hereditary nasal parakeratosis in Labrador retrievers: 11 new cases and a retrospective study on the presence of accumulations of serum ('serum lakes') in the epidermis of parakeratotic dermatoses and inflamed nasal plana of dogs.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of Labrador retrievers aged 6 months to 2 years was diagnosed with hereditary nasal parakeratosis, a skin condition that causes thickening and discoloration of the nose. These dogs were otherwise healthy, but their noses showed signs of hyperkeratosis and depigmentation. Treatment with topical applications of propylene glycol or white petrolatum helped improve their condition, although ongoing treatment was necessary to keep the symptoms at bay. The study also found that this condition had distinct features compared to other skin diseases in dogs.

People also search for: Labrador retriever nose skin problems · hereditary nasal parakeratosis treatment · dog nose hyperkeratosis care

Abstract

We report 11 new cases of hereditary nasal parakeratosis in Labrador retrievers. The disease was first observed when the dogs were 6 months to 2 years of age, and affected dogs of either sex and all coat colours. Hyperkeratosis and depigmentation were confined to the nasal planum, and affected dogs were otherwise healthy. The principal histological findings in biopsy specimens were marked diffuse parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, multiple intracorneal serum lakes and superficial interstitial-to-interface lymphoplasmacytic dermatitis. Topical applications of propylene glycol in water or white petrolatum were often effective for treatment of the dermatosis. However, continued applications were required to maintain a beneficial response. A retrospective histological study of parakeratotic inflammatory diseases of canine haired skin and inflammatory diseases of the canine nasal planum was performed. The degree of parakeratotic hyperkeratosis and the number and size of intracorneal serum lakes were evaluated. The degree of parakeratotic hyperkeratosis was greater in hereditary nasal parakeratosis specimens than that seen in discoid lupus erythematosus and Malassezia dermatitis. There were more serum lakes in hereditary nasal parakeratosis specimens than in specimens from dogs with discoid lupus erythematosus, Malassezia dermatitis, primary seborrheic dermatitis or zinc-responsive dermatosis. Significant differences in sizes of serum lakes (if present) were not seen.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12895224/