Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with leukemia lost claws after hydroxyurea treatment
By Anjos, Denner Santos Dos et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2018·Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hydroxyurea-induced onychomadesis in a dog with chronic myeloid leukemia: A case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Rottweiler was brought in for severe fatigue, weight loss, and decreased appetite over six months. After tests, the vet diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia and started treatment with hydroxyurea, but it didn't lower the high white blood cell count. After 35 days on the medication, the dog developed problems with its claws, which began to slough off. The vet stopped the hydroxyurea, and three months later, the dog's claws healed, and its white blood cell count returned to normal after switching to cyclophosphamide. The dog is now in complete remission and has been healthy for over 19 months without chemotherapy.
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Abstract
A 12-year-old Rottweiler dog was presented with a history of prostration, weight loss and hyporexia for six months. Based on complete blood tests (hematological and biochemical analyses), bone marrow examination and imaging analysis, a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia was made. Treatment with hydroxyurea at a dosage of 18 mg/kg twice daily was not effective in controlling the high count of white blood cells. Furthermore, after 35 days of hydroxyurea treatment, the animal developed onycholysis, with sloughing of the claws of the left pelvic and left thoracic limbs and exposure of the distal phalanx. Interruption of the medication was implemented, with clinical healing of the ungual lesions observed three months after initiation of the drug. White blood cells returned to normal after using cyclophosphamide. Currently, the animal is in complete remission, having a disease-free interval of 575 days without chemotherapy. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of hydroxyurea-induced onycholysis within a short-term period in a dog diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30243362/