Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Organic diseases mimicking acral lick dermatitis in six dogs.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Denerolle, Philippe et al.
- Affiliation:
- Clinique Vé · France
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In this study, six dogs were found to have skin lesions on their legs that looked like acral lick dermatitis, which is often thought to be caused by behavioral issues like excessive licking. However, these dogs had different underlying health problems causing their symptoms. The issues included lymphoma (a type of cancer), an orthopedic pin from a previous surgery, deep skin infections, a mast cell tumor (another type of cancer), leishmaniasis (a parasitic disease), and a suspected case of sporotrichosis (a fungal infection). This shows that not all cases of acral lick dermatitis are due to behavior; some can be linked to serious medical conditions.
Abstract
Acral lick dermatitis ("lick granuloma") in dogs is often thought to have a behavioral etiology. However, other diseases may cause lesions on the distal legs, mimicking acral lick dermatitis. In this report, six dogs were presented with acral lick dermatitis-like lesions from different underlying causes-namely lymphoma, an orthopedic pin, deep pyoderma, mast cell tumor, leishmaniasis, and (presumptive) sporotrichosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17615402/