Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bullous skin sores in dogs caused by topical steroid creams
By Gross, Thelma Lee et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·1997·California Dermatopathology Service and Consolidated Veterinary Diagnostics, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Subepidermal bullous dermatosis due to topical corticosteroid therapy in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Six adult dogs developed serious skin problems on their bellies and inner thighs after using topical corticosteroids (a type of steroid cream). They showed signs like blisters, redness, and skin thinning. When the steroid creams were stopped, the skin issues improved, and follow-up tests showed that the skin had healed well. However, some dogs still had minor skin changes like discoloration. This case highlights that using steroid creams can sometimes lead to fragile skin and blisters in dogs.
People also search for: dog skin problems after steroid cream · dog blisters on belly · corticosteroid side effects in dogs
Abstract
Six adult dogs were presented with an unusual bullous dermatosis affecting the glabrous skin of the ventral abdomen and medial thighs. Clinically, flaccid bullae were accompanied by erythema, ulceration, haemorrhage and hyperpigmentation in four of six dogs; the remaining two dogs had thin skin without grossly apparent bullae. Histologically, subepidermal bullae and clefting, vascular proliferation and dilatation (phlebectasia), and alteration in the density and staining of superficial dermal collagen were seen in all dogs. In all cases, corticosteroid-containing topical products had been applied to the affected areas prior to the development of the dermatosis; skin lesions resolved when topical corticosteroids were withdrawn. Follow-up biopsy of three dogs showed resolution of the previously abnormal collagen and subepidermal clefting. Residual lesions included phlebectasia, comedones and hyperpigmentation. The authors postulate that subepidermal clefting was due to local, corticosteroid-induced skin fragility. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of bullous skin disease in dogs resulting from topical corticosteroid therapy.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34645059/