CO2 laser treatment for hard-to-treat nasal skin arteritis in dogs

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dermal arteritis of the nasal philtrum (DANP) is an uncommon and poorly understood condition affecting large vessels of the nasal philtrum in dogs. Medical and/or surgical management has been proposed with inconsistent results and incomplete resolution. Carbon dioxide (CO) lasers are used for a variety of soft tissue procedures and could be beneficial in DANP owing to their intrinsic haemostatic capabilities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the use of COlaser ablation for the treatment of unresponsive DANP in dogs. ANIMALS: Five client-owned dogs with a presumptive or definitive diagnosis of DANP and unresponsive to standard treatments were included. MATERIALS AND METHODS: COlaser ablation of the ulcer and the adjacent tissue was performed until complete resolution of the nasal bleeding was achieved. RESULTS: This cohort included two Saint Bernards, one great Dane, one American bulldog and one mixed-breed dog. There were four neutered males and one spayed female with a median age of 7 (range 6-10) years. The procedure led to complete resolution of the bleeding within a few days post-laser procedure. A follow-up ranging from 1 to 12 months reported a lack of relapses of bleeding and ulceration in all dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this study of five dogs, a single COlaser ablation was practical, cost-effective, and provided full remission of the clinical signs of DANP that had been unresponsive to standard treatment. This is the first report describing COlaser as a potential alternative treatment for difficult cases of canine DANP.