chloelogoa

Panniculitis in The Dog

 talalogoa


Panniculitis is a granulomatous inflammatory disease of the subcutaneous fat, i.e a condition in which the layer of fat just underneath a dog’s skin becomes inflamed.  Small, firm, painful nodules protrude through the skin usually on the flanks of dogs and are unlikely to be cancerous. A few of the nodules are mobile and some rupture and drain an oily brown or blood-tinged discharge. Scarring may occur in the area of the ruptured nodules, and a secondary staphylococcal infection may be present after rupture.   Anorexia, depression, fever and lethargy  may be present in dogs with multiple lesions.   Steatitis is a similar inflammation of fatty tissue but occurs in any part of the body.

Panniculitis can be caused by any factor that irritates the fat layer.  All of the following problems have been considered to be the initiating cause in at least a few dogs; trauma, bacterial or fungal infections, lupus, drug reactions, Vitamin E deficiency, lymphoma, vasculitis, and thromboembolic disorders. A few are benign fatty tumours (lipomas) that have become inflamed. 

Although all breeds as susceptible, dachshunds are affected more than other breeds. Sterile pedal panniculitis is reported to occur in German Shepherd Dogs and appears as well-defined tracts that have slightly swollen inflamed borders. These tracts are most frequently located on the footpads. There is no age or sex predisposition.

A definitive diagnosis can only be determined by a skin biopsy.  Treatment often involves the surgical removal of the nodules.  An antibiotic or antifungal medication may be necessary as well.  Regardless, you will need to consult with a veterinarian.  The prognosis for recovery is high if the underlying cause of the panniculitis has been corrected.

Panniculitis, referring to the inflammation of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, has been associated with multiple causes including infectious agents (bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, Leishmania), pancreatic disorders, immunologic conditions (SLE, idiopathic vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis), drug reactions, neoplasia, vitamin E deficiency and physicochemical factors. However, the majority of cases are attributed to idiopathy. In acute (edematous, necrotic) or chronic pancreatitis, apart from the skin lesions, the animals frequently exhibit vomiting, abdominal pain, various constitutional signs or sometimes nothing. Presumably, in the pancreatic subtype the increased concentrations of lipase hydrolyze panniculus adiposus into glycerol and fatty acids. The latter can initiate regional inflammation finally culminating into an unrelenting granulomatous response. This is why serum lipase and TLI measurements should always be included in the laboratory evaluation. Skin lesions consist of single or multiple subcutaneous nodules that vary in size and consistency. They are often seen on the dorsal aspects of the neck and trunk, the proximal extremities and ventrolateral thorax and are neither painful nor pruritic. When they fistulate, an oily clear to straw-colored exudate appears, which becomes purulent if the lesions are secondarily infected. Excisional biopsies reveal the presence of septal, lobular or diffuse pyogranulomatous to granulomatous panniculitis; lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and fibrous tissue tend to dominate with chronicity. Special staining, particularly acid-fast, should always be applied to evaluate for microorganisms as well as polarized light examination for foreign bodies and injection remnants. In the pancreatic subset of the syndrome, the involution of the acute disease usually abolishes the skin lesions without any further treatment but in the chronic form, vitamin E megadoses, pentoxiphylinne and possibly oral potassium iodide may be useful. Glucocorticoids, the cornerstone of treatment in the immune-mediated and idiopathic subsets of nodular panniculitis, should be avoided.
http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2004&PID=8632&O=Generic




Panniculitis
 Panniculitis
 Systemic treatment of sterile panniculitis
with tacrolimus and prednisolone in dogs.



chloebutton     talabutton

The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.