Canine ischaemic dermatopathy: a retrospective study of 177 cases (2005-2016)

Ischaemic dermatopathy encompasses a poorly understood subset of canine diseases that share similar clinical and histological features. Very little information is currently available regarding population characteristics, progression and outcome.

This study aimed to describe the clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of ischaemia dermatopathy, excluding familial dermatomyositis, using cases diagnosed by histopathological analysis.

One hundred and seventy-seven cases submitted for histopathological analysis between 2005 and 2016 met inclusion criteria, of which 93 had complete medical records available.

Both records and pointed surveys were used to retrieve information. Scoring systems were created to subjectively evaluate clinical outcomes and likelihood of a vaccine association.

Of 177 cases, toy and miniature poodles, Chihuahuas, Maltese, Yorkshire terriers and Jack Russell terriers were significantly over-represented (P < 0.001). Of the 93 cases for which historical data were obtained, median age at skin biopsy was five years (0.42-13 years) and median body weight was 7.3 kg (range 1.32-50.3 kg). The condition in 45 dogs (48.3%) was found likely to be associated with vaccination. Younger ages (P = 0.011) and higher body weights (P = 0.003) were positively correlated with greater likelihood of vaccination. Body weight <10 kg (P = 0.0045) and older ages (P = 0.0048) were significantly associated with worse outcomes.

This study provides support for breed predispositions and identifies potential prognostic factors. Importantly, over half of the cases were considered unlikely to be vaccine-associated, demonstrating the need to investigate other underlying causes of this condition.