Acne in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Acne in Dogs

By: Dr. Rosanna Marsalla

Pages 1

Section: Information In-depth

Acne is a disease of young dogs of short-coated breeds. Dobermans, bulldogs, Great Danes, boxers, German shorthaired pointers and rottweilers appear to be over-represented.

This disease is a localized folliculitis, which is an inflammation of the hair follicle, and furunculosis or rupture of the hair follicle restricted to the chin and lips. Comedones are the first lesions noted on the chin. They result from follicular dilation and plugging with excessive keratin formation. Erythema and alopecia may be present in more advanced cases.

Papules, pustules, firm nodules and fistulous tracts may develop as a consequence of a bacterial infection such as folliculitis and furunculosis. Lesions ulcerate and discharge a purulent exudate. Swelling of the chin is variable but it could be severe in some animals.

Regional lymphadenopathy may be prominent and pain and itchiness may be intense in animals with a secondary skin infection. Cysts may develop in chronic cases.

Clinical Presentation

Onset of the disease occurs between 5 and 12 months of age. Acne in dogs tends to improve with age. Occasionally, it may persist in adulthood.

Erythema (redness), crusted papules and furuncles develop on the chin and lips. Hair follicles appear to be plugged (comedones or black head) with keratin.

With secondary infection, draining tracts may develop and exudate may be present.

In chronic cases secondary depigmentation may develop.

Differential diagnoses for this presentation include juvenile onset demodicosis with a secondary bacterial infection, dermatophytosis, contact dermatitis, and early stages of mild juvenile sterile granulomatous dermatitis and lymphadenitis (puppy strangles).

In contrast with juvenile cellulitis, dogs with acne do not have lymphadenopathy, and lesions are not present on the pinnae. In addition, dogs with acne are not systemically ill.

Causes

Onset of the disease occurs between 5 and 12 months of age. Acne in dogs tends to improve with age. Occasionally, it may persist in adulthood. The exact pathogenesis (development of disease) is unknown, but several theories have been formulated, such as the following:

Hormones. Hormones, more specifically androgens (male sex hormones), have been hypothesized to play a role. However, this disease does not seem to have a sex predilection and both females and neutered males may be affected. In addition, hormones would not explain why only short-coated breeds tend to develop acne.

Genetics. Genetics have also hypothesized to play a role to explain why some breeds are at increased risk.

Trauma. It may lead to hair follicle disruption and release of free keratin in the dermis. Keratin, in turn, could trigger an inflammatory response (foreign body response), and the bacteria present in the hair follicle would cause a deep bacterial infection (furunculosis).

Bacteria. The role of bacteria appears to be secondary, because at the onset of the disease the lesions are sterile, and antibiotic therapy does not significantly improve the clinical signs.

Keratinization. Canine acne does not appear to be a disease of keratinization. Excessive sebum production and sebum breakdown to free fatty acids was hypothesized to induce inflammation and comedo formation. However, in one study, where the lipids obtained form the skin of healthy controls and dogs with acne were evaluated, it was found that the lipids obtained from the acne lesions, such as free sterols, fatty acids, and ceramides, are characteristic epidermal lipids and that sebaceous gland contribution is minimal.

Pages 1

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Ringworm (Dermatophytosis) in Dogs
Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection of the skin and is not caused by a worm. It is spread from person to person, from animal to person, or indirectly from contaminated objects. Ringworm is typically...
Read More
2 Demodicosis (Red Mange) in Dogs
Demodicosis (red mange) is a common skin disease of dogs causes by a microscopic mite that are present in small numbers on all dogs. In predisposed individuals the mites increase in number causing disease....
Read More
3 Acute Moist Dermatitis (Hot Spots)
A hot spot starts because something irritates the skin, and the body either itches or becomes inflamed. The itching then causes the dog to lick or chew the area, which further damages the skin, creating...
Read More
4 Skin Discharge or Odor in Dogs
Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.
Read More
5 Pyoderma in Dogs (Bacterial Skin Infection, Pus in the Skin)
Pyoderma is a bacterial infection of the skin. Pyoderma can be divided into surface pyodermas (infection on the skin surface), superficial pyoderma (infection within the skin) or deep pyoderma (infection...
Read More
6 Puppy Strangles
The disorder is a pustular and crusting dermatitis or skin inflammation that occurs in puppies less than three to four months of age. Golden retrievers and dachshunds seem to be predisposed.
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Acute Moist Dermatitis (Hot Spots)
A hot spot starts because something irritates the skin, and the body either itches or becomes inflamed. The itching then causes the dog to lick or chew the area, which further damages the skin, creating...
Read More
2Skin Discharge or Odor in Dogs
Skin odor is a common manifestation of a skin infection; the most common skin infections are bacterial (superficial pyoderma) and yeast (Malassezia dermatitis) infections.
Read More
3Pyoderma in Dogs (Bacterial Skin Infection, Pus in the Skin)
Pyoderma is a bacterial infection of the skin. Pyoderma can be divided into surface pyodermas (infection on the skin surface), superficial pyoderma (infection within the skin) or deep pyoderma (infection...
Read More
4Demodicosis (Red Mange) in Dogs
Demodicosis (red mange) is a common skin disease of dogs causes by a microscopic mite that are present in small numbers on all dogs. In predisposed individuals the mites increase in number causing disease....
Read More
5Puppy Strangles
The disorder is a pustular and crusting dermatitis or skin inflammation that occurs in puppies less than three to four months of age. Golden retrievers and dachshunds seem to be predisposed.
Read More
6Ringworm (Dermatophytosis) in Dogs
Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection of the skin and is not caused by a worm. It is spread from person to person, from animal to person, or indirectly from contaminated objects. Ringworm is typically...
Read More

Acne in Dogs

Acne in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles