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

Background: 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.

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

Animals: 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.

Methods And Materials: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusions And Clinical Importance: 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.