Canine Pododermatitis & Idiopathic Disease
You may notice your dog licking and chewing its paws. If the cause is not obvious, such as a cut or injury, determining the source of the problem may not be easy.
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Pododermatitis
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Pododermatitis is not a disease. Rather, it is a description of the condition when the skin and tissue of the paws are inflamed or have an infection. There may be swelling, nodules, thickening of skin or even ulcers.
Idiopathic
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The word "idiopathic" means that the cause is not known.
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Paw Problems
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Christine Rees, a veterinary dermatologist specialist at Texas A&M University, says there are many causes for pododermatitis, including autoimmune deficiencies, cancer, injury, fungus, parasites, bacteria, neurological disorders and allergies.
Testing
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Rees points out that effective treatment depends on knowing the cause. When a cause cannot be determined, it is much harder to clear up the problem. She says that with thorough testing, less than 1 percent of cases are labeled idiopathic. If your dog has extensive testing without a diagnosis, veterinary researchers at University College Dublin, Ireland, have determined that idiopathic pododermatitis may respond to immune support therapy.
Expense
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If you cannot afford the extensive testing to determine the cause, discuss attempting basic treatments with your veterinarian for the more common sources of paw problems.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jose Roberto V. Moraes
