Juvenile Cellulitis in Dogs

Juvenile cellulitis, often referred to as Puppy Strangles, is a skin condition characterized by nodules and pustules on the skin. This disorder typically affects puppies that are between one and four months of age, and the lesions commonly appear around the outer ear and the lymph nodes in the salivary gland. They can also occur on the feet, around the anal area, vulva, and the abdominal area.

This disease is immune-mediated, which signifies that the immune system is attacking its own antigens that normally occur in the body and system of dogs.  This type of autoimmune disease is characterized by pus-filled pimple-like bumps on certain parts of the dogs. This disease may also be predisposed in certain breeds.  The skin may be quite painful to dogs, but will not be itchy to them.

Certain breeds may be predisposed to this condition, such as Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Gordon Setters, and Siberian Huskies.

Juvenile Cellulitis in dogs, otherwise known as Puppy Strangles, is an autoimmune disorder which may be predisposed in certain breeds. Puppies with this condition look as if they have pimples on certain parts of their body.

If your puppy exhibits the following symptoms of juvenile cellulitis, make an appointment with your veterinarian. 

• Fever
• Malaise
• Swollen face, lips, eyelids
• Joint pain
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Abscessing and draining lymph nodes
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty eating
• Depression
• Large pimples, or pustules
• Ulcerations

Types

There are other names of this disease that a veterinarian may use in his diagnoses. Other name types for juvenile cellulitis in dogs are:

• Puppy strangles
• Juvenile pyoderma
• Lymphadenitis
• Juvenile sterile granulomatous dermatitis

Puppy strangles is an immune-mediated disease. Specific causes of this disease include:

• Genetics or predisposition in certain breeds
• Immune-mediated
• Possible environmental pollutants
• Possible overexposure to the sun

If your dog is showing signs of a skin reaction, namely pimple-like bumps in specific areas, contact your veterinarian for an appointment. Your veterinarian will perform a complete examination of your puppy and take a closer look at his symptoms. He will want to know as much information from you as he can gather about when the symptoms started, as well as the severity of his symptoms, your dog’s home environment and lifestyle, and his age. Your veterinarian may then perform baseline laboratory testing, which may include blood work, urinalysis, and biochemistry profile. This will be beneficial as he is a puppy and the data can be compared with future laboratory results.

Your medical professional will examine your pet’s skin very closely. In order to make a definitive diagnosis, he will need to perform a biopsy of the skin. A local anesthetic will be used for the veterinarian to scrape off a small piece, or very small section, of the skin. This may be accomplished by using an instrument known as a punch biopsy. Your puppy may require sedation for this procedure. The sample of the skin will be sent to a pathologic veterinarian to read the results. This is the one single test that can diagnose your puppy with this condition.

Performing a skin biopsy will also rule out other other diseases that have similar symptoms, such as pemphigus foliaceous or juvenile pyoderma caused by a staph infection.

In order to successfully treat puppy strangles, your veterinarian will outline a treatment plan for you to carefully follow. Treatment is more successful if this is caught in the early stages. Treatment methods may consist of the following:

Bathing 

If your dog has developed a secondary infection due to his puppy strangles, your veterinarian may bathe him in chlorhexidine to help stop it from spreading, or to prevent it altogether.

Medications

Corticosteroids will be given in order to help your dog’s skin heal and to avoid any scarring. These will be given aggressively and in high dose amounts. After a few days of treatment, your puppy should begin to respond. This treatment will be given for approximately one month and will be tapered down until he is finished with the medication. Antibiotics will also be administered each day to prevent or to treat any bacterial infections caused by juvenile cellulitis.

Juvenile cellulitis is a treatable condition; however, treatment must be proactive in minimizing flare-ups. It will be important to follow the instructions given to your by your veterinarian in terms of the administration of oral and topical medications for your dog’s health and well-being. If you stop giving your dog the medication without the consultation of your veterinarian, your companion’s condition will reoccur. As your dog is finishing up his medication, be sure to taper him off of it as advised by your medical professional.

Once your puppy is finished with the medication, it will be important to remain proactive and watch for any new symptoms to occur. If you see your puppy developing any new skin irritations, pimples, or lesions, contact your veterinarian.