Lupoid Onychodystrophy in Dogs
Key takeaways
Lupoid onychodystrophy is an uncommon disease that affects the nails or claws of dogs.
- Dogs with lupoid onychodystrophy typically have multiple affected nails on more than one paw, but are otherwise healthy
- The cause of lupoid onychodystrophy is not known, but both immune-mediated and genetic components are thought to be involved
- The most common symptoms are split, cracked, or broken nails; sloughing of the nails; painful nails; or misshapen nails
- Diagnosis is made based on history, physical exam, and clinical symptoms, although tissue samples may be used for culture, cytology, and biopsy to rule out other claw disorders
- Treatment consists of medications that modulate the immune system and typically need to be continued for a long time, in some cases, for the remainder of life
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A closer look: Lupoid Onychodystrophy in Dogs
Lupoid onychodystrophy is an uncommon disease that affects the nails or claws of dogs. Dogs with lupoid onychodystrophy typically have multiple affected nails on more than one paw, but are otherwise healthy. The disease process may first present as a single injured nail, but additional nails are quickly affected.
Initially only one claw may be affected, but the condition is progressive and may eventually affect every claw on all four feet.
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Risk factors
Lupoid onychodystrophy typically has an age of onset between 2-6 years and has no sex predilection. The condition is not life threatening, but may cause discomfort or lead to infection, so veterinary attention is warranted.
There may be genetic predisposition, as German Shepherds, Gordon Setters, and Rottweilers have higher rates of incidence than other breeds.
In one study 17% of dogs diagnosed with lupoid onychodystrophy were also diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but the correlation is not clear.
Possible causes
The cause of lupoid onychodystrophy is unknown. An immune-mediated component is thought to be involved. In most immune-mediated disease processes the immune system is overreacting or reacting abnormally.
Main symptoms
The most common symptoms of lupoid onychodystrophy are:
- Split, cracked, or broken nails
- Sloughing of nails
- Swelling of the digits
- Painful nails
- Misshapen nails
Testing and diagnosis
Diagnosis of lupoid onychodystrophy is most commonly made based on history, physical exam, and clinical symptoms, as there are very few disease processes that affect the nails.
In addition, other tests for infection and underlying conditions may include:
- Cytology
- Bloodwork
- Diagnostic imaging
Steps to Recovery
There are many different medications and supplements that have been tried to treat lupoid onychodystrophy, as there is no one treatment that works well in every dog. Common treatment options are:
- Fatty acids
- Vitamin E
- Tetracycline and niacinamide
- Pentoxifylline
- Steroids
- Cyclosporin
If there are any loose nails causing pain, they are removed. Any secondary infections also need to be treated.
Once a dog has been diagnosed with lupoid onychodystrophy and appropriate treatment is started, improvement is expected in 3-4 months. Since nails grow very slowly, maximal improvement is not typically noted until a year after treatment is started. Once the nails have remained normal in appearance for at least 6 months, it may be recommended to slowly start tapering medications, which always comes with the risk of relapse and some dogs require lifelong treatment.
Prevention
Since the exact cause of lupoid onychodystrophy is not known, there is no way to prevent the condition. The condition is not contagious.
Is Lupoid Onychodystrophy in Dogs common?
Lupoid onychodystrophy is uncommon in dogs.
Typical Treatment
- Fatty acid and vitamin E supplementation
- Long-term immunomodulatory medications
- Pentoxifylline to improve circulation
- Treatment of secondary bacterial or fungal infections
