Collie receives treatment for rare form of lupus
Duncan, a 10-year-old, 76-pound collie, had itchy, bloody skin lesions for two years.
“He had been having what we thought were hot spots, like dogs get sometimes,” said Lori Eggleston, Duncan’s owner along with husband, Richard. “We’d clear them up, and they would come back and then we’d have to clear them up again. And our vet said, ‘We've done everything we know, you need to take him to Virginia Tech.’”
The veterinary dermatology team at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital examined Duncan, who had a previous diagnosis of an immune-mediated skin condition called erythema multiforme that causes skin ulcers.
But Ivan Ravera, clinical assistant professor of veterinary dermatology at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, suspected there might be something else going on with Duncan and voiced his concern to Ben Tham, clinical associate professor.
“This species is predisposed to have a subtype of lupus that affects the skin, which is the vesicular form,” Ravera said. “So I say, ‘You know what? You probably have seen more cases than me, but this might be this vesicular subtype of lupus.’ And he told me, ‘I think you're right.’”
A new biopsy confirmed Ravera’s suspicion, and Duncan was diagnosed with vesicular cutaneous lupus erythematosus, a rare autoimmune disease characterized by erosions and ulcerations on the skin, often around the abdomen, groin, and inner ear.
“The immune system is attacking his cells, so you need to suppress that immune response,” Ravera said. “We try with different drugs until we get a maintenance dose. Last time he came in, he was not 100 percent recovered, so we added a topical drug so we can attack both from the inside and from the outside. And now he's looking terrific.”
The Egglestons are pleased with their dog’s progress and his newfound comfort.
“It's been a little slow, but he's gotten better slowly,” said Lori Eggleston. “Finally, today, we've gotten where he doesn't have any more open sores, and he's more comfortable.”
