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Idiopathic Onychomadesis
Common names or abbreviations:
 | Idiopathic Onychomadesis |
Description or definition:
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Idiopathic Onychomadesis is a
condition that affects the canine claws or toenails. Onycholysis
is a term that denotes the separation of nail plate from the nail bed at
its distal and lateral attachments. Total separation of the nail bed
and/or sloughing of the nail is termed onychomadesis. Idiopathic
means that the condition is not the consequence of some other disease or
injury or is the result of unknown etiology. For example, loosening
of the toenails can be a secondary condition resulting from an underlying
condition such as fungal infection, injury, etc. However, in the
condition known as idiopathic onychomadesis nail loosening and sloughing
is considered the primary condition. The exact cause of the
condition is unknown, but it is suspected to have an immune-mediate
component.
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Symptoms:
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Loosening or loss of the
claw/toenails. New nails may come in short, brittle, and/or with
some degree of deformity. The age of onset is variable, but tends to
occur in young adult dogs (1-6 years of age). The onset may be
either acute and wide-spread, or chronic and affecting only one or two
nails at a time. Generalized and/or symmetric onychomadesis may be
the result of an immune mediated “lupoid” (lupus-like) syndrome in
which the body rejects the nails.
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Diagnosis:
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A diagnosis is made based on
history, physical examination, and ruling out other causes of nail
disease. Lupoid onychodystrophy (autoimmune related onychomadesis and
malformation of the nail) can be diagnosed through biopsy of an affected
nail bed.
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Treatment:
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Treatment may include complete
removal of loose nails under general anesthesia, antibiotic therapy for
secondary bacterial infection resulting from injury to the exposed nail
bed, medicated paw soaks, fatty acid supplementation, and Prednisone or
other immune system suppressors if an immune mediated component is
suspected.
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If you suspect your dog has this
disorder, or for further information about this condition, please consult your
veterinarian.
Links to sites about this disease:
This summary provided by:
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Jessica S
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Wildfire Kennel
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