Resolution of skin lesions and long-term survival in a dog with superficial necrolytic dermatitis and liver cirrhosis

A nine-year-old, neutered female Shetland sheepdog was presented with crust ed, ulcerative skin lesions affecting the footpads, commissures of the tips and the lateral canthi of the eyes. Histopathological examination of skin biopsies revealed changes consistent with superficial necrolytic dermatitis and biochemical analysis demonstrated elevated liver enzymes, Abdominal ra diography revealed a small liver which, on ultrasonography, appeared diffus ely mottled and showed changes suggestive of periportal fibrosis, On explor atory laparotomy, the pancreas appeared normal, but the liver was small and had multiple nodules throughout the parenchyma, This appearance was confir med as cirrhosis on histopathological examination. The dog was placed on a hepatic support diet and treated with colchicine, essential fatty acid supp lementation and raw egg yolks, After four weeks, the skin lesions had resol ved and the dog remained free of clinical signs over a 22-month follow-up p eriod.