As an uncommon skin condition, puppy strangles mostly affects puppies between one and six months of age. In rare cases, it can appear in young adult dogs up to four years old.
Puppy strangles can be life-threatening — if they make the dog uncomfortable enough, the dog can stop eating or drinking.
Also called juvenile cellulitis or juvenile pyoderma, the underlying cause of puppy strangles is unknown. Three dog breeds — Golden Retrievers, Gordon Setter, and Dachshunds — appear to be more susceptible to the disease, although it can affect other mixed dog breeds as well.
Causes of Puppy Strangles
The exact cause of juvenile cellulitis isn’t clear. Experts suspect it’s an abnormality of the immune system. Most juvenile cellulitis cases are considered an inflammatory immune process, meaning that the puppy’s immune system attacks its own skin.
Symptoms of Puppy Strangles
One of the first signs of puppy strangles is a sudden and severe swelling of the puppy’s face. This swelling can be followed by several other symptoms.
Their lips, ear flaps, or eyelids may become swollen, red, and irritated. Raised or pus-filled bumps or pimples may develop on the puppy’s skin, too.
Over time, the bumps and pimples burst and crust over, which can cause significant scabbing in the injured area. The swelling and bumps may spread to other parts of the dog’s body if puppy strangles aren’t treated right away.
Dogs may also get swelling under their jaw. When they have puppy strangles, the lymph nodes on either side of their neck become tender and swollen. The lymph nodes may eventually rupture and then drain, leaving oozing tracks on your dog's skin.
You’ll notice that puppies who are experiencing puppy strangles often exhibit other signs that something is wrong. They might have:
- Low energy levels
- Difficulty eating or appetite loss
- Fever
- Joint pain
- Depression
- Hair loss
When puppies develop symptoms of puppy strangles, they must be treated by a veterinarian right away. Do not attempt to squeeze or pop the bumps or pimples. This could hurt your dog and cause permanent scarring.
Diagnosing Puppy Strangles
The veterinarian will start by running various tests to rule out other more common skin conditions like ringworm or mange (a skin disease caused by mites). Some tests may include:
- Evaluation of the pimples or bumps on the puppy’s skin. The veterinarian will check for bacteria and surrounding damage on the skin.
- Blood counts. This is to measure white blood cell counts (an indicator that the puppy may be sick).
- Deep skin scrapings, where a veterinarian removes samples of the puppy's skin and evaluates them under a microscope. This is a very common test for puppies with potential skin disease.
- A biopsy. To do this, they'll take a piece of a fresh lesion and have it examined in a lab.
The veterinarian may also take tissue samples from the dog to test for other possible infections that may be affecting the dog. The puppy’s neck may also be examined to check for swollen lymph nodes, which are often a sign of puppy strangles.
Treatment for Puppy Strangles
Because the condition is believed to be a disease impacting the puppy’s immune system, the treatment is aimed at stopping the auto-immune reaction causing the puppy strangles.
The most common treatment includes high doses of oral corticosteroids (such as prednisone) to suppress the immune system.
The medicine is given over several weeks while the dog is monitored under professional care, starting with a high dosage and tapering down. In most cases, the puppy will respond positively and begin to recover after several days of treatment.
An ointment for the puppy may help soothe the skin and ease the pain. If a secondary bacterial infection is found, the veterinarian may also prescribe antibiotics. This can help relieve some inflammation on the puppy’s skin and make it easier for your puppy to recover. In rare cases, chemotherapy may be required.
Most cases of puppy strangles do not reoccur, but scarring can be permanent.
How to Prevent Puppy Strangles
There is currently no known way of preventing this condition. However, when you are looking for a puppy, it's always recommended to buy one from a trusted breeder or humane society.
Your veterinarian can help you determine if your dog has an underlying immune system disorder, and can advise you on the best treatment options if your puppy shows symptoms.
