Juvenile Cellulitis in Dogs

Puppy strangles, or juvenile cellulitis, is a nodular and pustular skin disorder that affects puppies. It usually occurs between the ages of three weeks and four months, and is rarely seen in adult dogs. The face, pinnae (outer part of the ear), and salivary lymph nodes are the most common sites to be affected. The cause of this condition is unknown.

I first noticed a change in Deuce when I was letting him out of his kennel and his face had looked like he was stung by a bee. It was completely swollen and hard. You could tell he was miserable so I gave him a Benadryl hoping to take the swelling down. After about two days, his face wasn’t going down and he was beginning to scratch his face to a point where he was bleeding so there was no doubt in my mind that he had to go see the vet. 

The diagnosed him almost immediately. He provided us with a Steroid along with Prednisone which helped IMMENSELY and we were starting to have our spunky puppy again.

Some symptoms to look for are:

• Acutely (sudden and severe) swollen face – especially the eyelids, lips, and muzzle
• Salivary gland lymphadenopathy: a disease process affecting a lymph node or multiple lymph nodes
• Marked pustular and oozing skin disease, which frequently fistulates (develops into a hollow passage); develops within 24–48 hours
• Pustular ear infection
• Lesions often become crusted
• Affected skin is usually tender
• Lethargy in 50 percent of cases
• Loss of appetite, fever, and presence of sterile suppurative arthritis in 25 percent of cases (acute inflammation of membranes, with leaking into a joint, due to bacterial infection)
• Sterile pustular nodes (rare) over the trunk, reproductive organs, or on the area around the anus; lesions may appear as fluctuating nodules under the skin with fistulation

If you feel as though your puppy is being affected by any of those symptoms, don’t wait and take them in. The photo below was taken during Deuce’s recovery. We brought him to one of his favorite doggy daycares during recovery so we could raise his spirits and of course, it did :)

Photo Credit: La Dee Dogs - http://ladeedogs.com

Vet: Banfield Pet Hospital - Waite Park