578 DISEASES/DISORDERS
Individual tumors should be surgically excised; large areas may require extensive pro-
cedures.
Vitamin E 200 mg BID less than 10 kg body weight; 400 mg BID greater than 10 kg
body weight; vitamin C 500 mg BID; beta-carotene 30 mg BID to q24h; vitamin A
400 IU/kg q24h; may have a protective effect.Topical corticosteroids may reduce localized areas of inflammation.
Firocoxib 5 mg/kg PO q24h; overexpression of cyclooxygenase (COX-2) documented
in actinic keratoses in humans and dogs; improvement noted with use of COX-2
selective inhibitor.Prednisolone 0.5 mg/kg PO q24h then tapered dosage: reduces significant inflamma-
tion.
Cephalexin 22 mg/kg PO BID: secondary bacterial furunculosis; alternative antibi-
otics selected by culture and sensitivity testing results.
Tretinoin 0.1%: apply daily to individual lesions for 14 days; then 2–3 times weekly;
may cause irritation.
Isotretinoin 1 mg/kg PO q24h for 30 days; then alternate days or as needed to control
lesions.
COMMENTS
Routinely screen for the development of suspicious lesions; remove individual tumors
as soon as identified.
Prognosis is fair to guarded in cases with extensive disease.
Patients with severe disease may have affected areas reduced in size with medications
to permit more effective surgical intervention.
Euthanasia is due to secondary complications of open lesions and neoplasia, not due
to metastasis.
Isotretinoin: oral synthetic retinoids have become difficult to dispense due to very
strict prescription procedures; may cause keratoconjunctivitis sicca; extreme terato-
gen; do not use in intact females because of severe and predictable teratogenicity
and the extremely long withdrawal period; women of child-bearing age should not
handle this medication; monitor serum chemistries including triglycerides, and tear
production.