In addition to a very elastic, thin and fragile skin, symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in dogs include a fine coat and ocular abnormalities, such as cloudiness of the corneas. Affected dogs show a hypersensitive skin, which can easily get wounded. Articular laxity or lameness, bruising on the legs due to fragile blood vessels, fragile muscles and lameness can also occur in dogs with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. However, the most common symptom is fragile or loose skin.
The disease is often diagnosed within the dog's first year. Veterinaries examine the extensibility of the skin and the occurrence of luxated, or dislocated, joints, but they also perform laboratory tests. Skin biopsies often reveal very thin external skin tissue or epidermis, generally made of only one or two cell layers. Microscopic observation reveals thin and unusually-arranged collagen fibers.
Although the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome cannot be cured or prevented, the treatment of symptoms, such as cloudiness of the corneas and joint luxation, can improve the life of an affected dog. If your dog has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, avoid activities that can cause skin damage and remove rough objects in the dog's environment.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was first reported and studied in humans. Tschernogobow first described the syndrome in 1892, at the Moscow Venereology and Dermatology Society. In 1901, Danish dermatologist Edvard Lauritz Ehlers published his studies on the syndrome, based on the observation of his patients. French physician Henri-Alexandre Danlos further investigated the disease in 1908.