Hello all. My I haven't been here in what seems like decades.
I have quite the situation on my hands. My poor girl Messina, now 12 years old, has been diagnosed with pemphigus foliaceus. Over a year ago I started noticing some scabbing around her mouth and our regular vet thought it was probably some minor fungal infection. We used cream for it and it would go away and come back. Nothing too serious. It makes more sense now.
About two weeks ago, my parents noticed some blood on her bed when she got up. After inspecting, they noticed that two of her paws had the layer of skin completely come off. It was bloody and red. Like a horror movie. My mom even had to cut off some hanging skin off the foot pads.
So to the vet she was rushed. Not our normal since we had moved. An emergency hospital. The vet there didn't know what it was. She was sent home with bandaged paws. Parents took her to another vet closer to home/non emergency. After blood work and what I assume was some research on behalf of the vet, my girl was diagnosed with this pemphigus disease. It is autoimmune. Not age or necessarily breed specific. Cause is very difficult to determine. I guess this would explain the scabbing around the mouth as well that seemed to go away and come back! None of the vets were able to figure it out. How incredibly frustrating and disappointing. Perhaps something could have been done sooner!
This new vet gave my parents a pamphlet and we are all going to the vet again this Saturday to discuss it further. The most common medication used for treatment seems to be Azathioprine, which also seems to have the most serious and dangerous side effects including liver toxicity, anemia, pancreatitis and even death. I looked at some other drugs that I thought could maybe be used first instead of just resorting to this one.
I am so worried. She is an older dog and has had skin issues and allergies in the past. The poor dog has been generally healthy but on and off she's had to deal with a few difficult situations in her life. I don't know what to do. Does anyone has any experience with this disease or treatment of? Based on what I have read, it appears to be very difficult to treat and causes many other problems. Poor thing has to get something so serious this late in her life. It makes me want to cry.
Any suggestions or comments would be helpful please. I'm hoping that maybe some good news will come of Saturday's meeting with the vet at least?....oh boy
I have quite the situation on my hands. My poor girl Messina, now 12 years old, has been diagnosed with pemphigus foliaceus. Over a year ago I started noticing some scabbing around her mouth and our regular vet thought it was probably some minor fungal infection. We used cream for it and it would go away and come back. Nothing too serious. It makes more sense now.
About two weeks ago, my parents noticed some blood on her bed when she got up. After inspecting, they noticed that two of her paws had the layer of skin completely come off. It was bloody and red. Like a horror movie. My mom even had to cut off some hanging skin off the foot pads.
So to the vet she was rushed. Not our normal since we had moved. An emergency hospital. The vet there didn't know what it was. She was sent home with bandaged paws. Parents took her to another vet closer to home/non emergency. After blood work and what I assume was some research on behalf of the vet, my girl was diagnosed with this pemphigus disease. It is autoimmune. Not age or necessarily breed specific. Cause is very difficult to determine. I guess this would explain the scabbing around the mouth as well that seemed to go away and come back! None of the vets were able to figure it out. How incredibly frustrating and disappointing. Perhaps something could have been done sooner!
This new vet gave my parents a pamphlet and we are all going to the vet again this Saturday to discuss it further. The most common medication used for treatment seems to be Azathioprine, which also seems to have the most serious and dangerous side effects including liver toxicity, anemia, pancreatitis and even death. I looked at some other drugs that I thought could maybe be used first instead of just resorting to this one.
I am so worried. She is an older dog and has had skin issues and allergies in the past. The poor dog has been generally healthy but on and off she's had to deal with a few difficult situations in her life. I don't know what to do. Does anyone has any experience with this disease or treatment of? Based on what I have read, it appears to be very difficult to treat and causes many other problems. Poor thing has to get something so serious this late in her life. It makes me want to cry.
Any suggestions or comments would be helpful please. I'm hoping that maybe some good news will come of Saturday's meeting with the vet at least?....oh boy
