Goodness gracious, it's pemphigus foliaceus
Five pointers on managing this common autoimmune dermatologic disease from veterinary dermatologist Dr. Paul Bloom.
Frustrated by this dermatologic difficulty? In the video below, veterinary dermatologist Dr. Paul Bloom gives his top treatment tips for this most common immune-mediated skin disease in cats and dogs. Here's a quick overview:
1. Make sure it IS pemphigus foliaceus. Get your differentials crossed off your list correctly.
2. Use aggressive corticosteroid treatment: 1 mg/lb twice a day for four days and then once a day for 10 days.
3. Do rechecks IN PERSON. Every two weeks is best. And no phone follow-ups for pemphigus, folks.
4. At the recheck, don't decrease the corticosteroid too quicklymake sure the patient is in complete remission before you start tapering.
5. Watch for secondary skin disease due to corticosteroid use, such as demodicosis or bacterial pyodermas. (Thus, those RECHECKS.)
Click here to download a client handout on pemphigus foliaceus.
