Pemphigus in Dogs:
When the Immune System Turns on the Skin

An immune system gone wrong

At the root of this strange "immune system gone crazy" condition is a malfunction in the body's own way of solving problems. That is the crux of every autoimmune disease: the immune cells, or antibodies, have been fooled by something gone amiss, and attack the body's own tissue. In pemphigus, the target is the protein that glues skin cells to one another, called desmoglein.¹

1. Step 1The glue is attackedAntibodies target desmoglein, the protein holding the skin's granular cells together.
2. Step 2Cells separate, blisters formWithout that tacky agent the cells pull apart, and painful blisters appear where they did.
3. Step 3Blisters slough into soresAs it progresses the blisters break and fall away, leaving crusts and a different kind of sore.

Pemphigus covers a fairly large group of these complex immune-malfunction conditions, and in dogs or cats, pemphigus foliaceus is by far the most common. In this form the separating cells cause ulcers or crusts around the eyes and ears, on the pads of the feet, in the groin, and across the bridge of the nose. The Akita seems especially predisposed. In cats, lesions often appear at the nail beds, leaving crusty, sore feet.²

Pemphigus foliaceus is usually spontaneous, but it can also be drug-induced, or develop as a reaction to years of chronic skin disease.² That last cause is the one we see most: a dog whose skin has been inflamed for years before the immune system finally turns on it.

Where Nzymes can help

These are complex problems, and they can be difficult to resolve. What Nzymes can do is give the body the resources it needs to run its own mechanisms in a healthier way: live-food enzymes for the skin that has to rebuild, antioxidants for the inflammation, and support for the gut, where so much of immune function lives. Many of the families we work with do both, and step down gradually with their vet as the skin settles.

The Skin Rescue ProgramSee the Skin Rescue Program →Sprouted Granules and Ox-E Drops, which the original page recommended for pemphigus, plus gut support and topical care for the skin itself, with step-by-step instructions.

Because pemphigus so often follows years of chronic skin trouble, the Skin & Coat shelf is worth reading alongside this guide. And you are welcome to book a free consultation about your dog's situation; diet is the first thing we'll go over, and our recommended foods guide shows what to look for.