It is thought to be a more benign form of pemphigus vulgaris. Pemphigus foliaceous usually begins on the face and ears and often spreads to the feet, footpads, and groin. Secondary skin infections are common, and fever, depression, and anorexia may occur in severe cases. It is considered a benign form of pemphigus foliaceous. The same type of vesicles and ulcers may be found in the mouth, at mucocutaneous junctions, and in the axillae and groin.
Differentiation is possible only through biopsy.
Evaluation of the vesicles is critical to the diagnosis, and because they rupture so soon after formation, a dog must often be hospitalized and examined every two hours until the biopsies can be taken. Early treatment may prevent blindness, but the pigment loss is usually permanent. As you can see by the above descriptions, many autoimmune diseases are similar in appearance. Except for discoid lupus, there is no breed, sex, or age predilection for these problems. As in other autoimmune diseases previously discussed, the primary goal of therapy is to suppress the body's immune response with large doses of systemic glucorticoids.