Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 2/24/2009

Question
Hi, we have been having problems with our 11 year old dachshund's nails and nose.  His nose gets very crusty right at the nares He was but on antibiotics and a topical Animax and it got better.  He also has some weird looking nails that crack and bleed easily.  Not all of his nails are bad looking.  Two of his nails had to be cut back very far and one removed by our veterinarian due to pain from cracked nails.  What are the likely causes of these problems and prognosis.  Our vet said could be phemphigus or autoimmune disease but I wasn't sure what autoimmune disease she meant.  I am a nurse so this interests me other than him being our pet.  We realize he is getting older and problems will start occurring but were hoping he would have several more years left with us.

Answer
I agree that it could be autoimmune.  Pemphigus is a disease where the body makes an antibody to the cement that holds epithelial cells together.  So this immunity is against the body's own tissue.  That is what autoimmunity is. When these antibodies combine with the cement, then the blood cells try and destroy them.  THis causes separation in the cells resulting in crusts and in the case of the nails, cracking.  The diagnosis is made by taking a biopsy and letting a pathoilogist confirm it.  The animax has a steroid in it, which decreases the autoimmune response.