Auto Immune

Autoimmune disease is being seen in a growing number of dogs, all of various breeds and from a wide range of lifestyles. In simple terms, Autoimmune disease is when the immune system is unable to recognize the "self" marker, and it begins to attack and reject the body's own tissue as foreign. Sometimes a specific tissue type (red blood cells) may be affected, or a generalized illness such as lupus may occur.

The acutal cause for Autoimmune disease is not known, but most believe that modified-live vaccines tend to overstimulate the immune system. Some others belive that food preservatives or environmental pollutants are the cause, and genetics has also been blamed.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a decrease in the number of red blood cells resulting in a decrease in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Anemia has numerous causes, including blood loss, decreased production of new red blood cells, or an increase in the rate of their destruction, known as hemolytic anemia.

Prednisone is one of the medications that is usually prescribed for this problem. It is a corticosteroid drug that suppresses the immune system. Very high doses of this immunosuppressive drug are given initially in an effort to stop the destruction of red blood cells and thus induce a remission.

The dosage of prednisone should be tapered off very slowly over many months. The aim is to get the dog to the lowest maintenance dosage possible or off the drug completely. Some adverse side effects associated with prednisone usage are; increased thirst and urination, increased appetite resulting in weight gain, increased panting, muscle weakness and increased susceptibly to infections due to the suppressed immune system. Long term prednisone use may result in liver damage. Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid drug, which is five to seven times more potent then prednisone is also used in the treatment.

Blood transfusions can be used in dogs with autoimmune hemolytic anemia if necessary. However, adding foreign protein can actually intensify the crisis state, increase the amount of bilirubin and other breakdown products the liver must process and suppress the bone marrow’s natural response to anemia. If blood transfusions are given, they should be done only in a life threatening situation and then done with great caution. The blood must be typed and crossed matched to avoid further sensitization and exacerbation of the problem

Removing the spleen is occasionally recommended for cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia that have been nonresponsive to other forms of treatment. This surgery benefits the dog in two ways; less antibodies are made against the red blood cells and the primary organ responsible for the destruction of the red blood cells is removed.