Does Your Pet Have Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune diseases are common among pets. They cover a range of disorders in pets that affect the immune system. The immune system consists of a network of white blood cells, antibodies, and defense present in the body that help to fight off foreign bodies and infections, which includes bacteria and viruses waiting to bring our pets harm.
Autoimmune diseases cause the immune system to fight the body’s cells or tissues. This can be life-threatening to pets depending on the organ or tissue affected. Various kinds of autoimmune diseases occur in dogs because they are easily susceptible to these diseases.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE YOUR PET MIGHT HAVE?
When your pet is affected by an autoimmune disorder, there are signs to watch out for. Some of them include bruising, blood in the urine, jaundice, fever, weight loss, anorexia, alopecia, ulcers on the feet and face, anemia, thyroid problems, lesions and crusting on the skin, enlarged lymph nodes, and pale mucous membranes to mention a few. However, symptoms are specific to the type of autoimmune disease presented by your pet.
There are specific types of autoimmune diseases that affect dogs. Examples are;
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
- Immune-mediated polyarthritis
There are also medications available for treating autoimmune disorders, but they are difficult to treat and have the disadvantage of serious side effects, and they rarely cure the pet. For example, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are used to manage pets.
Although corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones responsible for a wide range of activities in the body, including immune response, it causes the following side effects which may differ in intensity in each pet: short term side effects like increased thirst and urination, general loss of energy, development or worsening of infections, and vomiting or nausea.Possible long-term side effects are poor wound healing, predisposition to diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infections, and muscle weakness.
Autoimmune diseases may occur due to impairment in multiple processes of Immune tolerance both in the thymus and the periphery. Immune tolerance therapies are designed to reprogram the immune system to end the immune attack on self-tissue that cause diseases while retaining the immune system’s ability to fight infection.
More effective methods of autoimmune diseases treatment still being observed and harnessed is the stem cell therapy. This therapy aims at rejuvenating and regenerating dead cells via stem cell injections and implantations. This helps to regrow red blood cells, tissues, and organs that might be affected as seen at Stem Cell Safari in Texas.
AFFORDABLE PET CLINICS NEAR ME
Emergency veterinary clinics are available for quick access to treatment in the case of autoimmune diseases or other ailments. More of these emergency vet clinics are available in Houston and are affordable.
Looking for competent and affordable emergency vet clinics near you is not a problem. They provide compassionate vet care and are readily accessible for scheduling your pet’s appointment just by viewing their details on the internet. Some affordable pet clinics in Houston include; Thrive Affordable Vet Care, Affordable Pet Clinic, North Loop Pet Clinic, The Corner Vet at Bellaire, and Mercy Pet Clinic. Most provide a 24/7 emergency and critical care for your pets.