* Itchy skin and eruptions.
* Inflammation in the ears and toes.
* Excessive licking.
* Intense itching near the anus and genitals.

Though these symptoms can appear anywhere the commonly affected areas are the lower back, nose and mouth. Ulcerative skin diseases known as lupus are the most dangerous autoimmune skin diseases that affect dogs, other pets and even humans.

Autoimmune related skin diseases are mostly caused by allergies. These allergies occur as a reaction in a dog due to certain food items, pollutants, chemicals, dust, pollen and other substances that are normally harmless. The affected organ responds to the allergen and the autoimmune reaction of the body causes certain symptoms. This reaction of the autoimmune system that is triggered to expel the foreign substance gives the condition the name – autoimmune disorders.

Another common cause of autoimmune skin disorders is unrestrained use of vaccinations, overdose of cortisone and commercial diets. Together these factors result in weakening the autoimmune system and increase vulnerability.

Autoimmune related skin disorders manifest themselves in various ways in dogs.

One set of conditions known as pemphigus is characterized by large thin-walled blisters (bullae). These blisters can arise from normal skin or mucous membranes. Later, they can ulcerate and form crusts. Another characteristic of pemphigus is red patches that change to pustules and later dry up to form yellow crusts. Normally these are restricted to the nose, the mouth and areas around the eyes and ears. The crusts bind to the skin underneath and can spread through out the body leading to de-pigmentation of the skin.

Another set of conditions is erythema. Erythema is an abnormal redness of the skin resulting from dilation of the blood vessels. Erythema multiforme is red rash caused by hypersensitivity to a drug, disease or another allergen. Systemic lupus erythematosus is an inflammatory disease of the connective tissue with multiple conditions. Typical symptoms include fever, weakness, abnormal fatigability and skin lesions on the face or neck or arms.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is an autoimmune condition that leads to disintegration and shedding of dead tissue. This is a severe and painful condition in which blisters and ulcers form on the skin, mucous membranes and footpads.

Skin problems like canine and feline hair loss, feline acne and cat dandruff that appear to be minor can probably be harbingers of autoimmune skin conditions to come. An abnormality in any part of the skin noticed during routine pet care or grooming should be attended to and treated immediately. High doses of conventional drugs can cause autoimmune skin disorders. Alternative treatments like homeopathy remedies and natural treatments can be highly beneficial to your pet and aid in strengthening the immune system.

Article courtesy of PetAlive

The immune system is the body’s internal and natural self-healing system of reciprocation that comes into action as soon it recognizes an intrusion of foreign bodies. We call a disease as immune mediated when some underlying cause has caused the immune system to stop recognizing foreign substances. The immune system stops creating antibodies for combating the invasion and produces an autoantibody that starts destroying normal cells. Such a disease may be restricted to a single organ or region or the whole animal.

Autoimmune diseases have far reaching consequences depending upon the extent to which they have affected the body of the dog. The pathological signs of multiple autoimmune diseases are normally seen in the same animal since the animal becomes more vulnerable to infections due to a weakened immune system. For example, symptoms of liver disease in dogs as well as feline liver disease are common once the immune system’s automatic responses are restricted.

Typically autoimmune diseases occur due to four types of actions that take place within the body:

* An autoantibody targets a specific organ. For example, autoimmune hemolytic anemia occurs when an autoantibody targets blood cells. In Addison’s disease the target is the adrenal gland.
* Antibodies that target different proteins in the body are produced. These circulate through out the body and cause multiple organ autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by complex immunoglobulin class molecules that are deposited in the lubricating fluid in the spaces between joints.
* Sometimes antibodies and T-cells act together to restrict the activity of an organ. T-cells are one of the two types of cells that carry out an immune response. Autoimmune hypothyroidism is an example of disease caused through this mechanism. The thyroid receives a large number of T-cells and also antibodies programmed to destroy thyroid cells.
* Autoimmune diseases also arise from deficiencies in the complement system. For example liver disease in dogs restricts production of complement serum enzymes that have to be activated to carry out an immune response.

Due to the innate nature of the disease, autoimmune disease has multiple symptoms that depend upon the organs, body systems that are being targeted. As most of the symptoms tend to confuse and mimic other conditions it requires proper investigation through blood, urine and other tests to confirm whether the condition is immune mediated or not. Some of the symptoms in dogs, reported prior to diagnosis, include:

* Diarrhea and colitis: with or without traces of blood
* Lethargy, depression and intolerance to exercise
* Muscle wasting and weakness in legs
* Skin sores, mouth ulcers, lesions, especially nasal and anal lesions
* Stiff joints, alteration in gait tending to lameness and stiff limbs
* Enlarged lymph nodes
* Anemia
* Seizures
* Loss of appetite and weight
* Body odor
* A marked change in bark
* Weight gain if thyroid is affected

A weakened immune system fails to do what it has been programmed to and starts rejecting body’s own tissue as foreign. This exposes a dog to repeated attacks by infections that further deteriorate an already serious condition. It is now coming to light that many well known diseases like hypothyroidism and diabetes may be immune mediated and caused by rejection of hormone producing cells.

Article courtesy of PetAlive

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