Immune Mediated Arthritis in Dogs

Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated disease that can occur in dogs.

Immune-mediated arthritis can occur in any breed of dog, at any age. Some immune-mediated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis have no cure, but there are treatments available to help your dog live a fairly normal life, with a few modifications to diet and lifestyle. If your dog has symptoms of immune-mediated arthritis, consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and a treatment plan that will benefit your dog.

Identification

Immune-mediated arthritis is a type of arthritis that erodes the joints and may progressively worsen. Immune-mediated arthritis can be hereditary or it may be of an unknown cause.

Types

There are several different types of immune-mediated arthritis in dogs. Rheumatoid arthritis affects dogs and is an immune-mediated disease. A dog that suffers from rheumatoid arthritis often has several joints in the body affected by the disease. Some dogs may have other areas in the body affected by rheumatoid arthritis and may suffer from chronic bouts of kidney problems, lymph node enlargement and tonsillitis.

Greyhound polyarthritis is another example of immune-mediated arthritis that occurs in the greyhound breed. Dogs that develop this type of arthritis may have difficulty walking as the disease progresses.

Symptoms

The symptoms most often associated with immune-mediated arthritis in dogs is lameness, joint pain, joint stiffness and swollen joints. As the disease progresses, fever and malaise may develop as well as a loss of appetite.

Causes

According to Pet Education, the cause of immune-mediated arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis is an over-reaction of the dog's immune system. A dog that has a normal immune system will react to foreign proteins. In dogs that have immune-mediated arthritis, the dog's body mistakes its own proteins for foreign proteins. This in turn causes the body to make antibodies against its own proteins. This becomes a vicious cycle that, over time, causes joint erosion and damage to the joints.

Treatment

The treatments that are most often used in dogs that have immune-mediated arthritis may include anti-inflammatory medications. One type of anti-inflammatory medication is buffered aspirin, which is often used to reduce inflammation and pain in the joints. Corticosteroids such as prednisone may also be prescribed to reduce joint inflammation. Some veterinarians prescribe immunosuppressive drugs such as azathioprine to treat immune-mediated conditions, although this is usually in more-severe cases. Weight management is especially important for dogs with arthritic conditions, because excess body weight places stress on the joints. Your veterinarian may place your dog on a nutrition plan to help it maintain a healthy weight. Dogs with immune-mediated arthritis may require more rest than dogs that do not suffer from this condition. Rest is important for dogs in the early stages of immune-mediated arthritis.

References

• Pet Education: Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Veterinarian.sc: Immune Mediated Arthritis In Dogs