Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmunity, General

  • Bearded Collies and autoimmune disease.  Linda Aronson, DVM. Presenting signs, tests and treatment. It details both the signs of 10 autoimmune diseases and the tests used to make a diagnosis. This is helpful for understanding tests which your veterinarian may order on your dog to establish a diagnosis.
  • Stress, drugs, and immunity.  Linda Aronson, DVM, p 7
  • What’s up doc?  Linda Aronson, DVM.  Beardie Bulletin, August 1996.  Common and uncommon presentations (physical findings) of autoimmune diseases in Bearded Collies.
  • NEW. Immunosuppression Protocol.  Linda Aronson, DVM.  2019

More

Addison’s Disease

  • NEW Research Publication. DLA class II risk haplotypes for autoimmune diseases in the Bearded Collie offer insight to autoimmunity signatures across dog breeds.  Gershony, et.al. Canine Genetics and Epidemology, 2019.
  • NEW Research Publication.  Genetic Characterization of Addison’s Disease in Bearded Collies.  Gershony, et.al.  BMC Genonmics, 2020
  • NEW. A Retrospective Study of Dogs with Atypical Hypoadrenocorticism:  A Diagnostic Cut-off or Continuum?  (2017).   49 dogs had glucocorticoids deficiency and normal sodium:potassium ratios at the time of diagnosis. They were classified as having “atypical hypoadrenocorticism”.  The gold standard for diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism is the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. A post-ACTH stimulation cortisol level less than 55 nmol/L is consistent with the diagnosis.  40 dogs (group 1) had normal sodium:potassium ratios and low post-ACTH stim cortisol levels; 38 had hypoalbuminemia and/or hypocholesterolemia.  Those findings support the recommendation that dogs with gastrointestinal signs and either hypoalbuminaemia, hypo-cholesterolaemia or both, be screened for hypoadrenocorticism with a baseline cortisol concentration as a minimum.  Nearly all dogs in group I showed improvement on glucocorticoid treatment; 14% of the group developed mineralocorticoid deficiency at a variable time after initial diagnosis.  Periodic monitoring should still be considered even years following diagnosis.  Group 2 (9 dogs) had post-ACTH stim cortisol levels above 55 nmol/L but below reference normal for the lab.  Their presumptive diagnosis with hypo-adrenocorticism was by a small animal internist or resident, based on clinical presentation, absence of another diagnosis to explain the signs, and equivocal ACTH stimulation test results.
  • NEW.  Addison’s case study articles from BeaCon’s newsletters

More

Arthritis

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA)

Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy (SLO)

More

Autoimmune hypothyroidism

  • NEW
    • What Is Hypothyroidism?  OFA article on thyroid status based on OFA thyroid panel testing:  normal, equivocal, autoimmune thyroiditis, idiopathic reduced thyroid function.  Autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of primary hypothyroidism in dogs. The disease has variable onset, but tends to clinically manifest itself at 2 to 5 years of age. Dogs may be clinically normal for years, only to become hypothyroid at a later date. The marker for autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroglobulin autoantibody formation, usually occurs prior to the occurrence of clinical signs. Therefore, periodic retesting is recommended.
    • OFA Thyroid testing
      • CHIC certification – # 345
      • Breed OFA statistics (Jan 2023) – 1,162 tests (ranks 98)
        • Normal – # 1022 (88%)
        • Autoimmune – # 10 (0.9%)
        • Idiopathic – # 6 (0.5%)
        • Equivocal – # 124 (10.7%)

More

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

What Can Beardies Do For You?

What Can You Do For Beardies?

Register In Open Health Registry
Subscribe To Lighting The Way
Join The Board Of Directors
Contact Us
© 2024 Bearded Collie Foundation for Health
Facebook

Fathom Analytics, compliant with GDPR and other privacy laws

Scroll to Top