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Permalink Reply by Beth on October 13, 2012 at 4:41pm

Do you have a more specific diagnosis?  In humans, auto-immune inflammation encompasses rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, and a whole host of other illnesses.  The part of the body being attacked helps define the disease.  Auto-immune reactions can basically occur to most parts of the body, including organs, joints, muscles, and skin.  In people, the prognosis definitely depends on what is being attacked.  I'm assuming the same is true in dogs. 

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Permalink Reply by Natalie, Lance &Tucker on October 13, 2012 at 5:13pm

Hi Geri,

what part of the body is getting inflammed.  Yes this is what Lance has, and his ears are the thing being affected. 

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on October 13, 2012 at 5:22pm

Like other's have said it definitely depends on what is being attacked. We frequently see auto-immune disorders that affect the blood which wil cause significant weakness as well as the risk of internal bleeding. Generally the treatment for any auto-immune disorder will be some type of medication, such as a steroid, to decrease the immune response. Many dogs can live perfectly normal lives with these conditions and some dogs can have a one time episode of an auto-immune disorder and never have a problem again. It really depends on the actual diagnosis. We had a dog come in a few months ago that had an auto-immune condition that presented just like meningitis, the dog ended up almost dying and after he recovered he was blind, and yet we had another dog last week that was hospitalized for 3 days due to an auto-immune disorder and went home and is doing totally fine at home and the doctor's don't expect any relapse in the future. Please get more details if you can. Poor pup.

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on October 13, 2012 at 5:56pm

HI guys,

It's his joints, systematic.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on October 13, 2012 at 6:56pm

Steroids are standard treatment but can't be given long term.  Frequently things like this flare and then go away for awhile and then come back, though sometimes it's more chronic.   Can be anywhere from mild to disabling, honestly.  I'm more familiar with the human versions (since I have inflammatory arthritis-- ankylosing spondylitis) but I imagine it's pretty much the same in dogs.  

Mild ongoing exercise is very important.  Swimming would be ideal.

Sorry to hear about your sister's dog and hopefully things will improve.  :-(

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Permalink Reply by Beth on October 13, 2012 at 6:57pm

There are immune-modifying medications for humans.  They are very effective but prohibitively expensive and therefore have not been used in animals to the best of my knowledge (except for testing human drugs, of course). 

NSAIDS can help with symptoms, so I'd think Rimadyl might help, but the vet would have to decide that.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on October 14, 2012 at 12:39am

Have they tested for tick bourne diseases? Those often cause joint inflammation and are easily treated with a long course of antibiotics. There are several immune suppressive medications you can give to dogs, but as Beth said, they are expensive and do tend to open doors for other health problems. Hopefully they can get to the bottom if the illness and its just a one time flare up.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bauer on October 14, 2012 at 8:36am

RED FLAG WARNING!  This sounds so much like a TICK DISEASE!!!!!!   I have had this happen to 2 of my dogs and a couple of friends dogs too....START DOXY ANTI-BIOTIC ASAP.  If its not a tick disease, it won't hurt.  Has the vet not run a tick test?  Sometimes they can be neg but I would insist on the Doxy.  I have not heard of autoimmune diseases in canines so I really don't have any advise for that, however, I am VERY familiar with automimmune in ppl...I have Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease (aka Rheumatoid Arthritis..RA...it is not your grandma's arthritis, that is OA, totally different)...Beth, I have a good friend with AS too...rotten diseases:(~  I am really leaning toward Lymes in this pup and would be insistant on the doxy. The description of how he went down sounds too similiar to both of mine that did.  Its important to treat these tick things asap as they can cause many problems down the road if left untreated too long. 

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Permalink Reply by Geri & Sidney on October 14, 2012 at 1:23pm

Thanks guys!

My sister says:

"Yes he was tested for Erlichia and two other tick born diseases in may and again now and both were negative. JUST in case it was some odd form of it they don't test for, they have him on antibiotics to treat it just in case"

Rocky is feeling MUCH better today, in fact he's back to his old self :)

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