Autoimmune

Autoimmune is a term that covers a wide range of symptoms and diseases that all have a common underlying cause. This underlying cause is the body's own immune system attacking healthy, normal tissue. As the immune system destroys the tissues, symptoms will develop over time. Sometimes, the early signs are unnoticed until the dog becomes quite sick. Other times, subtle changes can be recognized, and treatment can begin early in the course of disease. Autoimmune can be primary (hereditary) in nature, or the immune system can be triggered to go into "overdrive" by environmental conditions, such as a long-term, low-grade infection. Separating the two can be difficult. Knowing and tracking familial tendencies to develop autoimmune conditions should be a priority for every dog breeder.

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases vary widely, largely because symptoms depend on which organ or tissues are being damaged by the immune system. To further complicate things, some diseases are hereditary in nature, but a secondary form, caused by autoimmune, may also exist. Determining the difference between a primary (genetic) and a secondary (autoimmune) form of a disease may be dfficult.  As you will see, the entire spectrum of autoimmune diseases and their underlying causes can be very complex.

This page and its subpages will discuss various autoimmune conditions which have been found in Chesapeakes. Because of the complexity of these diseases, I *strongly* recommend that if you suspect you ar a friend's dog has one of these diseases, that you contact a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist, Endocrinologist, or other Veterinary Specialist in the organ system that the dog is experiencing problems with (e.g. a cardiologist for immune-mediated heart problems). It is well worth one's while to make the journey to see someone qualified to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases, even if it involves a long trip to the nearest Veterinary Teaching Hospital, or Veterinary Specialties Center. Left untreated, autoimmune conditions can be debilitating, or even fatal.

Conditions which have been recorded in Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and which may have an Autoimmune component include those in the following list. As more information is added, each will become a link to a page on that condition, with information on where you can obtain more information and research projects focused on that condition:

Addison's Disease

Allergies

Diabetes

Discoid Lupus

Immune-Mediated Haemolytic Anaemias (Sometimes called Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia, or AIHA)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Myasthenia Gravis

Polycytic Autoimmune

Systemic Lupus Erythematosis (SLE)

Thyroid conditions