Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases have to do with an individual's defense mechanisms. In an autoimmune disease the body's immune system attacks its own tissue considering it harmful. These diseases often have a hereditary component and there are several different types of them. The most common autoimmune diseases in dogs include allergies, atopy (atopic syndrome), hypothyroidism, diabetes, Addison's disease, thrombocytopenia, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, rheumatism, autoimmune meningitis and various intestinal disorders.

On these pages you can find information on some of these diseases and their genetic backgrounds.