Vector-borne infections are commonly associated with immune-mediated disease in dogs. Anti-RBC and anti-platelet antibodies are common in dogs infected with certain vector-borne disease agents. Anti-nuclear antibodies also occur. Furthermore, clinical and laboratory abnormalities caused by vector-borne diseases are essentially identical to those associated with idiopathic immune-mediated diseases such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, immune-mediated polyarthritis or immune complex glomerulonephritis. In this session, we will review evidence from studies that explore the association of vector-borne infections with select immune-mediated diseases in the dog along with current recommendations for vector-borne disease screening.
Internal Medicine
Presented by Linda Kidd, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Associate Professor Small Animal Internal Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences
Presented at WWV 2019