Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immune-mediated low white blood cells in five dogs
By Perkins, M C et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2004·University Veterinary Centre Sydney, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Immune-mediated neutropenia suspected in five dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Five dogs were diagnosed with a condition called immune-mediated neutropenia, which means their immune system was mistakenly attacking their own white blood cells. Symptoms varied, but some dogs showed signs of infection or other immune issues. The vets confirmed the diagnosis by ruling out other causes and saw improvement when they treated the dogs with corticosteroids, a type of medication that suppresses the immune response. While the treatment helped, it's important for pet owners to be cautious about side effects and not to stop medications suddenly, as this could lead to a relapse.
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Abstract
Five cases of suspected immune-mediated neutropenia in dogs are described. Clinical signs varied depending on whether the animals had a systemic infection or concurrent immune-mediated disease. Patients were diagnosed by excluding other causes of neutropenia, supportive bone marrow aspirate findings, an initial favourable response to corticosteroid administration in four of the cases, and concurrent immune-mediated disease. Four of the dogs were receiving medications at the time of diagnosis, and immune-mediated neutropenia secondary to drug therapy cannot be excluded. This study shows that appropriate immunosuppressive treatment can lead to a favourable outcome, however, care is required to avoid adverse effects associated with corticosteroid use. It is also imperative that medications are not withdrawn abruptly as a second remission may not always be achievable.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15088959/