Autoimmune diseases in dogs range in severity from nuisance problems to acutely life-threatening illnesses. Our understanding of the immunology underlying these diseases has increased substantially over the past 20 years, though unfortunately our ability to manage the diseases has not kept pace. The most serious autoimmune disease in dogs continues to be immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), which appears to be increasing in severity in recent years and is now the leading cause of mortality due toautoimmune disease in dogs. Therefore, this proceeding will focus primarily on the management of IMHA in dogs, which continues to remain controversial. We will briefly discuss the pathogenesis of IMHA, and then discuss new developments in the managementof the disease, including a novel macrophage depletion approach, the best strategies for prevention of thromboembolic complications, the generation of immunosuppression through the use of intravenous immune globulin, and combinations of newer immune suppressive drugs, including mycophenolate.
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