Immune mediated thrombocytopenia leading to other issues

[Karen Churchill]

Hi
Has anyone had issues with colitis in a dog with IMT? I have read that dogs with immune conditions commonly develop other ones. Our dog has colitis at the moment of unknown cause but I have read that there is immune mediated colitis. Hoping it isn't but just wondering if anyone has experienced this?

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi

Yes, a dog that has had one AI disease, and is therefore genetically predisposed to autoimmunity, can develop other AI diseases if they have the genetic predisposition to that particular disease and an appropriate trigger is met.

The problem with autoimmune/immune mediated gastrointestinal diseases is they often present in a similar fashion to non-immune mediated gastrointestinal disease such as a nasty bacteria (that can be sorted with an appropriate antibiotic), a virus, or even an allergic gastrointestinal disease which is either dietary or environmentally triggered.   

It is most likely to be a colitis event caused by a bacteria or parasite than an immune mediated disease. This is a common cause of bloody diarrhoea.   It is not always easy to definitively diagnose gastrointestinal problems and this is why the vet may put the dog on antibiotics (often metronidazole)  and/or some probiotic paste and a bland diet to see if the problem resolves. 

If you want to do some research, here are some IM gastrointestinal diseases:

Inflammatory bowel disease is a heading for several IM gastric conditions eg.,  lymphocytic enteritis, Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, Granulomatous enteritis, Lymphoplasmatic colitis.  Dietary hypersensitivity is also another possibility and there are a few IM gastrointestinal diseases which are breed specific.

FYI:  Immune mediated gastrointestinal disease such as inflammatory bowel disease usually start with chronic vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, anorexia.    Clinical history will be taken and tests such as blood biochemistry and haematology checking for Vit B 12 and folate, and a TLI test for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, and urinalysis, also a faecal test for bacteria and parasites such as giardia, campylorbacter, salmonella etc. Depending on those results an intestinal biopsy might be next to see if there is any inflammation or bacterial overgrowth and hopefully this will determine the specific immune mediated gastrointestinal disease. 

Personally, I wouldn't be thinking of this being immune mediated until you have exhausted all the usual speculative treatments.  I hope it isn't IM and things resolve very soon.

Jo

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi

If more information is needed about gastrointestinal problems, the RVC has an excellent podcast:

Gastrointestinal disease podcast by the RVC


https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-referrals/news-events/clinical-podcasts/21-gastrointestinal-signs-and-canine-ibd



The RVC podcasts are an extremely good resource for so many different conditions seen in cats and dogs. For the complete list:

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-referrals/news-events/clinical-podcasts


Jo