Immune-mediated disease present in a variety of ways in dogs and cats. With the introduction of numerous classes of immunosuppressant drugs, we have more than just steroids at our disposal for these cases. Use of drugs like cyclosporine, azathioprine, and mycophenolate is common, however we cannot assume that every immune-mediated disease process responds the same to these drugs, nor will each patient respond the same. The audience will learn about the variety of drug classes, mechanism of action, side effects and any current literature that examines their use in certain immune-mediated processes. Furthermore, the audience will hear about the ACVIM consensus statement on immunosuppression specifically for IMHA and how we may extrapolate knowledge regarding treatment for other immune mediated diseases.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize drug classes, mechanisms of action, and side effects of immunosuppression drugs
Evaluate current literature on immune-mediated processes
Recognize common immune-mediated disease in canine and feline patients
