Autoimmune Disease
By: Dr Lise Hansen
By Dr Lise Hansen
A quick overview
In autoimmune disease, the immune system is so severely imbalanced that it attacks itself and thereby causes serious illness. Simply put, it is the job of the immune system to protect us against threats such as harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that we constantly encounter, but thankfully often remain completely unaware of, because our immune systems deal with them effectively. If the immune system, for whatever reason, malfunctions and so to speak ‘loses its balance’, it may get confused about what is harmful and start reacting against harmless substances such as pollen, fungi, house-dust mites or certain foods. This is what happens when someone suffers from an allergy. In autoimmune disease, the immune system has gone one step further and rather than being confused about what external threats (real or perceived) to react against, it has turned on itself and started attacking the body it was supposed to protect. You could say that the immune system is like a soldier standing guard at the entrance to a castle, ensuring that nothing harmful is allowed to enter. The well-functioning immune system is able to discriminate between who can safely be allowed passage and who poses a risk and must be stopped. In an allergic individual, the soldier is confused, unable to differentiate between friend and foe and therefore overreacting, lashing out wildly in all directions, in the process hurting himself and the castle he was supposed to protect. Autoimmune diseases are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions. The symptoms will depend on which organs are being attacked. The most common forms of autoimmune disease in dogs result in skin lesions, joint pains or, if the components of the blood are attacked, lack of platelets or of red blood cells
What causes autoimmune disease?
Autoimmune diseases are poorly understood. There are believed to be many possible causes. It is well-documented that autoimmune disease can be triggered by medications and vaccines, but it can also appear out of the blue with no apparent cause. Heredity is known to be a factor and for this reason a responsible breeder will want to be informed if your dog has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, as this will influence how the parents are bred in the future. This information is crucial for the improvement of the genetic health of your breed, so never neglect to inform your breeder
Conventional treatment
Autoimmune disease is not expected to be cured. The conventional treatment includes supportive symptomatic treatment and suppression of the immune system, typically using steroids in high doses. Some dogs will die from the disease, others will suffer unacceptable side-effects from the treatment. In many cases, though, the symptoms can be controlled through long-term drug treatment. Remission is possible and some dogs can return to a normal life without ongoing treatments, though relapses are not uncommon.
Holistic treatment
If I were to choose one area above all others where holistic treatments excel, it would be in the treatment of diseases of the immune system. If your animal suffers from an autoimmune disease, do contact a veterinary surgeon who is also a homeopath or an acupuncturist. I cannot say it any more clearly. My personal experience is with classical homeopathic treatment, but an acupuncturist trained in traditional Chinese medicine will also, in many cases, be able to re-balance the immune system
A case history
Luna, a female German Shepherd Dog born in 2011, suffered from the autoimmune disease Lupus. Luna’s symptoms started with lameness in the summer of 2015. She was referred to an orthopaedic specialist clinic where she was scanned and had her joint fluid analysed.
She was treated with steroids for a few months. Eventually discontinued without a return to the previous level of pain.. Sadly, two years later, Luna’s joint pains returned and developed a large ulcer on the nose, another symptom of Lupus. Luna’s carer was determined that she would not go back on steroids, and it was decided to give homeopathy a try.
I saw Luna in November 2017 for the initial homeopathic consultation. While I would normally treat a case of Lupus with a carefully chosen constitutional remedy, I decided, after studying Luna’s medical history, to approach this case from a different angle. I was struck by the fact that her joint pains, Luna’s first signs of autoimmune disease, had initially started very soon after she first received two leptospirosis vaccinations in Spring of 2015. This led me to suspect that vaccination could have been a trigger for her disease. I decided to start treatment specifically against vaccinosis. My plan was, if needed, to follow this up with a constitutional remedy at a later time. I prescribed the homeopathic remedy Thuja.
Apart from being a constitutional type in itself, Thuja is one of the prime homeopathic remedies against vaccinosis (illness caused as a result of vaccination). While it is often impossible to establish a clear causal link in each case, the fact that autoimmune disease can occur as a direct consequence of vaccination is now well established. Vaccinosis can happen after any vaccine, but some experts believe that most cases occur from the use of killed vaccines such as those against rabies and leptospirosis.
Luna’s response was dramatic and immediate. Two days into the treatment, she stopped being lame. She made a full recovery over only a few weeks and has not needed further treatment. There was never a reason to prescribe any other remedy than Thuja. Not only are there no physical symptoms of Lupus, a blood test has confirmed that abnormalities could no longer be detected, and the positive changes to her temperament and energy levels are frequently remarked upon.
It is important to underline the fact that while the homeopathic remedy Thuja saved Luna, this does in no way mean that another dog suffering from Lupus will benefit from this remedy. The principle of individualised treatment is at the heart of classical homeopathy. Homeopathy has a marked effect on the immune system and is absolutely ideal for treating immune imbalances such as autoimmune disease and allergies, still, it goes without saying that a sick animal should be examined and diagnosed by a veterinary surgeon. Likewise, never stop prescribed medications without first discussing this with your veterinary surgeon and do not attempt to treat serious illness at home.
This health article was written by Honey's Real Dog Food
Honey’s Real Dog Food are one of the longest-established raw dog food producers in the world.
Contact:
Tel: 01672 620 260
Email:
Website: www.honeysrealdogfood.com
