Cat Immune System Disorders

Systemic lupus erythematosus sle in cats autoimmune diseases are the result of an immune system that has become hyper defensive attacking the cells tissues and organs of its own body as if they are diseases that need to be destroyed.

Cat immune system disorders.

Autoimmune disorders can affect all parts of the body including the skin and organs. The symptoms depend on which organs the disorder affects. Although the virus is slow acting a cat s immune system is. In certain cases multiple organs and body systems are affected.

The damage done and resulting symptoms depend on which tissue is targeted. An autoimmune disease is one where antibodies or lymphocytes white blood cells are created which work against the body. A weak immune system can either be a congenital disorder that the cat was born with or the immune system can become weakened due to conditions that are known to attack the infection fighting white blood cells phagocytes. Systemic autoimmune disease sad also known as systemic lupus erythematosus sle affects the cat s immune system such that it attacks its own cells.

The function of the immune system is to guard against pathogens such as bacteria and viruses by sending out fighter cells to attack them. Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus fiv may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Alternatively an overactive immune system can attack parts of its own body that it misidentifies as foreign causing what is known as an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune diseases occur in both cats and dogs producing relatively similar symptoms.

Disorders resulting from an underactive immune system called immunodeficiencies put animals at an increased risk for infections. For example if red blood cells are attacked the cat becomes weak due to anemia from lack of blood cells. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the cat s immune system attacks healthy cells. Type iii immune disorders commonly cause inflammation in vital organs your cat s kidneys brain lungs or skin.

Another way of putting it is that your cat s immune system has deteriorated to such an extent that now it is destroying itself. This happens as a result of an imbalanced immune system. General signs of ill health such as fever fatigue muscle weakness diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Basically the cat s immune system attacks itself.

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases in felines will vary depending upon the organ or system that has been affected. Congenital weak immune system in cats. Autoimmune disease in cats is one where antibodies or white blood cells are created and work against the body.