SymmetricalLupoidOnychodystrophy(SLO)byJoTucker.docVIP

Symmetrical Lupoid Onychodystrophy (SLO) by Jo Tucker (Information Taken from SCBCC Seminar Notes 2011) The term `autoimmune’ is used when the immune system begins destroying good cells for no apparent reason i.e. there are no underlying causes such as infectious or chronic inflammatory disease, or tumours. NUMEROUS AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES There are many different types of autoimmune disease affecting different parts of the body. A dog can develop an autoimmune disease that affects one part of the body only, or that affects several parts simultaneously. This presentation is about primary SLO - an autoimmune disease that affects the nails only. A short overview of why and how an autoimmune disease develops is necessary to give a better understanding of the SLO disease process. What You Should Know About Autoimmune Disease in the Dog GENETICS It is known that autoimmune disease in the dog occurs in animals that are genetically predisposed. This means that they have an inherited risk of developing autoimmune disease. It is thought to be a complicated mode of inheritance involving more than one gene; this is known as polygenic. Both parents carry the genes responsible and it does run in families, but this does not necessarily mean that if one dog in a litter gets an autoimmune disease the others will also follow. This is possibly due to the different mix of inherited genes in individual pups in a litter, or environmental factors. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no DNA tests for these diseases. AGE It is more likely to occur in a young to middle aged dog, but occasionally dogs as old as 14, or more, have been known to develop an autoimmune disease. GENDER Females seem to be more prone - and this probably due to hormonal influences. Also, it is known that hormones can be a major trigger factor for autoimmune disease in the dog, as in humans. SLO is known to affect: GSD’s, Rottweilers, Standard Schnauzers, Bearded Collies, Greyhounds, and many other breed