Cat Immune System Disorders

This doesn t happen over night.

Cat immune system disorders.

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. In certain cases multiple organs and body systems are affected. This happens as a result of an imbalanced immune system. An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the cat s immune system attacks healthy 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. For example if red blood cells are attacked the cat becomes weak due to anemia from lack of blood cells. Autoimmune disorders can affect all parts of the body including the skin and organs. Systemic autoimmune disease sad also known as systemic lupus erythematosus sle affects the cat s immune system such that it attacks its own cells.

And who is in control of our kitties immune system health. General signs of ill health such as fever fatigue muscle weakness diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Cats who are infected with feline immunodeficiency virus fiv may not show symptoms until years after the initial infection occurred. Autoimmune disease in cats is one where antibodies or white blood cells are created and work against the body.

Another way of putting it is that your cat s immune system has deteriorated to such an extent that now it is destroying itself. Disorders resulting from an underactive immune system called immunodeficiencies put animals at an increased risk for infections. Although the virus is slow acting a cat s immune system is. You might also find that your cat is thirsty all the time.

The damage done and resulting symptoms depend on which tissue is targeted. Autoimmune diseases occur in both cats and dogs producing relatively similar symptoms. Type iii immune disorders commonly cause inflammation in vital organs your cat s kidneys brain lungs or skin. Symptoms of autoimmune diseases in felines will vary depending upon the organ or system that has been affected.

Basically the cat s immune system attacks itself. An autoimmune disease is one where antibodies or lymphocytes white blood cells are created which work against the body. The symptoms depend on which organs the disorder affects.