Re: [pyrnet] Myositis/Immunity

["Linda Weisser" <lmweisser@attbi.com>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy K" <nakhere@hotmail.com>


Thanks for all the info! I won't worry about Eiger getting it now. Sure
wonder why his immune system broke down tho. He hasn't had many vaccinations
in his life..never on meds..maybe age... >>

His immune system didn't exactly break down.  Myositis in an *auto* immune
disease and not an immune failure disease.  It seems clear that many
autoimmune diseases are partially acquired or possibly environmentally
triggered.  But there is also a good measure of genetics involved.  People
and animals who develped autoimmune disease may need to carry some kind of
genetic risk or potential.  Autoimmune diseases are among the most difficult
to deal with in both humans and animals.

Here is a good site from the Beardie club on the subject:
http://bccc.pair.com/autoimmu.htm

An auto (self) immune disease is essentially the result of an immune system
on overdrive.  The body's immune system is so over active that it begins
attacking the body itself which it identifies as an intruder.  Not attacking
an outside invader.  The most common and well known of human autoimmune
diseases is rheumatoid arthritis.  Also lupus.  I have rheumatoid and one of
the interesting side effects is that other than the disease, I am virtually
never sick.  I don't get colds, I don't get the flu etc.  My body is just
incredibly busy fighting off the invaders -- including itself.

Immune failures or broken down immune systems are virtually the opposite.
AIDS is an example of an immune failure disease.  The body's immune system
does not have the strength to fight off viruses and other invaders.

Actually if what he had was a result of either of these immune issues, your
Eiger could not have caught it from him unless they were themselves
vulnerable.  Dogs can and do get viruses from each other but viruses often
bypass any kind of immune system.  The issue of contagion may be quite
different from the issues of immunity.

Linda