DERMATOMYOSITIS

 From Sylvia's notes taken at the C.I.M.D.A. Seminar in 2002

DERMATOMYOSITIS is an Immune Mediated skin disease. it is an UNCOMMON disease most commonly seen in the COLLIE breeds It is a disease still NOT fully understood by the veterinary profession. A number of theories exist including involvement of an infectious viral agent. The signs of this disease generally appear from 7 weeks to 6 months of age, typical signs are an alopecia; erythemia, scaling; crusting; and  sores. The lesions are to be found on the face, inside the mouth' and can also effect the limbs, tail & the pads. Myositis which is an inflammation of the muscles develops after the skin lesions which is very painful. Some cases may resolve spontaneously; steroids and high doses of Vitamin E and the Omega oils have proven useful but the more severe cases carry a poor prognosis.

I will also add here her further comments concerning AI diseases.
The role of environmental factors is now recognised to be of major importance in the expression of immune mediated diseases in humans and it is suggested that this is equally applicable to dogs. Exposure to environmental microbes is now believed to be the major predisposing factor in ANY auto immune disease, which MAY explain why some of the seasonal trends seen in some diseases and why natural infection and vaccine induced exposure may trigger an immune mediated disease in some dogs...BUT... an underlying GENETIC susceptibility must be present. It must also be remembered that auto immune diseases are less common in the general dog population when compared to diseases such as CANCER

SYLVIA EVANS (AMSHURA)

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Updated 22-10-05