Update on immununosuppressive therapies for dogs and cats

Abstract

Treatment of immune-mediated disease in dogs and cats continues to evolve as new therapies are introduced or adapted from human medicine. Glucocorticoids remain the first-line therapy for many of the immune-mediated or inflammatory diseases of cats and dogs. The focus of this article is to provide an update on some of the common immunosuppressive therapies used in small animal veterinary medicine. The goals of therapy are to induce disease remission through the inhibition of inflammation and the modulation of lymphocyte function.

Keywords: Azathioprine; Chlorambucil; Cyclosporine; Glucocorticoids; Human immunoglobulin; Leflunomide; Mycophenolate; Vincristine.