Hamster Central - View Single Post - Autoimmune disease symptoms and treatment

Pebbles82 · 04-20-2018, 04:40 AM

This is amazing - how very clever of your exotic vet to diagnose this. Did they say specifically what kind of auto-immune disease? I am quite interested in this area as even with humans there is no real cause pinned down and varying views on why these diseases occur depending on which type it is. I think generally it's thought that there is a genetic predisposition that can be triggered by a virus of some kind.

An auto immune disease is where the body attacks itself. Normally the immune system develops antibodies to attach external negative things like viruses and bacteria to prevent against disease. In an auto immune disease the body produces antibodies against normal proteins and other things and the antibodies effectively attack a part of the body as if it is an invader. Examples of auto immune diseases in humans are Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and Myasthenia Gravis and there are others. In serious conditions like Myasthenia Gravis the muscles are affected and high doses of steroids are needed to suppress the body's immune system until other treatment is effective. Steroids are also used for asthma, eczema and RA sometimes too, amongst other things.

Usually it means due to the suppressed immune system due to steroid treatment there is more proneness to cathching illnesses or bugs as less defence against them, so extra careful measures if anyone has a cold eg.

There is also a link between allergy and auto-immune disease. I think I would also try her with a non allergenic paper bedding like Fitch. Although Carefresh is technically non allergenic there have been cases of hamsters having an allergy to it. Carefresh is wood pulp and there are a lot more chemical processes involved to make wood pulp than to make paper. It could be soybean is sensitive to some residue within the Carefresh or the dust. Allergies can have different effects - sometimes it can be a respiratory reaction - sneezing and wheezing - sometimes a skin reaction.

What a little trooper Soybean is. Did the vet rule out Cushings as that can also cause skin itching and I think it can only be diagnosed by a blood test. Just asking because there is treatment for Cushings - Coco's hamster Mocho had it.

04-20-2018, 04:40 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Autoimmune disease symptoms and treatment This is amazing - how very clever of your exotic vet to diagnose this. Did they say specifically what kind of auto-immune disease? I am quite interested in this area as even with humans there is no real cause pinned down and varying views on why these diseases occur depending on which type it is. I think generally it's thought that there is a genetic predisposition that can be triggered by a virus of some kind. An auto immune disease is where the body attacks itself. Normally the immune system develops antibodies to attach external negative things like viruses and bacteria to prevent against disease. In an auto immune disease the body produces antibodies against normal proteins and other things and the antibodies effectively attack a part of the body as if it is an invader. Examples of auto immune diseases in humans are Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and Myasthenia Gravis and there are others. In serious conditions like Myasthenia Gravis the muscles are affected and high doses of steroids are needed to suppress the body's immune system until other treatment is effective. Steroids are also used for asthma, eczema and RA sometimes too, amongst other things. Usually it means due to the suppressed immune system due to steroid treatment there is more proneness to cathching illnesses or bugs as less defence against them, so extra careful measures if anyone has a cold eg. There is also a link between allergy and auto-immune disease. I think I would also try her with a non allergenic paper bedding like Fitch. Although Carefresh is technically non allergenic there have been cases of hamsters having an allergy to it. Carefresh is wood pulp and there are a lot more chemical processes involved to make wood pulp than to make paper. It could be soybean is sensitive to some residue within the Carefresh or the dust. Allergies can have different effects - sometimes it can be a respiratory reaction - sneezing and wheezing - sometimes a skin reaction. What a little trooper Soybean is. Did the vet rule out Cushings as that can also cause skin itching and I think it can only be diagnosed by a blood test. Just asking because there is treatment for Cushings - Coco's hamster Mocho had it.