Immune-mediated polyarthritis causes debilitating joint pain affecting multiple joints simultaneously, requiring immunosuppressive treatment and careful welfare monitoring to restore mobility and comfort.
Dogs with IMPA experience the combination of high fever and multi-joint pain that makes any movement acutely distressing. The shifting lameness - favoring different legs on different days - can mislead owners into thinking the problem is less serious than it is. Rapid welfare improvement with appropriate immunosuppressive treatment is rewarding for both dog and owner. Preventing relapse during steroid tapering is the ongoing welfare challenge, as recurrence causes repeated acute suffering episodes. Identifying and eliminating triggers in reactive forms prevents recurrence more effectively than indefinite immunosuppressive therapy.