Chronic infections and immune-mediated diseases in dogs cause long-term suffering that requires careful ongoing management, balancing treatment efficacy with medication side effects.
Immune-mediated diseases cause significant chronic suffering through their effects and through the side effects of treatment. Dogs on long-term corticosteroids experience increased thirst, weight gain, muscle weakness and increased infection risk. The welfare goal is to find the minimum effective dose of immunosuppression that controls disease while minimising these secondary effects.