Noninfectious causes of immunosuppression in dogs and cats.

Dogs and cats may be affected with primary (inherited) or secondary (acquired) immunodeficiency. For the latter, several infectious diseases have been found to be immunosuppressive, whereas noninfectious causes are less common and not as well characterized. This review summarizes current knowledge of immunosuppression that is not associated with infection. Because of limited studies performed in dogs and cats, some of the references are taken from human and laboratory animal research. Veterinary clinicians can gain a greater understanding of the immune system and how it is affected by various agents and disease processes. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.