A Siberian Husky's coat is thicker than that of most other dog breeds, comprising two layers: a dense undercoat and a longer topcoat of short, straight guard hairs. It protects the dogs effectively against harsh Arctic winters, but the coat also reflects heat in the summer.
Interstitial lung disease associated with RA typically includes interstitial pneumonias and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small air passages of the lungs called the bronchioles), as well as damage to alveoli. The symptoms of interstitial lung disease include shortness of breath, pain, and difficulty breathing.1,2. The formation of nodules in the lungs occurs in a small minority of patients with RA (less than 1%). RA nodules are more common in men than women. Typically, nodules are asymptomatic.
Over the years, studies have shown that RA can shorten lifespan by an average of about ten years, but until recently this received much less attention by the medical and scientific communities than control of physical disability and improvement of quality of life.A patients appear to have a higher risk overall of developing serious lung, heart or stomach problems, as well as infections and cancers. The reasons for RA patients being more susceptible to infections and cancers may be related to the altered function of the bodyâs defence system (the immune system).