The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins; to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins, respectively; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to inhibitory compounds that regulate such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to identify and obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to regulate an immune response in an animal.