What is Addission’s Disease in Dogs?
Addission’s Disease in dogs is an illness that requires to be carefully observed and dealt with in order to offer your furry pal as many healthful years as possible.
Addison's disease occurs when the adrenal glands fails to produce the hormones that they are in charge of. This disease can lead to serious consequqneces and in some cases even death. Fortunately, dogs with Addison's disease can still expect normal lifespans if properly treated.
More information on the early signs of addission’s disease and what are the causes of addission’s disease and treatments for addission’s disease in dogs can be found on this article.
Disclaimer: The information presented on this article is designed to help inform you of addission’s disease. It is not meant to replace the veterinary diagnosis or treatment for addission’s disease. If you have any questionsor concerns about your pet dog’s health or possible symptoms, be sure to get in touch with and consult with your veterinarian as soon as you can.
Symptoms of Addission’s Disease in Dogs
Addission’s Disease can cause obvious changes in your dog’s health and behaviour. There are several early signs and symptoms of addission’s disease which you can observe in your pet. We have detailed some of the common addission’s disease symptoms in dogs, below.
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Increased Thirst
- Increased Urination
The Main Causes of Addission’s Disease in Dogs
To recognize and treat addission’s disease in dogs, you need to know the underlying causes of addission’s disease in dogs. This can help you prevent addission’s disease occurring in the first place or again.
In majority of cases, the initial cause of Addison's disease is unknown. However, veterinarians suspect that Addison's disease may be casued by a hemorrhage, infarction, metastatic tumor, adrenolytic agents, and granulomatous disease.
Diagnosing Addission’s Disease in Dogs
No one understands your dog better than you do and therefore it is important that your dog be checked properly by a vet annually.
The conclusive test for Addisons disease in dogs is the Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Stimulation Test. This test monitors the adrenal glands by introducing the ACTH synthetic hormone. Veterinarians will assess the concentration of cortisol before and after ACTH is administered and the test will show them if the adrenal glands are functioning properly.
For dogs at risk of getting addission’s disease, more frequent check ups at the vet clinic may be advised.
Preventing Addission’s Disease in Dogs
It is upsetting when your canine gets sick, and watching them suffer can be extremely heartbreaking. With caution and a bit of extra care, a dog owner can ensure that dog stays protected from illnesses such as addission’s disease.
To not to look weak or vulnerable to predators, the natural survival instincts make canines conceal health problems. This suggests comprehensive physical examinations by a qualified vet are vital to keep your pets healthy. Generally, blood and urine tests carried out by your vet are needed to get the total understanding of your pet’s health. These preventive checks actions will diagnose any health issue earlier making treatment more successful and less costly and, more notably, will help your pet live a longer, much healthier life.
Dog Addisons disease is generally not preventable. However, there is an exemption - a medicatally-induced Addisonian crisis. If your pet is taking medications like Trilostane or Milotane to treat Cushings disease, make sure you know of the symptoms of Addisons disease, as an accidental overdose may result in a crisis. Make sure these medications are out of your dogs reach and carefully monitor their medication intake.
Sometimes a quick withdrawal of medication like prednisone can lead to dog Addisons disease. The best way to prevent this is to follow veterinarians instructions involving your dogs medication.
Treatment for Addission’s Disease in Dogs
Most dogs that have Addisons disease can be successfully treated without making changes to their diet and activity level.
There is an injectable medication, Desoxycorticosterone Pivalate (DOCP), that is approved by the FDA to treat Addisons disease in dogs. Although, DOCP may not be suitable for all dogs, some dongs will react better to oral medications that replace both the glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid like Fludrocortisone.
When diagnosed, your vet will discuss the treatments available and provide a treatment taht best suits your dog.
Chat to your vet to find out more about how to treat addission’s disease in dogs.