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What is Addission’s Disease in Dogs?

Addission’s Disease in pets is a disease that needs to be carefully monitored and treated in order to offer your furry buddy as many healthy 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.

Here’s all you have to know about addission’s disease in dogs – how to prevent your pupfrom addission’s disease, the early signs or of addission’s disease that you should look for, and what to do if you notice symptoms of addission’s disease in dogs.

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Symptoms of Addission’s Disease in Dogs

Addission’s Disease can cause visible changes in your dog’s wellbeing and behaviour. Knowing the symptoms  of Addission’s Disease in dogs is the first step in protecting your dog’s wellbeing. If any of these signs apply to your pet, bring your pet to your local vet for a checkup:

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  • Lethargy
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Increased Thirst
  • Increased Urination

Disclaimer: The information provided on this post is designed to help inform you regarding addission’s disease. It is not meant to replace the veterinary diagnosis or treatment for addission’s disease. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog’s health or possible symptoms, be sure to get in touch with and consult with your veterinarian as soon as you can.

The Main Causes of Addission’s Disease in Dogs

To understand and treat addission’s disease in dogs, we need to know the underlying causes of addission’s disease in dogs. This can help a pet parent prevent addission’s disease happening 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 hence it is critical that your dog be checked thoroughly by a veterinarian annually.

The conclusive test for Addison’s 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.

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Preventing Addission’s Disease in Dogs

Preventing addission’s disease in dogs is always more ideal than treating it, hence let’s explore ways to prevent addission’s disease in dogs rather than treating it.

To not to appear weak or susceptible to predators, the natural survival impulses make dogs conceal diseases. This implies comprehensive physical examinations by a certified vet are crucial to keep your family pets healthy. Usually, blood and urine tests carried out by your vet are needed to get the complete understanding of your pet’s health. These preventive checks actions will detect any health issue earlier making treatment more effective and less costly and, more importantly, will help your pet dog live a longer, much healthier life.

Dog Addison’s 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 Cushing’s disease, make sure you know of the symptoms of Addison’s 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 Addison’s disease. The best way to prevent this is to follow veterinarian’s instructions involving your dog’s medication.

Treatment for Addission’s Disease in Dogs

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Most dogs that have Addison’s 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 Addison’s 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 local vet to understand more about how to treat addission’s disease in dogs.

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