Have you ever heard of Addison’s disease? Your dog may come down with this condition, also known as hypoadrenocorticism, if her adrenal glands don’t produce a high enough quantity of certain hormones. Thankfully, this disease is totally treatable. By being aware of the causes and symptoms you can prepare yourself to get your pet the help she may need.
Here’s an overview on Addison’s disease in dogs:
What Causes Addison’s Disease?
“Addison’s disease is caused when the pet’s adrenal glands are no longer functioning properly to produce steroids and/or the hormone responsible for regulating blood electrolytes,” explains Dr. Gregory Kuhlman, a veterinary resident instructor at the Small Animal Hospital at Texas A&M University. According to Dr. Kuhlman, this improper functioning often results from an immune disease, which may destroy your pet’s adrenal glands by causing an inappropriate immune response.
This is problematic because the outer surface of your pet’s adrenal glands — located next to each of his kidneys — secretes cortisol, which helps your dog respond to stress and plays an important role in maintaining his gastrointestinal tract. If your pet suffers from Addison’s disease, he might not have the ability to secrete cortisol. This could cause his body to completely shut down, especially during times of stress.
Addison’s disease in dogs can also be brought on by an inappropriate use of steroids. “If you give a dog steroids for too long, the body forgets how to make it,” explains Dr. Richard Goldstein, the chief medical officer at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, a not-for-profit animal hospital and research center. It’s important to wean your pet off any steroids slowly and gradually, so her body has time to readjust. “Weaning off after a long period gives the dog’s body time to recover and re-learn how to produce its own steroids,” says Dr. Goldstein.
Heredity also plays a role in the likelihood that your dog will develop this condition. Certain breeds, such as standard poodles and Portuguese water dogs, are predisposed to Addison’s disease. In fact, veterinarians often assume that standard poodles have this condition unless found otherwise. If you have this particular kind of dog, your vet will likely run specific tests for Addison’s disease and keep an eye out for any potential symptoms.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Addison’s Disease?
Dogs usually develop Addison’s disease between one and three years of age, says Dr. Goldstein. Though there are signs and symptoms you should be aware of, they are often very discrete and subtle. In fact, “Addison’s disease is often called the ‘Great Pretender’ because it looks like many other diseases,” explains Dr. Kuhlman. If your pet does suffer from this condition, he may experience a loss of energy and start vomiting. You may also notice that your dog drinks and urinates more often. In addition, your furry friend may collapse without warning.
Though these symptoms are usually quite subtle, they may come off as more severe in a situation that’s thought to be stressful for your pet. For instance, if your dog suffers from Addison’s disease, she may get acutely ill, collapse, or start exhibiting severe symptoms when you board her in a kennel or if she suffers a loss or gets separated from you.
How Can Your Vet Test for Addison’s Disease?
While it can be difficult to diagnose this disease, abnormalities in your dog’s electrolyte balance — such as low sodium or high potassium — may warrant further investigation. To test for Addison’s disease, your veterinarian will give your dog a small amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), that should produce a cortisol production response in a healthy dog. Thankfully, Addison’s disease is fairly easy to diagnose if your vet performs this test. However, because this condition is relatively rare, veterinarians don’t often think to test for it under normal circumstances.
How Is Addison’s Disease in Dogs Treated?
“Treatment is relatively straightforward,” says Dr. Goldstein. “You simply supplement with cortisol — the hormone they are missing — and something to control their electrolyte balance.” According to Dr. Goldstein, the challenge lies in giving your pet the right balance of these steroid hormones so that he’s able to cope with stress. Unfortunately this treatment, which needs to be administered on a monthly basis, can be relatively expensive.
If you decide to board your dog or send him to doggie day care you must inform his caregivers that he may not react well to stressful situations. Your veterinarian may even recommend temporarily increasing your pet’s cortisol dosage when you’re planning to be away from him in an effort to balance expected shifts in his stress levels.
Though a diagnosis can be scary, it’s important to remember that Addison’s disease in dogs is completely treatable. With the proper treatment, your pet can go on to live a happy and healthy life.
For more on dog health, read Autoimmune Disease in Dogs: Signs, Symptoms and Relief.
Cara Stevens is a freelance writer who lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children. She has authored several books for children and writes frequently about parenting, hair care, DIY crafts, food and healthy living.
* This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be providing medical advice and is not a substitute for such advice. The reader should always consult a health care provider concerning any medical condition or treatment plan. Neither Care.com nor the author assumes any responsibility or liability with respect to use of any information contained herein.
