Addison's disease in dogs, also known as hypoadrenocorticism, is caused when the production of adrenal hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone is restricted. It is essential to be diagnosed at the right time, so that functioning of such vital hormones is not constrained.

It is important to know, whether the Addison's disease in dogs is primary or secondary, before starting the treatment. In primary Addison's disease, the salt balance in the body and glucorticoid are affected. However, the reason for this particular act has not been discovered yet. In secondary adrenocorticosteroid, the pituitary stops functioning (the production of hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands is stopped).

Diagnosis:

Many symptoms displayed in this disease are common to other diseases that make it difficult to detect this ailment. Hence, even minute changes regarding your dog's behavior, appetite, mood swings and GI disturbances, need be carefully noticed and considered.

Vomiting is a crucial indicator and many a times, it is the earliest symptom indicating this disorder. A combination of two or more other symptoms such as lethargy, depression, and diarrhea, loss of appetite and muscle weakness, reflect the beginning of Addison's disease in dogs.

Checking the electrolyte levels such as the changes in the levels of potassium and sodium and their ratio are important factors that help in diagnosis of this disorder. However, considering the electrolyte levels is not a definite diagnosis and can be put to practice only for detection of primary Addison's disease.

The ACTH stimulation test is a more definite test to detect dogs with this disorder. The ACTH hormone is injected in the dogs, which stimulates the adrenals to produce cortisol. It may be administered once or twice to check the levels of cortisol in the body.

Treatment:

Many treatments for Addison's disease in dogs normally focus on replacing some hormones such as aldosterone, the cortisol, or glucocorticoids secreted by the adrenal glands. This is usually done through an oral administration of prednisone or hydrocortisone.

The aldosterone hormone maintains the balance between electrolyte levels and it can be replaced by the oral medications of Florinef (tm) (fludrocortisone acetate) and the injectable Percorten-V(tm) (desoxycorticosterone pivalate or DOCP).

A combination of treatments such as salting of food, intravenous fluids, IV glucocorticoids, and sustaining the acid/base stability can be used, in cases of extreme Addison's disease in dogs.

As it is a crucial sickness, that has many ill effects, it can be treated completely and the dog can return to its normally routine provided it is diagnosed at the right time.

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