Should you give Addison dogs Advantage or Heartguard?

Do you give your Addison’s dog Heartguard or Advantage for heartworm control? These medicines can put a major stress load on Addisons dogs and come with a whole host of potential side effects.
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Side Effects of Prednisone in Addison dogs

Six months after my border collie, Shakti, started treatment for canine Addison’s disease, her hair began to fall out — at first, I thought she was molting. Over the course of a few weeks, big bald patches began to appear on her legs and elbows. Her skin became infected, and soon our gorgeous girl looked like an Indian street dog. Our vet thought she could have a thyroid problem, or possibly an Omega-3 deficiency. This resulted in more tests and many wasted attempts to fix her skin complaints with expensive shampoos, sprays and diet supplements. The real reason? Too much prednisone can cause all of these symptoms in Addison dogs.
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DOCP dosage calculator and Florinef dosage calculator

I’m excited to announce the addition of two new tools to the site for Addison’s dogs’ owners: the DOCP dosage calculator and the Florinef dosage calculator. You can find both tools on the top toolbar, or click on these links to access this useful tool:
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Canine Addison’s Disease: What is a glucocorticoid?

Prednisone–one of the drugs used to treat canine Addison’s disease–is said to have a glucocorticoid effect. Unlike mineralcorticoids, a lack of glucocorticoids isn’t likely to cause an immediate, life-threatening situation. However, a lack of glucocorticoids means that your dog will not be able to physically deal with stress; this can lead to an Addisonian crisis.
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Canine Addison’s Disease — An Overview

Several dogs are susceptible to canine Addison’s disease including the Bearded collie, German short-haired pointer, Great Dane, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Portuguese water dog, Rottweiler, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, Springer Spaniel, Standard Poodle or West Highland White Terrier. Chances are if you own one of these breeds, you’ve heard of Addison’s disease. It is about a hundred times more common in canines than in man.

Canine Addison’s disease is also called hypoadrenocorticism. The disease occurs when the adrenal glands don’t produce enough aldosterone and cortisol. These two hormones control many vital bodily functions like electrolyte balance and proper heart function. If a dog doesn’t have enough aldosterone and cortisol, they may appear lethargic and depressed. However, what is actually happening is that your dog’s body is going into shock: organs are failing (including the heart). If your dog doesn’t receive hormones and fluids to rebalance their systems, they will die.

Two forms of Canine Addison’s disease

Primary canine Addison’s disease happens when the adrenal gland malfunctions. The adrenal cortices don’t produce enough aldosterone or cortisol. This may happen because of a faulty gene, a vaccination reaction, or a misguided immune response. In a type of canine Addison’s disease called Atypical Addison’s, just a little part of the adrenal cortex fails to make cortisol. However, aldosterone is still produced, maintaining electrolyte levels.

Secondary canine Addison’s disease happens when the pituitary gland fails. This gland signals the adrenal glands to produce cortisol by producing ACTH. A lack of ACTH results in a drop in cortisol levels.

An ACTH test can distinguish between the two types of canine Addison’s disease.

Symptoms of canine Addison’s disease include:

• vomiting
• diarrhea
• poor appetite
• drinking/ urinating too much
• weakness
• collapse
• cold to the touch
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• low heart rate

If you think your dog might have canine Addison’s disease, seek immediate veterinary help. Addison’s disease can become severe, quickly, often resulting in death within days — sometimes hours.