DOCP dosage calculator and Florinef dosage calculator
Posted: August 5, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »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:
Read the rest of this entry »
What is a glucocorticoid?
Posted: August 3, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »Prednisone–one of the drugs used to treat 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.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Titer Test: an alternative to vaccines
Posted: August 3, 2009 Filed under: General, Tests 1 Comment »In my article Do Vaccinations Cause Addison’s Disease, I discussed how a dog with a lowered immune system (such as a dog with Addison’s disease), regular vaccinations might not be the best choice. An alternative to vaccines is a titer test, which measures how much antibody to a certain pathogen is on your dog’s system at the time of the test. However, titer tests are not without their own problems.
Read the rest of this entry »
Addison’s in Dogs–An Overview
Posted: August 1, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »If you’ve just found this site, and are looking for some basic information on Addison’s disease, my article that Associated Content just published will give you an overview of the condition:
“If you own a 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 you’ve heard of Addison’s disease. It is said to be one hundred times more prevalent in dogs than in humans! Also known as hypoadrenocorticism…” click here to read the rest of the article
Florinef, Prednisone and Percorten-V side effects
Posted: July 31, 2009 Filed under: Treatment 1 Comment »Our Addison’s dog, Shakti had been on her Addison’s meds for about six months when her hair started falling out. We since found out that it was most probably due to too much prednisone. This article lists the side effects for Percorten-V, Florinef and Prednisone. Â If your pet is experiencing any of these side effects, the dosage or interval of the drugs may need to be reduced.
Read the rest of this entry »
How to Get Cheaper Treatment for Canine Addison’s Disease
Posted: July 29, 2009 Filed under: Treatment 22 Comments »If your dog has canine Addison’s disease, you might experience sticker shock at the veterinary office. A month’s supply of replacement hormones for our Addison’s dog, Shakti, cost $80 per month. In this article, I’ll discuss how to reduce the costs of treatment, or even get it for free!
Read the rest of this entry »
Do Vaccinations Cause Addison’s Disease?
Posted: July 25, 2009 Filed under: Causes 8 Comments »Most of us visit the veterinarian once a year for vaccinations. I never gave this annual event a second thought until my border collie, Shakti, developed Addison’s disease. I have since discovered that additives to vaccines (adjuvants) are thought to cause immune disorders in dogs, so I’ll be foregoing her usual annual shots.
Read the rest of this entry »
Causes of Addison’s Disease
Posted: July 25, 2009 Filed under: Causes 7 Comments »Addison’s causes aren’t exactly known but there are several suspects, including a faulty immune system, vaccinations, and tumors:
Read the rest of this entry »
Canine Addison’s Disease: Treatment Options
Posted: July 24, 2009 Filed under: Treatment Leave a comment »Treatment for Addison’s disease in dogs consist of two stages. If your dog is in Addisonian Crisis, your vet will want to, at a minimum, start your pet in IV fluids to get the electrolyte levels back to normal. You can read about Addisonian crisis and therapy in this article. The second step of treatment is maintenance therapy, which involves supplementing the missing hormones for the rest of your pet’s life. There is no one universal “fix” for Addison’s disease: dogs will need to be closely monitored to reach optimal health levels.
Read the rest of this entry »
What is an ACTH test?
Posted: July 22, 2009 Filed under: Tests 3 Comments »There is only one way to give a firm diagnosis of Addison’s disease, and that is to perform an adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation (ACTH) test.
The ACTH test involves several steps:
- A blood test is taken to determine the cortisol levels
- An injection of ACTH is given.
- An hour or two later, another blood test is taken and cortisol levels are measured.
When an ACTH injection is given, a normal animal will produce cortisol in response to the ACTH injection. An Addison’s dog will not produce cortisol.
The ACTH stimulation test is the gold standard to diagnose Addison’s disease—without the test, your pet will not have a confirmed diagnosis.
Recent Comments