Sodium-Potassium Ratios for Dogs with Canine Addison’s
Posted: August 11, 2012 Filed under: General Leave a comment »The ability to diagnose Canine Addison’s by looking at serum sodium and potassium levels (electrolyte levels) is extremely limited. An article by Son-Il Pak, which was published in the Journal of Veterinary Science, highlights the difficulties with diagnosing any canine disease — including Addison’s disease in dogs — based on low Sodium-Potassium levels along. Typically, Addison’s dogs have elevated potassium (K) and low sodium (Na). While normal Na:K ratios are between 27.1 and 40.1, dogs with Canine Addison’s typically have ratios below 27.1. In some cases of primary Addison’s the levels may even dip below 20.1. However, these levels could indicate a variety of other diseases as well.
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Canine Addison’s Disease: Update on Shakti
Posted: July 14, 2012 Filed under: General 2 Comments »
We moved house at the beginning of June. If you’ve been through a major downsizing house move before (we went from six bedrooms to three!), then you’ll know it’s a must that you can’t just pack your things — you have to look at everything you have and decide what to keep, what to trash and what to donate. I remember going through the pet cupboard and a large percentage of what was in there went to the Humane Society — nursing bottles for kittens, milk powder and cat litter box liners. Things I hadn’t looked at in over a year since the last little of kittens we fostered. Also in the cupboard was — surprise! — a bottle of 5mg prednisone that hadn’t expired. If your dog is on meds for Addison’s, then you’ll realize that finding a bottle of any meds is a happy day (currently our vet bill is $150 a month — the price of Percorten shot through the roof). Unfortunately, with the house move, my head was in a whirl. If only I had looked at those pills twice.
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Addison’s dog Symptoms: Panting
Posted: April 19, 2011 Filed under: General 4 Comments »One of the most common problems with managing Addison’s disease is what vets like to call “over control,” which can lead to panting, excessive thirst, hair loss and other troublesome symptoms. One of the most common Addison’s dog symptoms is panting. Panting is a way for a health dog to cool down, but if your Addison’s dog is panting, it could be a sign that their medications need adjusting.
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Canine Addison’s Disease Caused by Eating Goat?
Posted: October 14, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »When a 6-year old border collie with canine Addison’s disease showed up at Colorado State University’s veterinary hospital with an apparent Addisonian crisis, the treatment seemed obvious: IV fluids and DOCP to return the dog’s sodium and potassium levels to normal. But when the dog didn’t respond to treatment, the veterinary hospital found out the shocking cause of the dog’s psuedo-Addisonian crisis.
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Addisons in Dogs Book Now Available on Amazon
Posted: October 1, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »You can now purchase Addisons in Dogs on Amazon.com in paperback or e-book. My blog readers can get $5 off the e-book by following this link and entering the code GPGYPVGA.
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A natural food diet for Addisons dogs
Posted: September 9, 2009 Filed under: Diet, General, Treatment 45 Comments »
Addisons dogs have a compromised immune system; it goes without saying that you should feed your pet the most nutritious ingredients available. By providing your dog with a home-made diet, you’ll avoid some of the shocking ingredients found in commercial food, including euthanized animals.
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Canine Addison’s Disease: What is a mineralcorticoid?
Posted: September 7, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »Mineralocorticoids are hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex that regulate salt and water balance in the body. Mineralcorticoid deficiency (as seen in canine Addison’s disease) leads to high potassium levels, low salt levels, and poor heart function. Aldosterone has major mineralcorticoid activity in the body but cortisol also plays a minor part.
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Should you give Addison dogs Advantage or Heartguard?
Posted: August 14, 2009 Filed under: General Leave a comment »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
Posted: August 6, 2009 Filed under: General 5 Comments »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
Posted: August 5, 2009 Filed under: General 1 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:
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