Symptoms of Canine Addison’s Disease
Posted: July 22, 2009 Filed under: Symptoms 12 Comments »Addison’s symptoms can be so nonspecific that they are commonly misdiagnosed (even by veterinarians!) for other diseases. That’s why it’s so important to take your dog to the vet when they are ill–something as simple as an upset stomach could be something much more serious.
Dogs with Addison’s disease might at first appear to have a gastrointestinal disease–they might be vomiting, have diarrhea and a poor appetite. You might also notice that they drink more frequently and urinate more often. The signs may be so vague that you don’t notice any signs at all–that is until they have an Addisonian crisis and collapse. A dog can go from being fine to having an Addisonian crisis in just a few hours: this is a life-threatening emergency.
Unfortunately, these signs can also indicate a host of other disorders. When I took my dog, Shakti, to the vet with weakness and a refusal to eat, the vet thought it was viral. Two days later, Shakti went into a full-blown Addisonian crisis and nearly died. This is a common mistake for vets to make: in a small practice a vet might only see one or two cases of Canine Addison’s in a year and a hundred cases of gastrointestinal viruses.
The only way that your vet can test for Addison’s is to perform an ACTH test. At time of writing (7-2009), an ACTH test will cost upwards of $70–just for the vial to perform the test. But it could save your dogs life.
The vast majority of dogs with Addison’s disease who go to a veterinarian for treatment will be in serious condition, with severe symptoms like lethargy, depression, and poor or no appetite. Your dog will also likely be vomiting, weak, and might have lost weight. Many dogs will be dehydrated and have diarrhea. Some might have collapsed, have a weak pulse or a slow heart rate (bradycardia), or show a slow capillary refill time (to measure capillary refill time, press a thumb firmly on your dogs gum for about 5 seconds. Release the thumb and count: the amount of time it takes the gum to return to normal should be about 1 second).
I came to learn that a very important diagnostic clue is if your dog has a history of illness in the past where they get ill when stressed and get better with rest or a simple therapy like IV fluids. Before she came to live with us, Shakti was dumped at a vet by her previous owners (seeÂ
A small percentage of dogs may also have black, tarry stools (melena) or they may be vomiting blood (hematemesis). Again, this can be easily mistaken for a gastrointestinal disorder or even anorexia. At first, it might seem that your dog has acute renal failure, liver disease, insulinoma, or hypothyroidism. Rarely, some dogs will have seizures due to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Is it any wonder that Addison’s disease has been called “The Great Pretender�
[...] Whatever breed of dog you own, you should be aware of the symptoms of Addison’s disease—it could strike any dog, at any time. Seek immediate veterinary attention if your dog shows any symptoms of Addison’s disease. [...]
i just lost my siberian husky to addison’s disease in july. she was diagnosed at 12 weeks old and only lived to see her third birthday. she showed no signs of sickness at all after being regulated for three years. then one day i came home and i suppose she had an addisonian crisis while i was at work and she had passed away. i am still devistated. we spent several thousand dollars on her trying to save her.. and in the end.. we only prolonged the enevitable.
Christa, I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a dog is devastating, I know. My thoughts are with you!
I just wanted to tell everyone my dog became ill just a few months ago with Addidon’s Disease and it was really hard
be became very ill quickly. I didn’t know what to do, we took him to the vets he just wouldn’t eat or drink. I had to force feed him. I really thought he wasn’t gonna make
it. I gave him lots of care and love and hand fed him and water to into him. The vet starting on the medicine and what a difference, he’s doing so well, he has lots
of energy and feels so much better. He a very happy dog. Jasper is our world.
I have a male basset hound age 2 with Addisons. I worry about him so much. My vet was very smart in spotting what was wrong with him. He is doing pretty good. His eats well and plays but in the evening he shakes when he is sleeping. Not like he is dreaming, this is different. He takes three floicef in the morning and three in the evening. He weights 55 lbs. He also takes from one to five predisone each day, depending on the stress level. I pray he will be ok. I have another Basset that is his companion. They are so cute together. This is a hard thing to have happen to such a sweet living thing.
Poor little guy! When our girl started her hormones, we had to experiment a little to get it right–at first we were giving her too much. When we reduced the dosage, her beautiful coat grew back and she had all her energy.
I too have a 3 year old dog with Addisons. she was diagnosed a year ago and has been fine till the end of November and she crashed. We got her well again but everytime she does anything different like sticking her tongue out for no reason I get nervous. We have spent about $3000 on her because she is always in a bad state by the time I take her in. I was told that one lady could tell her dog was having an episode because the dog would start to shake. Are there any signs to look for before we hit crisis?
Yes, I can tell mine is not feeling good because she starts to shiver. Only you can know your dog though…look for signs of depression or lethargy too. I give her an extra pill (on my vet’s advice) when she shows any symptoms of being low.
My wee 7yr old Maltese Affenpinscher cross girl was diagnosed a week ago with Addisons. Always picky with her eating and at times has hidden herself under our bed for no reason, been a “shaking toy dog” all her life, I wonder if this has been there for some time. She had all the general symptoms above last week including bloody diarrhoea and collapsed. Started on meds but slow improvement then siezures 4 days later and also diagnosed with Hypoparathyroidism on top of the Addisons. she is almost back to normal today with treatment for both. Do you know if this is sometimes the case where these two go hand in hand.
Liz,
I’m sure the two can go hand in hand but I don’t think it’s common. Glad you got an answer for those “shakes”!
Stephanie
My dog Chelsea (Husky/Sheppard) was diagnosed 3 yrs ago. She still goes through bouts from time to time. No appetite, no water, no desire to come to you, no desire to move anywhere, weight loss, dehydration…all could be symptoms of many issues..but all point to some level of shock the body is going through.. Chelsea takes Pred x 1 and Flor x 5 a day. When she has had a crisis before, I’ve taken her in, where they inject her with steroids to jump start her electrolytes and IV immediately for hydration. It’s this initial “shocking” the system that brings back her levels of electrolytes… she appears very, very sick when I drop her off. After an overnight stay it appears as though nothing has happened but a little tiredness.
If you suspect your dog is going into a crisis again, don’t delay in getting those liquids in…it may save an emergency visit..but more importantly the life of your pet!! The electrolytes are SO important in Addisone’s..it can cause a complete failure.. lots of love to all the animal lovers who care for their pets in stress
I am completely heartbroken to have recently figured out that I think my vet misdiagnoised my 10 yer JR terrier with Renal Failure instead of Addisons. We treated him for 2 months and he was only getting worse. He was miserable and I put him down on two days ago. I just happened to be watching some doctor drama show on this evening while I was sulking on the couch and one of the stories was about a man who they disagoised with Addisons disease as the clincher. I had never heard of it. The vet never mentioned of tested for it. I did research on renal failure and the hypothroidism which my dog also had. Yet, there was never a mention of how often Addisons is mixed up with Renal Failure the Renal Failure Sites. You had to know to look for Addisons sites and the confusion was mentioned there. When I heard the symptoms on the TV and then read all the symptoms about Dogs on the Web, they fit him to a T. Even to the fact that he was having tremors in the waiting room and he couched up blood during the first shot. The back leg weakness, the initial positive response to IV, the blood in stool. How am I ever going to forgive myself? Why didn’t my vet even offer this as option since he was also hypothyroid. Why didn’t I get a secong opinion? I am truly at a loss how this could happen. I do not know I am going to get over my mistake.