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As long as you get the dog to the vet during crisis symptoms, your dog will recover. Prognosis for a treated dog with Addison's disease is very promising. For instance, if you take the dog to the vet, travel with her, introduce a new dog or have visitors, you need to double her dosage. However, you'll need to double that dosage when you anticipate stressful times for the dog. The Prednisone bottle costs about $15 each month.Ī small dog will only need about 1.5mg of Prednisone each day.
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The Percorten bottle will last several months for a small dog. Percorten is the more expensive treatment, but you can buy the bottle for about $200 and have the vet give your dog a shot for about $10 each visit. Your dog will take daily doses of Prednisone. Your dog will be dependent on two medications: Prednisone and Percorten. Depending on how critical the condition, the dog could have sodium and potassium imbalances, a heart murmur and malfunctioning kidneys.Īfter your dog is stabilized, you can usually take her home after a couple of days. If you get your dog to the vet quickly, the vet will give the dog fluids, medication and stabilize her. Dogs going through an Addisonian crisis will collapse fast, so it's important to act quickly. If it's night time, find an emergency vet in your area. If any of these symptoms are present with your dog, it's imperative that you immediately take the dog to a vet. Your dog's behavior will be overall lethargic regardless of the activity. Although, when she walks she won't want to go far distances and might even sit down. What might throw dog owners off is that the dog will still drink water regularly. She might try to sleep close to you for warmth, but she shakes and wakes you up. The dog will shake as if she's cold or sick. If you sleep with your dog, another noticeable sign is the shakes. Between the diarrhea and vomiting, the dog becomes dangerously dehydrated.
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She might try to eat, but as soon as she eats, she will vomit it up. Next, your dog will lose its appetite and show signs of anorexia. If your dog normally follows you around the house, she will probably stop and lay there as you move around. First, your dog will probably be more lethargic. Even veterinarians tell you that Addison's disease is an extremely difficult disorder to diagnose unless the vet knows to take blood work. To identify symptoms, you must know your dog's behavior. The result is a tragedy, but you can avoid it by rushing your dog to an emergency vet who can stabilize your pet. When these steroids aren't excreted during stress, your dog is unable to handle it, electrolytes become imbalanced, and your dog's heart and kidneys cease to function.
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In addition to glucocorticoids, the adrenal glands also release mineralocorticoids to balance electrolytes. Normally, your dog's adrenal glands excrete glucocorticoids to deal with the stress. Taking long walks, new dogs in the house, people moving in and out and a change of environment are all triggers for your dog's stress. The disease mostly affects female dogs, and it does not present symptoms until about the age of five. Here are some tell-tale signs that your dog could be having an Addisonian crisis.Īddison's disease is a genetic disorder where your dog's adrenal glands no longer produce the hormones necessary to deal with stress. Once diagnosed, Addison's disease is easily managed at a reasonable cost. Signs are subtle, and it takes an attentive dog owner to see the changes. The hardest part about Addison's disease is knowing your pet has it. If your dog does not get immediate medical attention, she could die from multiple organ failure. An Addisonian crisis is the result of undiagnosed Addison's disease in dogs.
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