can anyone tell me about addisons disease in dogs?

[ditavonteesed]

am googling and reading lots but interested for any actual experiences. can a dog with addisons still have lovely long walks and fun training and all that stuff as long as you stay on top of the medication?

[EggyAllenPoe]

medication isn't even a necessity in all cases.

a dog with addisons may enjoy a normal life, but be vulnerable to stress - some people i know had their dog get to 9 years - that dog had occasionally ben very sick, then after gradual weight loss, had a particularly bad sickness episode and died.

I know a dog with suspected addisons - was a sickly puppy, ear trouble, diahorreah, vomitimg, gained weight slowly...occasional periods of really looking at deaths door. She has never tested positive for it, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have it necessarily.

she has a perfectly normal life except

1. no vaccinations. post-vaccination sickness has almost killed her a few times. - they can never take her abroad or put her in kennels.
   
2. vulnerable to stress - being left alone whilst the lady of the house worked part time saw her health nose-dive (even with people nipping in)
   
3. diet has to be right. BARF feeding works well as hydration is important, and is tempting and readily digestible.
   4)ear trouble. although this is treated in the same way it normally would be, cleaning, clipping back ear hair,
   
   possibly if her condition got bad enough then yes medication would become necessary.
   
   In some cases it is manageable, unfortunately for others it does mean an early death. sudden death in youth after a run of bad ear/ D&V would make me consider Addisons as a pssible cause.
   
   screening against Addisons is usually done by careful working out of breed-lines to reduce the chance of a puppy being affected. No genetic test is available yet though a ACTH test with a positive result can tell you if a dog is affected (so no test for carriers) (though like i say, a negative result is not always conclusive).
   
   why do you ask?

[ditavonteesed]

thanks, I was looking at a long term foster dog with addisons, but have just got off the phone and they dont rehome to families with children under 6 (dd2 is 5.5). the lady did say that she had a feeling someone may have taken the dog this weekend so that is great news anyway. Had a lovely chat with her so was nice nayway.