Addison's disease in dogs.?my dog had been vomiting for about a week, yesterday (12.17.08) i took her to the vet, thinking it was just some kinda bug, and id get antibiotics to treat her and it would be over and done with, i didnt think it was to serious because her behavior had not changed.
when i took her to the vet, the vet told me he was gonna take a blood sample and run some tests because shes so old, he wanted to make sure it was nothing serious. and hed call me tomorrow morning(12.18.08) and let me noe the results of the test.
so this morning he called me and told me i needed to bring her in right away because he believes she may have a very serious condition/disease, and she is at high risk. at the time i couldnt understand what he had said, but he said serious, high risk, and disease. so i took her almost immediately to the vet.
he explained it briefly to me,
he said her sodium and potassium levels are extrememly high and very low from what they should be.
and he told me he believes it might be addisons disease and he is almost positive, but wants to run another test to be sure,
he also said it is rare, and that it is because of the adrenal glands/kidneys.
he wants me to read up on it, so i can better treat her, understand why i am treating her and more about it, and so him and i can both be on the same page.
he has not diagnosed her with it yet, he is suposed to call me tomorrow morning and let me know then we will take it from there.
but i want to read up on it a little bit and find out more about it,
im not sure what site i can read it on, and trust that the info is acurate.
so im asking for anyone who has possibly experienced this or has info or a site i can read.
plz & thank you.
Posted by poodleguy
Hi -- I'm sorry to hear about your trouble. Addison's is a serious condition, but many dogs are able to live pretty well with it, when given the proper care. A good place to start might be www.addisondogs.com, which is a site devoted to dealing with that particular health issue in dogs. Good luck and I hope your girl has her health back quickly!
Posted by Gabrielle B
Addison's disease, also called "hypoadrenocorticism", is caused by a deficiency of adrenal gland hormones. It is most common in young to middle aged dogs. The cause is usually not known, but an autoimmune condition in which the body destroys some of its own tissues is likely. The adrenal gland can also be destroyed by other conditions, including cancer in other parts of the body. Secretions of aldosterone, the main mineralocorticoid hormone, is reduced, which affects the levels of potassium, sodium and chloride in the blood. Potassium gradually builds up in the blood and, in severe cases, may cause the heart to slow down or beat irregularly. Some dogs have a much slower heart rate (50 beats per minute, or lower) that they can become weak and go into shock.
Signs of addisons disease include repeated episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetit, dehydration, and a gradual loss of body condition. Weight loss is often severe. Althought the signs can be hard to identify while addison's disease is developing, severe consequences, such as shock and evidence of kidney failure, can develop suddenly.
A veterinarian can make a tentative diagnosis based on the history, signs, and certain laboratory abnormalities, such as very low levels of sodium and very high levels of potassium in the blood. The diagnosis is confirmed by specific evaluation of adrenal function. This is done by measuring the level of cortisol in the blood, treating the dog with adrenocorticotropin (a hormone that stimulates the adrenal gland in healthy animals), and then measuring the level of cortisol in the blood a second time. Affected dogs have low baseline cortisol levels, and there is little response to administration of adrenocorticotropin.
An adrenal crisis is a medical emergancy and requires treatment with intravenous fluids to restore levels of body fluids, salt, and sugar to normal. Hormone replacement treatment can often be started while a pet is being stablized. Laboratory values are monitored regularly to assess response to treatment, replacements hormones can be given by mouth or injection. Additional sodium may need to be added to the diet.
:) I copied that directly out of my pet health book, I hope it helps, sorry about your dog :( I hope she gets better :)
Orignal From: Addison's disease in dogs.?
No comments:
Post a Comment