Addison's Disease

[Mrs. K]

We've had quite a week. Indy began vomiting at 4:30 Tuesday morning and it kept happening every 45 minutes or so until 10:30. We thought he must have eaten something funny in the woods over the weekend and was just having a delayed reaction.

By Wednesday night, however, he refused to eat and was very lethargic. We brought him to the vet first thing Thursday morning for dehydration. Our vet ran a blood panel and an ACTH response test because he suspected Addison's given Indy's symptoms.

Indy stayed at the vet for 2.5 days receiving fluids and medications through an IV, and it was confirmed this morning that he does indeed have Addison's.

Apparently, it's very common in poodles. I don't really understand the whole disease, but it's a problem with the kidney's adrenal glands. Basically he can't produce enough cortisol, which is important for the body's response to stress. It also helps balance blood pressure and water and salt levels. Our first clue that he might have this was his constant drinking and urinating, to the point that other dog owners noticed it and thought it was odd how much he drank.

Indy went into what's called "Addisonian Crisis," where his levels were so off and his body was beginning to shut down. Luckily we brought him to the vet just in time, and he is fine now, home and resting.

There's no cure for Addison's, and Indy will have to take a small dose of the steroid prednisone everyday for the rest of his life, as well as receive an injection every 25-28 days for the rest of his life. As annoying and expensive as it is, it's not life threatening as long as you are diligent and responsible about treatment. This will ward off any future Addisonian crises.

I was wondering if there are any other doodle owners out there who have or have had dogs with Addison's and what your experience was like. Were there any harsh side effects to the medications? Was treatment successful? Is your dog living a normal life with treatment? Please share any advice you have. Thank you so much!

[Lucy's Mom from GA]

Thanks you so much for your information.  Is it AddisonDogs.com?  I will google it now.  Thanks again.

[Mrs. K]

Yup--that's the site. You have to join before you can see any info, but it's worth it. They send out a newsletter daily as well. Let me know how it goes!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

http://www.addisondogs.com/

[David & Brooke]

I know this is an old thread, but there are a few on Addison's disease and I didn't think it was appropriate to create a new one. I just wanted to share our doodle Brody (who is australian shepherd x poodle) has Addison's. Like others have posted, as long as he gets his medications, he is fine. Drinks a lot of water and for a while started shedding pretty bad.

The first time he was hospitalized, the vet didn't test for Addison's, because he is so young. The symptoms can look like poisoning, and all the IVs he got temporarily restored his electrolyte balance. Looking back, if I had known Addison's was a possibility, it could have saved us a couple thousand in vet bills, and kept him out of risk. Brody's new nickname is $10K. Sweet sweet dog <3  There's a facebook group for Addison Dogs, you have to apply to join, lots of helpful tips for AD dogs' families.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear that your doodle has Addison's, but glad that he is doing well.

Addison's disease is a possibility for any dog, especially those whose breeds or breed mixes predispose them to it. Standard Poodles are one of the breeds most affected, so there are quite a few doodles with it, too. 

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I am sorry to hear that Indy has Addison's disease.  You seem to have an excellent grasp of the disease.  It is extremely common in poodles.  My Roo and Tigger are full brothers and only Roo has Addison's.  He was diagnosed at 18 months and now in 9 and 1/2 years old.  I have been diligent with shots and pills and he has lived a normal dog's life right along with his brother. He has not had a Addisonion Crisis ever as his clever vet caught it on a routine check up. It is expensive, but there have been no side effects for Roo.  He now is living with both Addison's and congestive heart disease.  Both his regular vet and his heart specialist ( isn't that crazy? - a heart specialist for a dog) do not attribute the heart problem to Addison's, but believe that it is a separate genetic predisposition for a heart valve leaking.  He continues to act pretty much like a normal nine year old dog, except he can no longer go to high elevations.  Not really a problem for us. 

Roo has no idea he has Addison's, he loves to go get his shot because he gets a small squirt of cheese from one of those aerosol cheese can's and a lot of attention for a shot he does appear to even notice. 

So enjoy Indy, don't miss a shot,  he will almost certainly have a long and healthy life. 

Hugs to you both from Roo and I