How to Treat Addison's Disease in Dogs

Addison's disease in dogs occurs when a dog's adrenal glands produce less than a normal amount of hormones. These hormones help control the balance of sugar, salt and water in a dog's body. Symptoms of Addison's disease include poor eating habits, vomiting, diarrhea and weakness. Treat a dog's Addison's disease with both short term and long term solutions to help the dog stay healthy and happy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Treat acutely ill dogs in a veterinarian hospital. Vets will determine the best possible treatment plan for the dog. Dog's that are very sick from Addison's disease require a hospital stay. The treatment includes intravenous fluids, medicine to correct the negative effects of potassium on the dog's heart and cortisol-like medicines to balance the dog's hormones.

2. Control the dog's Addison's disease through long term treatment. Give the dog a daily hormone pill prescribed by the veterinarian or get the dog a monthly hormone shot administered by the vet.

3. Reduce the dog's stress. Dogs with Addison's disease cannot produce an adequate amount of cortisol hormones in response to stressful situations. Supplement the dog with hormone pills prescribed by the vet when the dog is in stressful situations such as grooming, boarding, travel or surgery.

4. Lessen the effects of Addison's disease. Salt the dog's food under the recommendation of the vet. This helps the dog maintain a sodium balance within their body.

Tips & Warnings

• Know if your dog is at risk for Addison's disease. Young and middle-aged, female dogs are particularly susceptible to the disease.

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