Addison's Disease

[Drew B]

It was suggested that I start a thread on this disease so we could maybe help each other out.It is a rare disease with which our 4 year old boy Wilson has been diagnosed with after a 4 day stay in our local animal hospital.
Our experience of the first signs(this disease can kill if not caught early)went as follows:
The first day he vomited three times,not close together,but a good few hours apart.
Then he refused to eat or drink,and appeared quite depressed and lethargic.
He was also uninterested in any member of the family...the postman...and walkies.all of which was very strange ,and was the second clear sign that something was wrong.At this point we took him to the vets,where we were given antibiotics and told that it was a bacterial tummy infection.
We brought him home,and monitored him.after a sleepless night there were no signs of improvement,and an overall decline in his demeanour and increased lethargy.I decided to take him into the garden for some fresh air,but by this time Wilson had become very weak and fragile looking.Eventually,he just stood still and waited for me to pick him up.Once inside he collapsed onto the sofa,at which point I took him to the emergency vet.
We found a site whilst our little man was in hospital AddisonDogs.com that was very informative.
We thought we would share this just so it can be in owners minds if their pets present with these symptoms,as it is easily missed,and the quicker they are assessed the better chances of survival.If not caught in time,the disease can be fatal.Addison's can be treated for life,and the dog can live a happy normal life.
I'm rubbish at typing on forums,so I hope this is useful to people

[livingdustmops]

Very interesting as I have not heard of a Yorkie getting this disease. Thank you for posting this.

[charly]

Its very good of you to share this information. I hope your furbaby continues to get well. Thanks for sharing.

[Sarah Sadie]

We had a larger breed who also went into distress with Addisons, at about 3 years old. She had all the symptoms you described. Looking back, she had several unusual behaviors that should have tipped us that something was wrong. She CRAVED sugar: popsicles, our soda, cookies, anything she could steal from us. She also displayed digestive problems as a young pup. And she ITCHED terribly, constantly, all over, rubbing her head, face, and tummy on the grass-out of control and chewing her feet incessantly, from the time she was a pup. She went into kidney failure. Daily and monthly prescription meds, monthly blood tests and frequent exams were EXPENSIVE. It was heartbreaking to lose her. It seems that there are several early symptoms that have not been compiled yet, to help with early diagnosis, before the dogs become severely ill. Maybe soon research will help get information out so these dogs can be treated before they become so seriously ill.

[Drew B]

Originally Posted by Sarah Sadie

We had a larger breed who also went into distress with Addisons, at about 3 years old. She had all the symptoms you described. Looking back, she had several unusual behaviors that should have tipped us that something was wrong. She CRAVED sugar: popsicles, our soda, cookies, anything she could steal from us. She also displayed digestive problems as a young pup. And she ITCHED terribly, constantly, all over, rubbing her head, face, and tummy on the grass-out of control and chewing her feet incessantly, from the time she was a pup. She went into kidney failure. Daily and monthly prescription meds, monthly blood tests and frequent exams were EXPENSIVE. It was heartbreaking to lose her. It seems that there are several early symptoms that have not been compiled yet, to help with early diagnosis, before the dogs become severely ill. Maybe soon research will help get information out so these dogs can be treated before they become so seriously ill.

Thanks for your reply,sorry for your loss.Its so easy to miss the symptoms isn't it.From your reply though,we have possibly found some more! Wilson also used to crave sugar,begging for anything sweet we had,also digestive problems (but not enough to alarm you,once a month,once a week etc).The itching and foot biting we can identify with also!
Another sign was on his walks.He'd be fine up until a certain point,and then it was like a different dog,like he was 100 years old,his walking became stiff and laboured,swiftly followed by vomiting.We overlooked this,thinking it was overexcitement,as he did get excited at the prospect of his walk.
If anyone has any more experiences,please put them up here,as it may save a dogs life!

[Wylie's Mom]

My Wylie has what is sort of the opposite of Addison's - he has Cushing's (atypical Cushing's, to be specific). Atypical Cushing's means one of the intermediary steroids (androstendione, estradiol, progesterone, 17-OH progesterone or aldosterone) is out of whack, causing the excess of that hormone, and often excess cortisol as well. Any disease involving the adrenals is tough to diagnose, manage, and treat - and I'm finding that so true, but we're getting there. Wylie has a very good internist, and that helps a lot.

I wish you all the luck w/ your baby.

[Sarah Sadie]

During his campaign, the rumor circulated that President Kennedy had Addison's disease, which he denied. But since, many articles have proclaimed that he actually did.

The breeder where we got our dog has both the male and female parents, and has had several litters, but no one has ever notified them that their dog had Addison's before. They were as surprised as we were.

[Drew B]

Well,we just had our vet on the phone,and he just confirmed that Wilson has Addison's.Its a relief,to be honest,as at least now we know how to look after our little man .He has been fine since we brought him home,and is up to all of his usual mischief!
The readings were very low,almost off the scale,and we got him in just in time.

During his campaign, the rumor circulated that President Kennedy had Addison's disease, which he denied. But since, many articles have proclaimed that he actually did.

The breeder where we got our dog has both the male and female parents, and has had several litters, but no one has ever notified them that their dog had Addison's before. They were as surprised as we were.

He's in esteemed company then!
We have informed our breeder,so maybe Wilson's brothers and sisters may be checked out.

[Drew B]

Here we are:

[Sarah Sadie]

I am so relieved that you have identified your Wilson's affliction. I hope you can find a way to pay for his treatment, since it is so very expensive. You are so lucky to have found it early enough to save him. I hope he has a happy, normal life now.

[Ladymom]

Wilson is a handsome boy!

I'm so glad your vet was able to diagnose it. I know it can be confused with many other things, including HGE which mimics an Addisonian crisis.

[DebbieD]

Originally Posted by Drew B

Thanks for your reply,sorry for your loss.Its so easy to miss the symptoms isn't it.From your reply though,we have possibly found some more! Wilson also used to crave sugar,begging for anything sweet we had,also digestive problems (but not enough to alarm you,once a month,once a week etc).The itching and foot biting we can identify with also!
Another sign was on his walks.He'd be fine up until a certain point,and then it was like a different dog,like he was 100 years old,his walking became stiff and laboured,swiftly followed by vomiting.We overlooked this,thinking it was overexcitement,as he did get excited at the prospect of his walk.
If anyone has any more experiences,please put them up here,as it may save a dogs life!

I lost my 5 year old this August from Addison's Disease. Unfortunately she was diagnosed well after she was in crisis and they just could not save her. I must add that this all happened in about 26 hours.
She periodically suffered from all the symptoms everyone has described here as well as being extremely nervous and unable to handle stress, (thunderstorms, fireworks, separation, for example).
Each time I took her to the vet and complained about whatever was going on the only answer I received was that maybe she needed some anti-anxiety meds. I trusted my vets and did not question them, after all they always would remind me that Yorkies as a breed are prone to being high strung and nervous. This just never sat right with me and my daughter so we kept searching for another answer. The answer came too late for my Nala but I hope that by sharing what ever I have learned I can save someone else.
Addison's is VERY TREATABLE if diagnosed in time.

[mojo]

I am curious how your dog is doing? My 6 1/2 year old - Bella - was diagnosed with addisons a few years ago. She is on docp injections every 3 weeks and prednisone every other day.
About 4 months ago she started going downhill. Episodes of vomitting/diarrhea. This occurs every month now. She was hospitalized last month and they insisted on xrays because they said she got into something.
Of course she had not; but they did see she has an enlarged heart.
She now supposedly also has pancreatitis.
We have an appointment with her vet tomorrow. This poor girl has had such a hard time of it.
Hopefully your Yorkie is doing well. Awful disease!

[NellasMom]

Nella has been at a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center since Christmas Eve.

Nella is a spirited 1.5 yr, 5 lb, female Yorkshire Terrier, my baby and a little sister and best friend to Coco - our 5 yr Yorkie male. She is intelligent, spunky, independent, courageous, determined and full of joie de vivre!

She is fearless and always full of energy, so when she became sick this past week it really had me worried. I have always maintained good and quality care for my little girl; she is fed quality foods and has been vaccinated against all known diseases.

Last weekend I noticed her acting strange. She couldn't lay and get comfortable. She was restless from her discomfort. She drank quite a bit of water and ate some food throughout the day and then started throwing that up. I was worried but did not panic because both Nella and her big brother Coco have had "stomach bugs" in the past which cleared up within 1-2 days however this was different.

I took Nella in to see her vet. She was dehydrated and received fluids. I did not know if she ate something she shouldn't have - Nella has a curious and independent streak. She often goes on scavenger hunts around the house (I am a watchdog when it comes to things she should not have access to- yet she does outsmart me!) and quickly and artfully tracks down those things. I mentioned that to our vet and as a precaution he gave her antidote and penicillin injections and an antibiotic treatment to give her at home.

I brought Nella home and she ate small amounts of bland food and was drinking water. Later in the day Nella played with her older brother and her favorite yellow Wilson tennis ball.

The next day, she was resting most of the day - the vet said she may be a little sleepy due to the medicine she was given. She ate some but was not interested in play or any family member. Nella spent most of the day on the sofa looking out the window.

Throughout the night, she had a few accidents around the house. In the morning she was not interested in taking a morning walk and looked tired. I gave her antibiotics to fight whatever "bug" she had and left her peacefully on her bed. Mid day Nella looked really uncomfortable. Her eyes looked a little cloudy. She was sluggish and looked depressed. I became extremely worried by her labored breathing. I wondered "Was this an allergic reaction to the medication I was giving her?". Unbeknownst to me the next 24 hours was going to be the most challenging and testing time in my personal history of dealing with crises.

This was Christmas Eve. I immediately took her to a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center. Nella was diagnosed with hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and dehydration - particularly dangerous for these tinies who have little weight to lose before they are dehydrated and need IV rehydration. Nella's gums were pale pink and her pulse was alarming. She was immediately given IV fluids and was placed on a warming pad to raise her low body temperature. I was told she would have to stay overnight.

The ER vet took a variety of tests and the blood test came back fine with slightly abnormal sugar and red blood cell count levels - we speculated this was mostly was due to Nella's severe dehydration but we still would not know definitely.

Next, Nella began suffering from a severe bloody diarrhea and depression. It became more severe within hours. She got very sick, very fast. The IV fluid therapy kept her from getting a potentially fatal clotting disorder (this disease is often irreversible and may result in death).

She was also diagnosed with sepsis (illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria where major organs and body systems [kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system] stop working properly because of poor blood flow). She was given antibiotics to combat the suspected infection and a plasma transfusion (necessary to correct her rapid loss of protein). Nothing was guaranteed. The vet said that Nella was so sick that we did not know if her body would respond to the aggressive treatment she was receiving and there was a possibility that, my little Nella, would not make it through the transfusion.

Seconds seemed like hours and hours like days. It was now 2 am on Christmas Day. I was the only person in the ER waiting area. I waited and waited to hear the metal ER door open with news - any news. I had to brace myself for anything. I was heart broken but had this amazing ability to sustain blissful ignorance that she was going to be okay. She had to be!

I waited longer. I was surrounded by used up tissues and empty Kleenex boxes and the single TV in the reception area switched to a station where all I heard was callers discussing death, dealing with grief and miracles.

My Christmas at the ER was turbulent, painful, lonely, reflective but hopeful. I wanted to see my little girl but was told by a nurse (with tears in his eyes) that the ICU where she was being treated was "chaotic". I could read between the lines; they were doing whatever it took to save my little girl! Finally, the door opened and my heart skipped. I was invited to go see her. She was laying in an incubator surrounded by IV cables, catheders, blood pressure monitoring machines - the total ICU toolkit. It was way too early to tell what would happen and if she would respond to the very aggressive care she was given. She was in the process of receiving her 1st plasma transfusion. She was in her warm incubator, weak, sluggish, surrounded by IV tubes but she was ALIVE!

Iam happy to say that little Nella made it through her most difficult night and has showed signs that she is responsive to treatment. However she is not out of the woods yet! The bacteria is still in her body and is not allowing her little body to fully absorb proteins, she still has bloody diiarrhea and is not interested in food. She continues to be under 24 hour care however thankfully she has been removed from ICU. She is certainly fighting this thing! Her vitals are slowly normalizing and diarrhea has been slowing down (her pad is now changed every hour versus every 15 minutes at her most severe) and I have been able to leave the ER for a bit and care and give support to Nella's brother - Coco - who has been under the care of a family member (thankfully he has not any symptoms of an infection).

The human-pet bond is so precious and unmistakable! My way of I honoring that bond is to agree to every aggressive and costly treatment to save my little girl.

Nella needs to continue with the supportive care to recover. The most frustrating part is that there is no cause to what is going on with her. The ER vets speculated that it could be the HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). But that term is just too broad and there is no real cause for HGE either! We tested her for
infectious diseases such as parvovirus and coronavirus; parasites, gastrointestinal all came back negative. TODAY the clinic took blood and gave her the ACTH stimulation test to see if it could be Addison’s disease. We now wait!

Currently (day 3) Nella is under IV and is receiving food through a nasal feeding tube because she is not interested in the food offered by the vet. Her diarrhea has slowed. Today I tried feeding her when I visited her at the hospital; she was a little curious of the scent, stuck her tongue out and licked her whiskers but wasn't interested in licking the food off my finger, spoon, or the Elizabethan collar she is wearing. She always has been a finicky eater and unless she is relaxed and at home she wouldn't eat.

It's all very frustrating because the doctors have no real, significant answers.
I figured if I write a post maybe someone had a similar crisis with their beloved Yorkie and can give some suggestions, advice, encouragement. At the very least if anyone ever experiences something similar, know you are not alone. This has been a trying week but we are very optimistic and hopeful. Yes, the medical bills are spiraling out of control (we are now at approximately $4000 and no answers) but we have to keep our spirits up!

Thanks all for reading.

[mojo]

Originally Posted by NellasMom

Nella has been at a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center since Christmas Eve.

Nella is a spirited 1.5 yr, 5 lb, female Yorkshire Terrier, my baby and a little sister and best friend to Coco - our 5 yr Yorkie male. She is intelligent, spunky, independent, courageous, determined and full of joie de vivre!

She is fearless and always full of energy, so when she became sick this past week it really had me worried. I have always maintained good and quality care for my little girl; she is fed quality foods and has been vaccinated against all known diseases.

Last weekend I noticed her acting strange. She couldn't lay and get comfortable. She was restless from her discomfort. She drank quite a bit of water and ate some food throughout the day and then started throwing that up. I was worried but did not panic because both Nella and her big brother Coco have had "stomach bugs" in the past which cleared up within 1-2 days however this was different.

I took Nella in to see her vet. She was dehydrated and received fluids. I did not know if she ate something she shouldn't have - Nella has a curious and independent streak. She often goes on scavenger hunts around the house (I am a watchdog when it comes to things she should not have access to- yet she does outsmart me!) and quickly and artfully tracks down those things. I mentioned that to our vet and as a precaution he gave her antidote and penicillin injections and an antibiotic treatment to give her at home.

I brought Nella home and she ate small amounts of bland food and was drinking water. Later in the day Nella played with her older brother and her favorite yellow Wilson tennis ball.

The next day, she was resting most of the day - the vet said she may be a little sleepy due to the medicine she was given. She ate some but was not interested in play or any family member. Nella spent most of the day on the sofa looking out the window.

Throughout the night, she had a few accidents around the house. In the morning she was not interested in taking a morning walk and looked tired. I gave her antibiotics to fight whatever "bug" she had and left her peacefully on her bed. Mid day Nella looked really uncomfortable. Her eyes looked a little cloudy. She was sluggish and looked depressed. I became extremely worried by her labored breathing. I wondered "Was this an allergic reaction to the medication I was giving her?". Unbeknownst to me the next 24 hours was going to be the most challenging and testing time in my personal history of dealing with crises.

This was Christmas Eve. I immediately took her to a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center. Nella was diagnosed with hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and dehydration - particularly dangerous for these tinies who have little weight to lose before they are dehydrated and need IV rehydration. Nella's gums were pale pink and her pulse was alarming. She was immediately given IV fluids and was placed on a warming pad to raise her low body temperature. I was told she would have to stay overnight.

The ER vet took a variety of tests and the blood test came back fine with slightly abnormal sugar and red blood cell count levels - we speculated this was mostly was due to Nella's severe dehydration but we still would not know definitely.

Next, Nella began suffering from a severe bloody diarrhea and depression. It became more severe within hours. She got very sick, very fast. The IV fluid therapy kept her from getting a potentially fatal clotting disorder (this disease is often irreversible and may result in death).

She was also diagnosed with sepsis (illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria where major organs and body systems [kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system] stop working properly because of poor blood flow). She was given antibiotics to combat the suspected infection and a plasma transfusion (necessary to correct her rapid loss of protein). Nothing was guaranteed. The vet said that Nella was so sick that we did not know if her body would respond to the aggressive treatment she was receiving and there was a possibility that, my little Nella, would not make it through the transfusion.

Seconds seemed like hours and hours like days. It was now 2 am on Christmas Day. I was the only person in the ER waiting area. I waited and waited to hear the metal ER door open with news - any news. I had to brace myself for anything. I was heart broken but had this amazing ability to sustain blissful ignorance that she was going to be okay. She had to be!

I waited longer. I was surrounded by used up tissues and empty Kleenex boxes and the single TV in the reception area switched to a station where all I heard was callers discussing death, dealing with grief and miracles.

My Christmas at the ER was turbulent, painful, lonely, reflective but hopeful. I wanted to see my little girl but was told by a nurse (with tears in his eyes) that the ICU where she was being treated was "chaotic". I could read between the lines; they were doing whatever it took to save my little girl! Finally, the door opened and my heart skipped. I was invited to go see her. She was laying in an incubator surrounded by IV cables, catheders, blood pressure monitoring machines - the total ICU toolkit. It was way too early to tell what would happen and if she would respond to the very aggressive care she was given. She was in the process of receiving her 1st plasma transfusion. She was in her warm incubator, weak, sluggish, surrounded by IV tubes but she was ALIVE!

Iam happy to say that little Nella made it through her most difficult night and has showed signs that she is responsive to treatment. However she is not out of the woods yet! The bacteria is still in her body and is not allowing her little body to fully absorb proteins, she still has bloody diiarrhea and is not interested in food. She continues to be under 24 hour care however thankfully she has been removed from ICU. She is certainly fighting this thing! Her vitals are slowly normalizing and diarrhea has been slowing down (her pad is now changed every hour versus every 15 minutes at her most severe) and I have been able to leave the ER for a bit and care and give support to Nella's brother - Coco - who has been under the care of a family member (thankfully he has not any symptoms of an infection).

The human-pet bond is so precious and unmistakable! My way of I honoring that bond is to agree to every aggressive and costly treatment to save my little girl.

Nella needs to continue with the supportive care to recover. The most frustrating part is that there is no cause to what is going on with her. The ER vets speculated that it could be the HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). But that term is just too broad and there is no real cause for HGE either! We tested her for
infectious diseases such as parvovirus and coronavirus; parasites, gastrointestinal all came back negative. TODAY the clinic took blood and gave her the ACTH stimulation test to see if it could be Addison’s disease. We now wait!

Currently (day 3) Nella is under IV and is receiving food through a nasal feeding tube because she is not interested in the food offered by the vet. Her diarrhea has slowed. Today I tried feeding her when I visited her at the hospital; she was a little curious of the scent, stuck her tongue out and licked her whiskers but wasn't interested in licking the food off my finger, spoon, or the Elizabethan collar she is wearing. She always has been a finicky eater and unless she is relaxed and at home she wouldn't eat.

It's all very frustrating because the doctors have no real, significant answers.
I figured if I write a post maybe someone had a similar crisis with their beloved Yorkie and can give some suggestions, advice, encouragement. At the very least if anyone ever experiences something similar, know you are not alone. This has been a trying week but we are very optimistic and hopeful. Yes, the medical bills are spiraling out of control (we are now at approximately $4000 and no answers) but we have to keep our spirits up!

Thanks all for reading.

Oh, I am so sorry you are going through this! Your experience does not sound similar to what I went through with Bella. When she was diagnosed with Addison's, she was not eating or drinking at all, was quite lethargic and was in an "addison's crisis".
Please re-post in sick and injured if you haven't yet. You will get more responses there. Your baby sounds like she has a lot going on with her.
I hope you find an answer soon! My prayers are with you and Nella, I know how awful and frightening this is!