A story of what it is like to have a dog with this disorder. My own pet was diagnosed with Addison’s disease during a crisis. Our regular vet sent her to a Specialty Hospital as she collapsed and suffered from dehydration, increased drinking, diarrhea and vomiting. The vet initially thought she had Sago palm poisoning since her symptoms were similar to liver failure. Our pet was in the hospital for 5 days, a couple of the days to stabilize her, then the remainder of the time was spent on running tests for the diagnosis.
During the long term state of treatment initial dosage became too strong after two years even with routine monitoring blood test thus causing Cushing’s syndrome. I was sent to a VCA Specialty Hospital and there referred to a canine allergist who was unable to diagnose the subsequent illness 2 years after Addison’s was initially diagnosed. My pet was so sick (she was 9 years old), I didn’t think she was going to be able to sustain this illness. No one could figure out why she was losing her fur, having severe skin sores. All they could do was to prescribe medicated soap and ointments for her sores. I changed my primary care vet to gain a fresh start and the new vet was able to diagnose the problem which was Cushing’s Syndrome which is the reverse of Addison’s, cause by too high of a dosage of medication (dexamethasone). The dosage was cautiously and slowly altered (lowered) throughout several visits and with consistent monitoring and my pet regained her health and bounced back to have a full life.