My Jack has Addisons Disease

[LogieDogie]

I have a six year old JRT with addisons disease. He was diagnosed with it almost a year ago. For the most part he does great. He gets a Percortin injection every 28 days and is kept on a low dosage of prednisone everyday. Every once in a while he starts to act a little funny (lethargic, vomiting, even a siezure, however he is not considered to epileptic). When he does this I up his pred and he seems to bounce back within 24 to 48 hours.
Of course his blood levels are monitered regularly, but I'm just wondering if anyone out there is dealing with a dog with addisons?
Are there any suggestions for something else I should be doing? I just love my little dog!

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Hi there ~

I have dealt with a few rescues with the disease and can try to give you a little info. One of the biggest things to remember with addisons is to keep in contact with your veterinarian on a regualr basis as well as making sure you write everything down.

When I say write everything down I mean, everything,dates and results of blood tests, medication dosages and dates (especially any changes made), any symptoms or unusual signs, changes in appetite or diet, weight changes, additional or discontinuation of supplements and any seizure activity. Even if it seems like nothing at the time, you might see a pattern later. Keep copies of all tests done by your vet.

Learn your dog's stressors, any event that triggers additional stress for your dog should be avoided, by doing so you may be able to avoid potential seizures etc...

Never change more than one thing at a time, this goes for medication as well as outside influances. This is VERY important with medications and supplements, by limiting changes to one at a time you'll be able to keep track of what works or doesn't work for your dog. Switching more than one at a time means you won't know which combo or particular drug made the difference for the good or bad. If you haven't done so already check into supplements......this is a HUGE part of keeping addisions at bay in my opinion.

Be as proactive as you can in your dog's care, by asking here it's obvious your looking for ways to help and that's a great thing! Addison owners should research as much as possible on their own, learn what supplements work well, what has worked well for other addision owners etc... By staying as educated as possible both you and your dog win!

Don't be afraid to listen to anything and everything others with addision dogs have to say, even if it seems a bit radical in their own treatment of their dog always remember, what works for one dog may not work for another but something off the wall may just be the key.

What I'm saying is take everything in, research it out, form your own opinions and make educated decisions in cooperation with your vet.

Finding the right "formula" to get and keep your dog feeling good can sometimes be a long road with many adjustments and just when everything seems to be going well it can suddenly change. Hang in there, never give up and you'll both do just fine.

[LogieDogie]

Thank you so much for the info! We most definately are regulars at the vets office. I have been keeping a journal on him and for the most part he really has been doing great. He has had three of those episodes since he was diagnosed, one of which was yesterday which is why I decided to post my questions. I have not looked into any supplements for him. What sort have you heard of using? I would be very interested in trying something like that for him. He eats Wellness dog food and has been on that for most of his life. What are any thoughts on this dog food? Thanks in advance for any info!

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

So as not to confuse you by just throwing out a list of different things that may or may not work I'd much rather put you into the hands of the experts ( others currently living with addison companions ) who can help you much more than I ever could. <---- It's been a few years since I've had an addisions dog inhouse.

Check out the group K9addisons at the link below, the folks are wonderful, can give you not only the best advice on supplements but also have an awesome support system! I hope you'll keep us updated on your boy's progress and please give him lots of hugs and kisses from me!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/k9Addisons/

[LogieDogie]

Thanks for the input. I went to the website and applied to be a member. It looks like it will be very helpful. Thanks again!