Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
In dogs, the main cause of Addison’s disease is an immune process. Often, dogs develop Addison’s disease when their immune system destroys adrenal tissue. Addison’s disease can sometimes develop as a side effect of overtreatment for Cushing’s disease. Further, Addison’s disease can result from suddenly stopping long-term steroid treatment without a gradual withdrawal period. For example, other less common causes include:…
Canine Addison’s disease can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. Canine Addison’s disease doesn’t have a cure, but it can be managed with treatment. Thank you, Bobbi Borst Clough, for sharing Gracie Lou’s story. Gracie Lou’s story The background Gracie was a 10-year-old 134 lb English Mastiff. Gracie was abused until she was six months old. She then went…
Canine Addison’s disease is referred to as the great pretender for a reason. The signs and symptoms are ambiguous and can be interpreted in many different ways. Sadly, many dogs don’t get their diagnosis until they collapse. Thank you, Deanna Lee, for sharing Valentino’s story to help raise awareness for this disease. Valentino’s story Valentino came into my life in…
Cortisol is a vital hormone from the glucocorticoid family of steroid hormones. Cortisol is primarily produced by a dog’s adrenal glands. In health, cortisol plays a critical role in the dog’s ability to cope with stress. It stimulates glucose production and the breakdown of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to provide fuel for the body. Cortisol also suppresses the immune system.…
When your Golden Retriever loses interest in food and activities, you can bet they are very ill. With Bailey, this came on suddenly. He stopped eating, would mostly lay around and drag himself around when he had to move and looked miserable. What is going on with Bailey? Something was very wrong, but Bailey couldn’t tell either his mom or his…