Addisons in dogs

Re: Addisons in dogs

plantagenet — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:20:44 GMT

Absolutely agree that in house electrolytes saved the day - and the dogs - no, electrolytes all seriously up the creek. Each time worried that what I was seeing was renal failure but the external lab bloods + ACTH stim.s have confirmed next day.

Re: Addisons in dogs

toby travis — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:01:08 GMT

Are any of your recent cases diagnosed while normokalemic? would imagine more are spotted nowadays given that most practices have electrolyte machines which is a great help.

Re: Addisons in dogs

plantagenet — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:52:32 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]you sure they're not collies someone is treating with Advocate[/quote]

---eer, yes, diagnosis was on full work up, not just clinical presentation.

Interestingly, the litter mate of one of them has EPI so I wondered if that reflected an inherited autoimmune disease predisposition in that case.

Re: Addisons in dogs

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:30:12 GMT

[quote user="plantagenet"]

All have presented collapsed and wobbly, one had history of GI disease which I had been treating on and off for 2 weeks then collapsed; one came in wobbly, Owner thought back injury - nice slow heart rate though. The latest is my nurses dog, not apparently off colour till last few days, noticed weight loss and then very wobbly. All collies or collie X. We are a small practice 3 in 2 years seems a lot when I hadn't seen more than a very few in the 20 previous. All have done wonderfully well on treatment (so far touch wood!)

[/quote]

Addison's is rare, but things tend to come in threes, however are you sure they're not collies someone is treating with Advocate and have spontaneously recovered, then of course giving a normal dog fludrocortisone would have little effect on their well-being. Just a thought.

Re: Addisons in dogs

Utlendigur — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:59:48 GMT

Actually it's odd as I don't think we've had any new cases for about 5yrs - and we are looking! But I seem to have had a spate of insulinomas - two in one afternoon surgery on one day

Re: Addisons in dogs

Rob Loxley — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:47:40 GMT

adding a single, basal cortisol to a general lab profile can be a cheap way to rule out addison's

Re: Addisons in dogs

Ian Mostyn — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:03:31 GMT

We managed to get two diagnosed in 1 week recently bringing the practice total upto 4 in 8 years. Not sure if it counts as an epidemic, more like a coincidence.

Ian

Re: Addisons in dogs

plantagenet — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:23:59 GMT

Re: Addisons in dogs

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:01:59 GMT

What signs are you seeing primarily?

Interesting as I spent 5 years trying to find one when I first graduated 22 years ago.

Neil