What is Addisons disease and what is the treatment?
Hypoadrenocorticism (commonly referred to as Addisons disease) typically affects young or middle-aged female dogs. In most cases, parts of the cortisone-producing adrenal glands waste away to such an extent they are only minimally functional. As a result, the adrenals do not produce enough of two types of cortisone crucial to your dogs ability to use energy-containing glucose and balance levels of critical minerals such as sodium and potassium. We are not certain what causes the degeneration, but it is suspected the animals immune system attacks its own adrenal glands. Occasionally, hypoadrenocorticism is due to a failure of brain-controlled mechanisms that stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete particular hormones. Addison’s disease is an uncommon canine disorder and a challenging one to diagnose. With appropriate medication and close veterinary monitoring, a dog with this disease can live a normal life. Although, not curable this disorder is definitely treatable. Once a dog is diagn
