Treatment Of Addison’s Disease

Treatment of Addison’s disease begins with basic goals for a treatment plan, or in other words, taking action to produce a better outcome. As Addison’s disease is in fact a disease, there is no cure; however, there are several treatment options to extend the life of the afflicted pet. Addison’s disease is potentially a fatal disease. In fact, by the time a pet is diagnosed, about 90 percent of the functioning adrenal tissue has been damaged or destroyed. Immediate treatment is essential for the pet to have a positive outcome. Pet owners can provide a comfortable, happy, and long life to their pet by simply acting quickly when symptoms occur and seeking treatment as soon as possible.

The goals of treating apet with an acute Addison disease is to correct the life-threatening low blood volume, low blood pressure, elevated circulating potassium, and low blood glucose. Once stabilized, therapeutic goals are used to increase circulating fluid volume, correct electrolyte imbalances, relieve the pet’s discomfort, and normalize blood levels of adrenal corticosteroid hormones.

Treatment options for a pet diagnosed with Addison’s disease truly depend on the severity of the disease. If am immediate treatment is necessary, pets will be given intravenous fluids, usually normal saline solutions, accompanied by corticosteroid hormone injections in order to balance the level of hormones. Improvements will begin to show as soon as 24 hours after with immediate treatment. Once the pet has improved, the medical hospital will then discharge and allow the pet to go home with their owner and live a regular life with a few improvements.

Most pets with Addison’s disease will need to be treated for the rest of their lives. Medical management involves lifelong Dogs Addisons Diseasesupplementation with oral corticosteroids. Your veterinarian will recommend which drugs to administer based on the nature and extent of the particular pet’s disease. Urine and blood tests will be performed periodically to monitor circulating levels of sodium, chloride, potassium, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, and adrenal corticosteroid hormones. If abnormalities in those levels recur and persist, the pet may need more intensive advanced therapy. Although Addison’s disease is incurable, modern veterinary medicine today can extend a pet’s life and allow them to enjoy life.