An Addisonian crisis is the result of undiagnosed Addison's disease in dogs. If your dog does not get immediate medical attention, she could die from multiple organ failure. The hardest part about Addison's disease is knowing your pet has it. Signs are subtle, and it takes an attentive dog owner to see the changes. Once diagnosed, Addison's disease is easily managed at a reasonable cost. Here are some tell-tale signs that your dog could be having an Addisonian crisis.
 
What is Addison's Disease?
 
Addison's disease is a genetic disorder where your dog's adrenal glands no longer produce the hormones necessary to deal with stress. The disease mostly affects female dogs, and it does not present symptoms until about the age of five.
 
Taking long walks, new dogs in the house, people moving in and out and a change of environment are all triggers for your dog's stress. Normally, your dog's adrenal glands excrete glucocorticoids to deal with the stress. In addition to glucocorticoids, the adrenal glands also release mineralocorticoids to balance electrolytes.  When these steroids aren't excreted during stress, your dog is unable to handle it, electrolytes become imbalanced, and your dog's heart and kidneys cease to function. The result is a tragedy, but you can avoid it by rushing your dog to an emergency vet who can stabilize your pet.
 
Signs of a Crisis
 
To identify symptoms, you must know your dog's behavior. Even veterinarians tell you that Addison's disease is an extremely difficult disorder to diagnose unless the vet knows to take blood work. First, your dog will probably be more lethargic. If your dog normally follows you around the house, she will probably stop and lay there as you move around.
 
Next, your dog will lose its appetite and show signs of anorexia. She might try to eat, but as soon as she eats, she will vomit it up.  Diarrhea is also a problem. Between the diarrhea and vomiting, the dog becomes dangerously dehydrated.
 
If you sleep with your dog, another noticeable sign is the shakes. The dog will shake as if she's cold or sick. She might try to sleep close to you for warmth, but she shakes and wakes you up.
 
What might throw dog owners off is that the dog will still drink water regularly. She will even walk regularly. Although, when she walks she won't want to go far distances and might even sit down. Your dog's behavior will be overall lethargic regardless of the activity.
 
If any of these symptoms are present with your dog, it's imperative that you immediately take the dog to a vet. If it's night time, find an emergency vet in your area. Dogs going through an Addisonian crisis will collapse fast, so it's important to act quickly.
 
Treating Addison's Disease
 
If you get your dog to the vet quickly, the vet will give the dog fluids, medication and stabilize her. Depending on how critical the condition, the dog could have sodium and potassium imbalances, a heart murmur and malfunctioning kidneys.
 
After your dog is stabilized, you can usually take her home after a couple of days. Your dog will be dependent on two medications: Prednisone and Percorten. Your dog will take daily doses of Prednisone. The dosage is determined by your vet. Percorten shots are given every month. Percorten is the more expensive treatment, but you can buy the bottle for about $200 and have the vet give your dog a shot for about $10 each visit. The Percorten bottle will last several months for a small dog. Prednisone is much cheaper. The Prednisone bottle costs about $15 each month.
 
A small dog will only need about 1.5mg of Prednisone each day. However, you'll need to double that dosage when you anticipate stressful times for the dog. For instance, if you take the dog to the vet, travel with her, introduce a new dog or have visitors, you need to double her dosage.
 
Prognosis for a treated dog with Addison's disease is very promising. As long as you get the dog to the vet during crisis symptoms, your dog will recover. Knowing your dog is key to identifying any further episodes, but with proper medication and treatment, your dog will live a long, happy life.