AvertingAnAdrenalCrisis-CanineAddisonsInfo.docVIP

Addison’s Disease: Averting An Adrenal Crisis This glandular disorder itself may be rare, but the symptoms it gives rise to are not—successful treatment depends on early diagnosis and immediate veterinary intervention By Arnold Plotnick, M.S., D.V.M., Dip. ACVIM, Dip. ABVP First published in DOG WORLD Magazine, Vol. 86, No. 6, June 2001, p. 54. Reprinted with permission. Doug Hess is a free-lance photographer who lives and works in Washington, D.C. The summer of 2000 was hectic for Hess, as his workload began to pick up. He sometimes can’t remember the details of every photo shoot, but, when it comes to his beloved West Highland White Terrier, he remembers the events of last August very clearly. “I came home from the studio for lunch, like I do every day. Tipper, my 6-year-old Westie, was waiting for me. I hooked her leash onto her collar and off we went to the park, as usual,” he recalls. “About 10 minutes after we started walking, Tipper suddenly collapsed on the sidewalk! Fortunately, my veterinarian’s office was only two blocks away, and Tipper only weighs about 18 pounds. I called ahead on my cell phone to let them know I was coming, and then I whisked her there in a heartbeat.” When Hess arrived at the veterinary office, they were ready for him. “They took me and Tipper into an exam room right away. Tipper was conscious, but too weak to stand. My vet examined her and asked me a million questions,” he remembers. “He asked about her appetite, her thirst, whether she had done any vomiting or had any diarrhea in the recent past, if she could have gotten into the garbage or come into contact with any poisons or toxins. All I could do was tell him no, that she was fine and had been perfectly fine up until the collapse.” During her physical examination, Tipper’s pulse was weak, her heart rate was slow and her gums were a bit pale. Other than that, everything else seemed pretty normal. “The vet pressed on her gums, which made them blanch and turn white. Then he count