How I Approach... Addison’s Disease in the Dog

Introduction

Addison’s disease, or hypoadrenocorticism, is a deficiency of corticosteroid secretion by the adrenal glands. In dogs the most common cause is primary adrenal failure, which usually causes deficiency of both glucocorticoids (primarily cortisol) and mineralocorticoids (primarily aldosterone). A rarer cause of hypoadrenocorticism is pituitary dysfunction resulting in decreased or absent ACTH secretion and secondary adrenal failure.

Key Points

• Addison’s disease may result in extremely vague and non-specific clinical signs; the disease can mimic many other conditions.
• Rapid diagnosis and treatment of affected dogs is vital.
• The ACTH stimulation test is the gold standard test for diagnosis.
• With appropriate diagnosis and treatment, affected animals can have a good quality of life and a normal life span.