Poodles are terrific dogs, and there’s nothing quite like owning one. The breed is, however, susceptible to a few health conditions. Addison’s disease is one of them, so it’s important for Poodle owners to be familiar with its symptoms. And, if your Poodle does seem to be showing signs of possible Addison’s disease, you’ll want to understand how the condition is diagnosed and treated. Left untreated, Addison’s can be fatal.

An Overview of Addison’s Disease in Poodles

Addison’s disease is a hereditary form of hypoadrenocorticism – decreased functioning of the oh-so-important adrenal glands. Although it can affect any purebred or mixed-breed dog, the condition has an unusually high rate of occurrence in Standard Poodles. For unknown reasons, the incidence of Addison’s disease in Toy and Miniature Poodles is much lower than in the Standard variety.

The mechanism by which a dog inherits the tendency to develop Addison’s disease is also unknown, but it appears to involve combinations of several genes rather than a single gene. Once the condition develops, adrenal tissue is destroyed, probably by the dog’s own immune system. In some cases (atypical Addison’s), the dog’s adrenal glands are only partially destroyed, but in others (primary Addison’s), adrenal gland destruction is total and failure to treat the dog ultimately results in death.

The disease can strike a Poodle at any age (including puppyhood), and no specific coat color or breeding line is immune. Males and females are equally likely to develop Addison’s.

Unlike some conditions such as hip dysplasia or progressive retinal atrophy (“PRA”), no Poodle can be certified as being “clear” for the disease. When a breeder or owner has a Poodle tested for Addison’s disease, a negative result only means that the dog is not currently suffering from the condition. Testing is in no way a guarantee that a Poodle or its offspring will never develop the condition. This aspect of the disease, coupled with its hereditary nature, makes it difficult for responsible Poodle breeders to avoid perpetuating Addison’s.

Everything we’ve mentioned so far about Addison’s disease is extremely discouraging. That’s as it should be, because once Addison’s develops it can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated swiftly. There is good news, though: a Poodle with Addison’s can lead a relatively normal life if the disease is diagnosed in a timely manner and treated with hormone replacement therapy. The dog’s stress levels will, however, need to be carefully controlled.

Addison’s Disease Symptoms

Addison’s disease is sometimes called “the Great Imitator” because its onset is usually marked by general, nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms. The nature of these symptoms means the condition could (at least initially) be mistaken for a number of other health conditions.

Although most Poodles don’t exhibit all the symptoms that are possible with Addison’s, signals include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, overall weakness and depression. Excessive thirst and/or urination, low body temperature, a painful abdomen, visible shaking, dehydration and shock are other common symptoms. Symptoms often appear and disappear with Addison’s disease, making it more difficult to arrive at a correct, timely diagnosis.

Addison’s Diagnosis

Early diagnosis is essential for a favorable prognosis. Unfortunately, the nonspecific nature of the symptoms can make arriving at a correct diagnosis a difficult, time-consuming and expensive process. At first, a veterinarian may attempt to diagnose a Poodle with these vague symptoms by using a process of elimination, successively ruling out intestinal blockage, food sensitivity, kidney failure, infection, and cardiac issues, among other health conditions.

In some cases (but not all), blood chemistry tests will reveal the high serum potassium and low serum sodium that are associated with primary Addison’s disease. However, the only way to definitively diagnose Addison’s in Poodles is by means of an ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) stimulation test. This test assesses how well the Poodle’s adrenal glands are functioning and reveals any adrenal insufficiency due to Addison’s.

An ACTH test is relatively inexpensive. It can be performed in a vet’s office and can prevent exploratory surgery and other invasive, expensive diagnostic protocols that will ultimately not provide an accurate diagnosis if the dog has Addison’s.

Addison’s Disease Treatment

Addison’s disease in Poodles (or humans, for that matter) cannot be cured. Once destroyed, adrenal gland tissue will not regenerate and adrenal gland function cannot be restored. The disease can, however, be managed if diagnosed quickly and treated appropriately. As mentioned above, the definitive diagnostic tool for Addison’s is an ACTH stimulation test. Once diagnosed, treatment of Addison’s is fairly straightforward, involving lifelong medication and minimizing the dog’s stress.

The adrenal glands secrete essential hormones, and a Poodle with Addison’s disease will be deficient in those hormones. As a result, the dog will require medication in the form of adrenal hormone replacement – usually aldosterone or cortisol – for the rest of its life. If caught in time and treated properly, Addison’s disease does not need to be a Poodle’s death sentence. He or she can have a normal life expectancy and a good quality of life.

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Article written by:

Edie MacKenzie