Addisons Disease

I understand that it is not common for breeders to discuss health problems among their breed but I am looking for anyone with experience dealing with Addisons Disease in Deckers or Rat Terriers. My wonderful Decker was diagnosed last winter and I am still learning to effectively manage this disease. Unfortunately my dog's ability to handle stress is compromised and we struggle a bit. We have been competing in Nose Work (timed scent detection competitions) with a fair amount of success but I would love advice on helping him cope with the stress of competition so that we can all enjoy it more. He is an absolutely gorgeous dog who stops traffic wherever we go but stress causes behavioral issues that are unacceptable.

Any one with experience out there who is willing to discuss this topic?

Hello,

Yes, sadly Addisons disease does exist in the Decker Terrier of today. I know of specific bloodlines that do carry for it and have talked to several people with dogs affected. It is not the end of the line though there are plenty of treatment options available and a genetic marker will be available soon so that we may test our dogs.

Thank you for posting and sharing.

Kim

Seegmiller Decker Terriers

SixMileFarm wrote:I understand that it is not common for breeders to discuss health problems among their breed but I am looking for anyone with experience dealing with Addisons Disease in Deckers or Rat Terriers. My wonderful Decker was diagnosed last winter and I am still learning to effectively manage this disease. Unfortunately my dog's ability to handle stress is compromised and we struggle a bit. We have been competing in Nose Work (timed scent detection competitions) with a fair amount of success but I would love advice on helping him cope with the stress of competition so that we can all enjoy it more. He is an absolutely gorgeous dog who stops traffic wherever we go but stress causes behavioral issues that are unacceptable.

Any one with experience out there who is willing to discuss this topic?

What were the signs? what bloodline is your dog out of so we can start tracking it I understand if you don't want to say but it would be really helpful.

I don't mind talking about it because I think it is important to track and to research - but I understand that some breeders don't feel that way. My Decker is a pet who is neutered so we have no concerns about passing this along.

Timber is a Deacon-Cassie pup. He was diagnosed at 2.5 years. As a pup he was always overly sensitive to touch and to stress. Just a bit over-reactive, but nothing you could put your finger on. Last December, at a nose work class, he experienced a very visible crash. Went from actively working to refusing treats and sliding into depression. Within a couple of hours, he was shaking visible (we now know this is hypothermia) and staring off into space. Refusing all food and water. Of course, it was Friday evening and we weren't sure what to do. Monday morning he went to the vet and received fluids. Fortunately our vet immediately suspected Addisons or acute kidney failure. The diagnosis of Addisons was confirmed by a cortisone challenge test - Timber showed NO adrenal activity. Zero. Treatment started immediately and was immediately effective.

This is a treatable disease but it is fairly expensive and requires active management. Timber gets a corticosteriod injection every 30 days, prednisone daily, and full blood panels quarterly. In anticipation of ANY stress (a bath, a class, a visit to the dog park, whatevver) his prednisone is adjusted to allow him to deal with the stress. Because his adrenal gland doesn't function, he "over-stresses" and cannot recover on his own.

We are doing very well with the drugs. He is obviously feeling good. I still am unsure about the drug increases necessary to cope with stress but there doesn't seem to be any way to learn that except trial and error. And there are some things that just won't happen for Timber (flyball for example) because they would be too stressful. And thank heavens this is the first dog I ever bought health insurance for because that has offset the cost nicely. I thought he was going to be my agility dog and so was likely to have knee problems in the future but that won't happen now. Fortunately, the insurance covers Addisons Disease.

Any input from anyone with experience with this disease is welcome.

Thank you.

For those of you not familiar with the call names on those dogs. Cassie is a Bluegrass (Chattertons) Merlin X Avalon daughter. Deacon is a Killens Cindy X Seegmillers Bullet son.

I want to make this very clear that we are not accusing anyone or anyones dogs but, this needs to be brought to light (Educating) people is paramount. PLEASE have an Addisons test done before your vet "assumes" it is diabetes or seizures.. We as a group are working towards that goal of getting a genetic marker for addisons from the University of Missouri.

Many people and veterinarians get it diagnosed incorrectly....sometimes it is like "Epilepsy" shaking and trembling (seizures)....panting, eventually leading to shock and death. WBC elevated and at times pancreatic enzymes off the charts. Sometimes it is not even "genetic" and can be caused by environmentals.....We all need to work together to better the breed and this one is probably the biggest problem looming in the Decker Terriers.

SixMileFarm wrote:I don't mind talking about it because I think it is important to track and to research - but I understand that some breeders don't feel that way. My Decker is a pet who is neutered so we have no concerns about passing this along.

Timber is a Deacon-Cassie pup. He was diagnosed at 2.5 years. As a pup he was always overly sensitive to touch and to stress. Just a bit over-reactive, but nothing you could put your finger on. Last December, at a nose work class, he experienced a very visible crash. Went from actively working to refusing treats and sliding into depression. Within a couple of hours, he was shaking visible (we now know this is hypothermia) and staring off into space. Refusing all food and water. Of course, it was Friday evening and we weren't sure what to do. Monday morning he went to the vet and received fluids. Fortunately our vet immediately suspected Addisons or acute kidney failure. The diagnosis of Addisons was confirmed by a cortisone challenge test - Timber showed NO adrenal activity. Zero. Treatment started immediately and was immediately effective.

This is a treatable disease but it is fairly expensive and requires active management. Timber gets a corticosteriod injection every 30 days, prednisone daily, and full blood panels quarterly. In anticipation of ANY stress (a bath, a class, a visit to the dog park, whatevver) his prednisone is adjusted to allow him to deal with the stress. Because his adrenal gland doesn't function, he "over-stresses" and cannot recover on his own.

We are doing very well with the drugs. He is obviously feeling good. I still am unsure about the drug increases necessary to cope with stress but there doesn't seem to be any way to learn that except trial and error. And there are some things that just won't happen for Timber (flyball for example) because they would be too stressful. And thank heavens this is the first dog I ever bought health insurance for because that has offset the cost nicely. I thought he was going to be my agility dog and so was likely to have knee problems in the future but that won't happen now. Fortunately, the insurance covers Addisons Disease.

Any input from anyone with experience with this disease is welcome.

Thank you.

Hi, thank you for telling us and being honest. If you are needing a dog for fly-ball ect. I would be happy to send you one. You definately deserve a replacement and since your breeder is no longer breeding I would be happy to do it for you.

Christina
http://skippincjranch.com

Christina

Hi,

Our Decker was recently diagnosed with Addison's disease and he's doing very well. We started treatment a little over two months ago and are still getting his levels worked out. Right now he's on 1mg Prednisone three times a week and Fludrocortisone Acetate 0.2r every day. He requires a recheck at the vets every 12-14 days where they draw blood and we return after an hour to draw more.

He's very active and back to his old self (not too old...5 years) and shows no signs of being stressed or tired. We're very lucky to have him and enjoy his company.

Kim was wonderful when we let her know and she even offered to replace him. Thanks Kim for being such a responsible breeder!

I'm sorry to learn that this disease is more common than we thought.

Thank you Peter for sharing. We are working on a DNA marker right now. Would you mind sharing the sire and dam names.

Christina

Hi Peter,

I am glad that treatment is going well for your dog, although I would have never wished it upon you and your family. We will replace the dog for you when the time comes and you are ready. Sadly Addison's has existed for many years in the Decker's...I was very much unaware of the potential problems then. Now we are going to get a DNA marker test and the dogs I have from the Buckshot, Merlin, Avalon lines will all be tested...without a doubt there will be affected, carriers and clears...but, at least I can rest at night knowing that I will not stop until I have done all I can for the Decker Terrier of today.

Thank YOU for sharing and being a part of our board...very much appreciated.

Kim

Hi Kim and Christina,

I think that Kim can provide the pedigree information for our Guinness, our paperwork is a mess!

Guinness is sleeping now, after another day of squirrel hunting....he's very dedicated and will stand at a hole for hours unless we call him in.

The vet originally tested for Lepto before Addison's. We're fortunate that she has diagnosed and is caring for a number of other Addisonian dogs...including some smaller breeds. Guinness is small enough to take the pills instead of the regular injections...perhaps this might be an option for your dog Christina?

Thanks again,

Peter

peterasche wrote:Hi Kim and Christina,

I think that Kim can provide the pedigree information for our Guinness, our paperwork is a mess!

Guinness is sleeping now, after another day of squirrel hunting....he's very dedicated and will stand at a hole for hours unless we call him in.

The vet originally tested for Lepto before Addison's. We're fortunate that she has diagnosed and is caring for a number of other Addisonian dogs...including some smaller breeds. Guinness is small enough to take the pills instead of the regular injections...perhaps this might be an option for your dog Christina?

Thanks again,

Peter

Peter, I don't have a dog that has come down with addison's I was just wanting pedigree information to see what lines your dog was out of. I spoke with Kim and she gave it to me. Sorry you are going through this it must be hard.

Christina

Hi Christina,

Thanks for the information.... Sorry for the mix up

I've checked more about Addison's online and have learned that we're very fortunate to not have had to deal with some of the more extreme symptoms. Guinness did go through a day of vomiting, but that was attributed to having eaten a whole bag of dog food!

He doesn't seem tired or stressed and has a good appetite. In hindsight, Guinness had a poor appetite and was a very picky eater.

I haven't found much information regarding long-term prognosis, other than this continues to be an expensive condition.

We are wondering if the three week training program could have stressed him in such a way to bring on Addison's in a dog with latent potential??

Thanks!

Peter

Christina,

I forgot to place up the parents names for everyone as well- Seegmillers Angus X Kleinschmit's Lucky are Guiness parents -now the common denomininator is Merlin's line his brother Buckshot, ...also the Killens line and the Raz line Through their common parentage... this would then extend down to Magnum Key, Killens Deacon and his offpring as well as the offspring that I have had out of Killens Cindy as she is a sister to Raz, ...Jennifer Lindsay also has a son of RPK's Mythical Legacy (Merlin X Avalon)& one from the sister and her litter mate Chatterton's Cassie who was Karla Sanders dogs mother up above in the earlier postings....all of them have one common denominator they are from the EXACT same lines. I also had a litter here from Seegmiller's Beauty one of them had it at 2 years of age so then I retired Beauty she is a full sister and to Seegmillers Angus....Anything from the Simons Pharoah lines as well, as he is a relative of Killens Cindy and Bluegrass Seegmiller Raz.

So this is a problem in the "Decker" of today and it will remain one and we will be breeding in total darkness in essence blindfolded until we can test out the dogs to see if they are Affected/Carrier/Clear status.....

Fore warned is fore armed

I am very appreciative of this open and informative discussion of Addisons in Deckers. This is a manageable disease although expensive - well, I should clarify. Some dogs just have a partial form of the disease that requires only an oral glucocorticosteroid (prednisone) which is very inexpensive. Others, like Timber, require both an oral steroid and a mineralcorticosteroid and that second one is what drives up the cost. The newest form of the drug is an injectible that is given every 28-30 days. I pay about $170 for a 4 ml vial - Timber gets 1.2 ml each time so I don't quite get 4 months out of a vial. So adding the necessary monitoring blood work to the injection is what drives up the cost.

And I am not complaining because the treatment is immediately effective and fairly easy. If I wasn't trying to trial with Timber - if he was a stay at home on the farm dog - he would probably function at 100% and not show effects of his disease. And as long as he is treated and his sodium/potassium ratio remains correct, there is very little long term effect on his health. So that may be his future if I cannot get more accurate at adjusting his prednisone when he is under stress (i.e. trialing).

Christina: thanks for your offer of a replacement dog. I am not quite sure what you mean but I know that I am committed to caring for Timber for his entire life - rehoming or any other choice is simply not an option. So, there cannot be a "replacement". In addition, I also have an elderly Jack Russell Terrier so my hands are full caring for both of "my boys". I can't imagine adding another dog in the near future (mainly because my husband would kill me!) I would love to try flyball or agility with a Decker - I am so impressed by their athleticism - but it may be a while before I get a chance to do that. In the meantime, we do Nose Work and kill gophers on the farm.

Kim: I am so pleased that you are tracking this line so carefully. I couldn't even get my dog's breeder to respond to my inquiries so your openness really demonstrates your commitment to the breed. I adore my dog but I wouldn't wish this disease on any one else and I am so happy that I found you back when we were diagnosed. You have obviously done some research since we first talked and I am very grateful. Thank you for caring so much.

Karla (and Bluegrass Timber Cruiser)guarding the farm in Oregon.

[quote="SixMileFarm"]I am very appreciative of this open and informative discussion of Addisons in Deckers. This is a manageable disease although expensive - well, I should clarify. Some dogs just have a partial form of the disease that requires only an oral glucocorticosteroid (prednisone) which is very inexpensive. Others, like Timber, require both an oral steroid and a mineralcorticosteroid and that second one is what drives up the cost. The newest form of the drug is an injectible that is given every 28-30 days. I pay about $170 for a 4 ml vial - Timber gets 1.2 ml each time so I don't quite get 4 months out of a vial. So adding the necessary monitoring blood work to the injection is what drives up the cost.

And I am not complaining because the treatment is immediately effective and fairly easy. If I wasn't trying to trial with Timber - if he was a stay at home on the farm dog - he would probably function at 100% and not show effects of his disease. And as long as he is treated and his sodium/potassium ratio remains correct, there is very little long term effect on his health. So that may be his future if I cannot get more accurate at adjusting his prednisone when he is under stress (i.e. trialing).

Christina: thanks for your offer of a replacement dog. I am not quite sure what you mean but I know that I am committed to caring for Timber for his entire life - rehoming or any other choice is simply not an option. So, there cannot be a "replacement". In addition, I also have an elderly Jack Russell Terrier so my hands are full caring for both of "my boys". I can't imagine adding another dog in the near future (mainly because my husband would kill me!) I would love to try flyball or agility with a Decker - I am so impressed by their athleticism - but it may be a while before I get a chance to do that. In the meantime, we do Nose Work and kill gophers on the farm.

Kim: I am so pleased that you are tracking this line so carefully. I couldn't even get my dog's breeder to respond to my inquiries so your openness really demonstrates your commitment to the breed. I adore my dog but I wouldn't wish this disease on any one else and I am so happy that I found you back when we were diagnosed. You have obviously done some research since we first talked and I am very grateful. Thank you for caring so much.

Karla (and Bluegrass Timber Cruiser)guarding the farm in Oregon.


Karla, I would never expect for you to replace timber he is part of your family
but if you ever feel you want a flyball dog I would be happy to send you one.

Christina

I will hold you to that Christina. And if I get down to see my son in Long Beach, I might ask to come visit your dogs. Thank you.

Karla

[quote="SixMileFarm"]I will hold you to that Christina. And if I get down to see my son in Long Beach, I might ask to come visit your dogs. Thank you.

Karla[/quot


That sounds like a plan.

Christina

I have done some research on this subject one of my college friends went on to be a veterinarian. Canine's are in ways like humans they also have autoimmune disorders. Here is a link with more information for both (Peter & Karla)

Canine Auto Immune Disorders

There is also a great Yahoo group for Addisons Dogs. They were most helpful to me in understanding my dog's blood test results in relation to his injectible. They are mostly poodle and great dane owners since both breeds commonly get A.D. and they were well read. Have access to some specialists who are very good at explaining this disease....

Thanks all for your interest and sharing on the subject.

Karla

I have a friend whose dog is suffering from Addison's disease. Poor thing! His body is all mess up and in a bad shape.



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Rat terriers have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don't even know we have. ______________________

There are plenty of treatment options available, however I would never wish that upon anyone's dog...it is a horrible disease!

Have your friend get into contact with Peter or Karla they maybe able to help her out some.


Kimmy

http://www.seegmillerdeckerterriers.com

My friend's dog has Addison's disease. I feel bad for the dog but at least my friend takes really good care of him.




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Rat terriers have a way of finding the people who need them, filling an emptiness we don't even know we have.

Hello,

Our dog, Guinness, who has Addison's is doing well. We've been working with a vet to get his levels even. About 4 weeks ago we took him in because he was throwing up and was getting pretty thin and shaky. He had been on 1 Fludrocortisone Acetate 0.2R per day and Prednisone as needed (for stress).

They gave him a shot (instead of his regular pills) and sent him home. He steadily improved and now weighs 30lbs! The vet has him on the pills again and we'll find out if we've got the correct dosage. He's now on 2 Fludrocortisone Acetate 0.2R and one 5mg Prednisone a day.

We're hoping that we've finally found a good balance, but with the added stress of winter coming (he loves to lie in the sun) we need to make sure he stays warm and comfy.

He's really bothered by other dogs, so it does limit our activities somewhat, he's now mostly restricted to squirrel chasing