Tag: dogs with Addison’s Disease

Dogs with Diseases

While I am moaning about myself, there is some news that is more good than bad. Bentley is feeling much better and is showing some signs of his old self.

The long and short is he has the dog version of Addison’s Disease. His body no longer produces the hormones needed to deal with stress like it should. Because of this he has electrolyte imbalances and whenever he becomes stressed he can go into crisis mode. The great news is this is very treatable and he is already improving. The bad news is this is an ongoing process and he will require medication daily throughout his life and will need to go to the vet often for blood work.

Still, just seeing the very loving dog we adore coming back to us lifts our spirits.

My Poor (Almost) Running Buddy

If you have read many of my blogs you may remember me writing about Bentley. If not, here is the short version. Bentley is our very handsome collie. I had hopes that he would be a great running buddy but he ate his first harness and tends to sprint and stop a lot. When he was trying though, he was great.

A few weeks ago we noticed that he was acting strange, shaking his head and scratching his ears and such. A trip to the vet showed a pretty nasty ear infection, bad news but not terrible. A few days later and he was nauseated and vomiting and just not doing well. A couple more vet visits and he was starting to perk up. Then earlier this week he got really sick. Last night he laid between Ladonna and me, covered with blankets and shivering. We even got a heating pad out for him.

Today he was back at the vet again. Not the news we were hoping for at all. He has most of the signs of Addison’s Disease: lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration and shaking. He has lost 5 pounds in two weeks. For me, that would probably be a good thing but for a 58 pound dog, that’s bad. While we wait on test results poor Bentley had to get antibiotics, steroids and IV fluids tonight at home. Now he is laying here, curled up on the couch beside me under a blanket.