# I almost my Maggie to Addison's Disease



## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

She had gotten very sick last Sunday, spent 24 hours plus on IV fluids at my local vet on Monday and appeared to be well by Tuesday and was released from the vet late Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday evening she started to act strange. On Wednesday she refused to eat, hid from us and was very shaky. On Thursday morning I rushed her to the emergency hospital - Affiliated Veterinary Specialists (AVS) in Maitland, Florida (almost two hours from where I live). By the time I got there, she was almost gone. They told me she would have been dead in another 30 minutes. She has been diagnosed with Addison's Disease. While there is no cure, it is treatable with medication. She is still in the hospital. I am so grateful for the wonderful vets at this hospital. They are caring and have so much knowledge. They took her from me as soon as we arrived and a whole team was working on her. One of the vets came into the room to interview me and almost instantly thought she knew what might be causing this incident. She wasn't sure they would be able to save her, but they told me to hope it was Addison's because that would be the best case scenario. I hope to take her home on Monday if she continues to improve.

For years I've been told that Maggie had Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In all likelihood, she has been suffering from Atypical Addison's all along. This event is known as an Addisonian Crisis and happens as the disease progresses. As this crisis approached, her symptoms were vomiting, slight diarrhea, lethargy, no appetite, tremors/shaking, an unusual arching of her back (sign of pain I think), and what I thought was sensitivity in her hind quarters. All symptoms of Addison's, which was not diagnosed by my local vet, but was diagnosed with a simple blood test at AVS. So, if you ever see these symptoms, request a blood test to rule out Addison's.


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## nwyant1946 (Jan 2, 2013)

*I'm so happy she's better. I prayed and prayed for her. Mia says she's happy too....hope you get to bring her home soon. Hug her for me..*

*Nan and Mia:chili::chili:*


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Oh Pat,

I know how stressful that must have been. I hope Maggie is on her way to recovery.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm so sorry for poor little Maggie. That was a terrifying experience for you, Pat. I hope Maggie is all better soon. Thank you for sharing with us, so that we can recognize the symptoms. Thank goodness you had such competent vets to diagnose and treat your little girl.


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## sherry (Jan 4, 2013)

OMG! I'm so happy to hear that she was diagnosed and you now know what to do. I'm so sorry for what you and Maggie are going through. Please keep us updated! You and Maggie are in my prayers!


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## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

I am so happy that Maggie is on the mend. That must have been so scary for you.


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Oh how sorry I was to read about your little Maggie and glad though that she was diagnosed with the proper disease and will be on the road to recovery. I will be thinking about her and you as well during these very stressful times.


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

Oh my! How frightening! I'll certainly keep Maggie in my prayers that she'll be well soon.


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## maddysmom (Mar 8, 2012)

How scary for you! I will be sending you good thoughts for her recovery. Xoxo


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## Madison's Mom (Dec 26, 2007)

Oh my! I'm so glad she is on the road to recovery. I'll keep you both in my prayers.


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## lynda (Oct 11, 2005)

Pat, what an awful scare for you. I know exactly how you must have felt. I am glad that Maggie has a diagnosis that can be treated. Hoping she is soon feeling much better and then I know her mommy will be too.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Oh Pat, I just saw this. I'm so sorry. Poor Maggie and poor you. I'm so glad that you took her where you did. I know that saved her life. I'm glad you have a diagnosis and that it's a manageable disease. I don't know much about Addison's so thanks for sharing. Sending you both lots of hugs and kisses.:smootch:


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

Oh Pat, how awful. Thank goodness you took her to the emergency hospital.
I am so glad she is okay. I hope she will be home with you very soon.
Thank you for posting about Addisons. So scary that such a serios illness can be so hard to identify.
Lots of love to little Maggie.:wub:


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

It is amazing that your normal vet missed this! Thank God you got her to a place where it was recognized. Sending you all the very best wishes for better days ahead! They do know how to scare us!


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

So glad this was caught! How scary!


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Pat, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I will be praying for precious Maggie and for you. 


Heavenly Father, thank you for being with Maggie, thank you for leading Pat to the right vets. Lord I don't know what Addison's disease is but you do, Lord give the vets your wisdom in helping little Maggie, Lord I ask that Maggie continues to improve and soon she will be able to go back home with her mommy. Lord be with Pat, give her a calm spirit and your peace that passes all understanding. In Jesus name I pray. Amen


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Oh Pat... thank God you got her to the hospital and they were able to correctly dx her! How scarey that must have been for you! Will be praying she'll be quickly on the mend!


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Holy Cow, how scary!!!!!! :w00t: 30 minutes!!!! 

So now...does the doctor say she will be 100% normal with the meds? And she will live a normal life? ....geez...there are so many things that can go wrong, it scares me to death!


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## educ8m (May 19, 2010)

Oh, Pat, how terrifying to come so close to losing dear Maggie! What a blessing that the vets quickly determined the problem and were able to save her. Sending prayers that she feels better soon and is back home as planned on Monday.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Pat -- did those vets have any recommendation of a vet in your area? You might want to check. I don't think I'd return to a vet who in no way diagnosed what was going on.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

How scary, what a week it's been for you. I'm so glad she's doing better and that they could help her. I hope she's home soon.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

OMg how frightening for you..I'm glad she finally got an accurate diagnosis and hopefully she will recover soon. It's so scarey to have them so close to death and you can't do anything.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

nwyant1946 said:


> *I'm so happy she's better. I prayed and prayed for her. Mia says she's happy too....hope you get to bring her home soon. Hug her for me..*
> 
> *Nan and Mia:chili::chili:*


Thanks for all the prayers. I know they helped.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

wkomorow said:


> Oh Pat,
> 
> I know how stressful that must have been. I hope Maggie is on her way to recovery.


Thank you Walter. I spoke to the vet this morning and she's doing very well.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Sylie said:


> I'm so sorry for poor little Maggie. That was a terrifying experience for you, Pat. I hope Maggie is all better soon. Thank you for sharing with us, so that we can recognize the symptoms. Thank goodness you had such competent vets to diagnose and treat your little girl.


Sylvia, it was one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever been through. I'm so lucky to still have her.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

sherry said:


> OMG! I'm so happy to hear that she was diagnosed and you now know what to do. I'm so sorry for what you and Maggie are going through. Please keep us updated! You and Maggie are in my prayers!


My visit with Maggie yesterday was very rewarding. The vets are pleased with her progress and they expect to release her tomorrow.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

pippersmom said:


> I am so happy that Maggie is on the mend. That must have been so scary for you.


It was so scary but she's on the mend and coming home tomorrow!


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Snuggle's Mom said:


> Oh how sorry I was to read about your little Maggie and glad though that she was diagnosed with the proper disease and will be on the road to recovery. I will be thinking about her and you as well during these very stressful times.


Thank you so much for the kind thoughts.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Furbabies mom said:


> Oh my! How frightening! I'll certainly keep Maggie in my prayers that she'll be well soon.


Thanks Deb for the prayers!


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

maddysmom said:


> How scary for you! I will be sending you good thoughts for her recovery. Xoxo





Madison's Mom said:


> Oh my! I'm so glad she is on the road to recovery. I'll keep you both in my prayers.


Thank you for the prayers and good thoughts. They are working and she is improving every day.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

lynda said:


> Pat, what an awful scare for you. I know exactly how you must have felt. I am glad that Maggie has a diagnosis that can be treated. Hoping she is soon feeling much better and then I know her mommy will be too.


Thank you Lynda. It really was an awful scare for me. She is feeling better now and I'm feeling like a million dollars.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Snowbody said:


> Oh Pat, I just saw this. I'm so sorry. Poor Maggie and poor you. I'm so glad that you took her where you did. I know that saved her life. I'm glad you have a diagnosis and that it's a manageable disease. I don't know much about Addison's so thanks for sharing. Sending you both lots of hugs and kisses.:smootch:


Thank you Sue. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. I didn't know what Addison's was either but would have expected that my Vet would recognize the symptoms and test for it. Didn't happen and I almost lost her because of it.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Kathleen said:


> Oh Pat, how awful. Thank goodness you took her to the emergency hospital.
> I am so glad she is okay. I hope she will be home with you very soon.
> Thank you for posting about Addisons. So scary that such a serios illness can be so hard to identify.
> Lots of love to little Maggie.:wub:


Kathleen, she will be home with me tomorrow! Thanks for all the love. The ER vet said that they see Addison's quite a bit and that it can be hard to diagnose for a regular vet. I'm starting to wonder if it is more common but not diagnosed.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

edelweiss said:


> It is amazing that your normal vet missed this! Thank God you got her to a place where it was recognized. Sending you all the very best wishes for better days ahead! They do know how to scare us!


Sandy, I too think it's amazing that my regular vet missed this especially since I was on the phone with their practice manager several times on Wednesday. She told me that I needed to give Maggie time to heal and made me feel like I was being over protective. When I told her that Maggie was hiding from me and that was not normal for my dog, she told me that Maggie was trying to get away from me because I was hovering.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

maggieh said:


> So glad this was caught! How scary!


Thanks Maggie!


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Matilda's mommy said:


> Pat, oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I will be praying for precious Maggie and for you.
> 
> 
> Heavenly Father, thank you for being with Maggie, thank you for leading Pat to the right vets. Lord I don't know what Addison's disease is but you do, Lord give the vets your wisdom in helping little Maggie, Lord I ask that Maggie continues to improve and soon she will be able to go back home with her mommy. Lord be with Pat, give her a calm spirit and your peace that passes all understanding. In Jesus name I pray. Amen


Paula, thank you so much for the beautiful prayer. You have such a beautiful way of speaking to God and it brings me great comfort.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Maidto2Maltese said:


> Oh Pat... thank God you got her to the hospital and they were able to correctly dx her! How scarey that must have been for you! Will be praying she'll be quickly on the mend!


Thank you Terry. I guess everything happens for a reason and I now have a diagnosis, but it sure did scare the living daylights out of me. Thanks for the prayers.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

The A Team said:


> Holy Cow, how scary!!!!!! :w00t: 30 minutes!!!!
> 
> So now...does the doctor say she will be 100% normal with the meds? And she will live a normal life? ....geez...there are so many things that can go wrong, it scares me to death!


Pat, they said 30 minutes but I think that was a generous estimate. I think she was about gone when I got there. Her heart rate was down to 30 beats per minute (should be about 120), she was cold, her sugar was very low, and her blood pressure was very low. The ER Vet says that she will be able to live a completely normal life as long as she is on a daily low dose of prednisone and an injection once a month.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Maglily said:


> How scary, what a week it's been for you. I'm so glad she's doing better and that they could help her. I hope she's home soon.


Brenda, she will be coming home tomorrow. I can't wait!


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

michellerobison said:


> OMg how frightening for you..I'm glad she finally got an accurate diagnosis and hopefully she will recover soon. It's so scarey to have them so close to death and you can't do anything.


Michelle, you are so right. I know you've been through something similar recently. I guess all the prayers paid off for both of us. This is such a wonderful group of people.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

educ8m said:


> Oh, Pat, how terrifying to come so close to losing dear Maggie! What a blessing that the vets quickly determined the problem and were able to save her. Sending prayers that she feels better soon and is back home as planned on Monday.


Deb, I do feel blessed. I was going to wait for my Vet to open at 8:00 a.m. and take her there on Thursday. My sister persuaded me to call and see if I could get him earlier and he did call me. I am certain that if I had taken her back to him, she would have died. He did have his office call AVS and tell them he was sending them an emergency. AVS contacted me as I was driving and I was able to fill them in. She's doing very well now.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Snowbody said:


> Pat -- did those vets have any recommendation of a vet in your area? You might want to check. I don't think I'd return to a vet who in no way diagnosed what was going on.


Sue, I'm with you on not wanting to return. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. I am planning to travel to AVS for my follow up and at least for a few months until they are sure she's stabilized. I spoke to the ER vet about this yesterday and she said that I should have a local vet for emergency stabilization and then bring her to them. I live in a small town and I just don't know if there is a good vet here in town. My daughter lives in the Orlando area and loves her vet. She is going to tell him about what happened to Maggie. She thinks he may do titers as well, something no vet in my area will do. I may think about coming to Orlando for Maggie's vaccinations, teeth cleaning, etc. I don't know - I'm still pretty shaky from this experience.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

For anyone reading this, please make a strong mental note: IF your pup is not feeling well & hiding from you it is USUALLY serious. . . don't hesitate to take your baby to a vet. I get really irritated when a vet makes such statements as "hovering" causing the issue, or saying "you have a sensitive dog." To me that interprets that the vet is not doing their job. As Sylie says "just my never humble opinion."


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Maggie,

Choosing a vet is a very personal decision. It is difficult because you need a vet you can trust, one that you can talk with, and one that may not have all the answers but is open to working with specialty vets. But you also need a vet close, just in case of an emergency.

To be honest. my vet did not initially recognize that Luck had a liver issue, he had no obvious symptoms until the encephalitic issues. They may see 1 liver dog ever couple of years, their practice is mostly vaccines, accidents and trauma and infectious diseases such as TBD. I would not be surprised if that wasn't true for most practices. And they were all trained at Cornell. But what I like about my vet is they recognized I needed to seek a specialist to figure it out and he was able to talk out with me the strategy - surgical, medical, second opinion. Most importantly, he seems to really care about Luck.

But we have to recognize that things have changed. Vet offices are really businesses, they are not what they used to be. Having said that, I am surprised your vet did not recognize Addison's. Perhaps if you can find a local vet who is open to working with a holistic vet and specialty vets that might be ideal. You may need a vet close in case of emergencies.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

edelweiss said:


> For anyone reading this, please make a strong mental note: IF your pup is not feeling well & hiding from you it is USUALLY serious. . . don't hesitate to take your baby to a vet. I get really irritated when a vet makes such statements as "hovering" causing the issue, or saying "you have a sensitive dog." To me that interprets that the vet is not doing their job. As Sylie says "just my never humble opinion."


Agree completely, that is how I knew Lucky was first sick, he was hiding from me.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

wkomorow said:


> Maggie,
> 
> Choosing a vet is a very personal decision. It is difficult because you need a vet you can trust, one that you can talk with, and one that may not have all the answers but is open to working with specialty vets. But you also need a vet close, just in case of an emergency.
> 
> ...


Walter I agree with what you are saying. My problem with my Vet is that he seems to allow his office staff to handle calls such as mine. I was very concerned about what was going on but I never spoke to him. About 4:00 p.m. his receptionist called me for an update. I went through all of her symptoms and my concerns. She told me she was making notes and would tell the vet when he was through seeing patients. I expected a phone call from him but it never came. I'm angry at myself for not recognizing how critical Maggie was.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

edelweiss said:


> For anyone reading this, please make a strong mental note: IF your pup is not feeling well & hiding from you it is USUALLY serious. . . don't hesitate to take your baby to a vet. I get really irritated when a vet makes such statements as "hovering" causing the issue, or saying "you have a sensitive dog." To me that interprets that the vet is not doing their job. As Sylie says "just my never humble opinion."


Sandy, you are so right. I came so close to losing Maggie because I wasn't smart enough to demand that I speak to the vet. In the end, Maggie ended up where she needed to be, but it really was a close call. If my instincts ever tell me again that she is really sick, I will either demand a referral to an ER or just go on my own.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Checking on Maggie today, each day she will grow stronger, 
I have been through so many vets, I have a wonderful vet now, he has retired but comes in two days a week.
Problem is that he only comes in two days a week
It's so hard to find a vet who is up to date on things
And open minded to listening to you. I'm going to pray God will lead you to 
A vet who has prepared for Maggie
I need to be praying the same for me.
Hugs to you Pat :wub:


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Experience is a good teacher Pat. When we were losing little Carlos (our grand-dog) to pancreatitis he would seek out places to hide from us---also Lisi when she got vaccines & had antaphylactic reactions would go into a hiding mode---I have seen it all too often and now recognize it quickly. It did not help us to save little Carlos in the end but with Lisi we feel blessed to have recognized it early enough in all 3 cases. I now know to keep "watch" when I am suspicious. I find it ludicrous that we often must inform the vet---but we are, after-all, the advocate & see things the vet isn't even looking for quite yet. That is where a forum like SM has multiple benefits.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Pat,

Sorry I called you Maggie. You can NOT blame yourself for what happened. It is so tough because things can go south very quickly, and situations that we think may be serious can turn out to be nothing (breathing issue that is just reverse sneezing). Not only is it not your fault, but blaming yourself is taking time away from focusing on Maggie. Follow your instincts, but if you start to question everything, is her poop a little loosen then yesterday, is she eating as quickly as she did yesterday, is that a shake or quiver, is she as playful - you will only be driving yourself crazy, you will not be enjoying your time with Maggie.

Best -


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

Matilda's mommy said:


> Checking on Maggie today, each day she will grow stronger,
> I have been through so many vets, I have a wonderful vet now, he has retired but comes in two days a week.
> Problem is that he only comes in two days a week
> It's so hard to find a vet who is up to date on things
> ...


Paula, she is doing great now. The vet at the ER calls me twice a day with an update and this morning's was very good. All vitals are where they should be. She had a long walk this morning and she said she seemed to enjoy it. She's eating the chicken I brought for her but not too happy with dog food. They are not concerned about that and I'm not either. Once I get her home, we will work on getting her eating a good diet. I can't wait for tomorrow when I can go and pick her up. Thank you so much for your prayers.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

edelweiss said:


> Experience is a good teacher Pat. When we were losing little Carlos (our grand-dog) to pancreatitis he would seek out places to hide from us---also Lisi when she got vaccines & had antaphylactic reactions would go into a hiding mode---I have seen it all too often and now recognize it quickly. It did not help us to save little Carlos in the end but with Lisi we feel blessed to have recognized it early enough in all 3 cases. I now know to keep "watch" when I am suspicious. I find it ludicrous that we often must inform the vet---but we are, after-all, the advocate & see things the vet isn't even looking for quite yet. That is where a forum like SM has multiple benefits.


Sandy, you are so right. This has been quite a learning experience for me and I hope by sharing my experience it will help someone else who is going through a crisis. For me, it comes down to trusting my instincts and not allowing myself to be bullied.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

wkomorow said:


> Pat,
> 
> Sorry I called you Maggie. You can NOT blame yourself for what happened. It is so tough because things can go south very quickly, and situations that we think may be serious can turn out to be nothing (breathing issue that is just reverse sneezing). Not only is it not your fault, but blaming yourself is taking time away from focusing on Maggie. Follow your instincts, but if you start to question everything, is her poop a little loosen then yesterday, is she eating as quickly as she did yesterday, is that a shake or quiver, is she as playful - you will only be driving yourself crazy, you will not be enjoying your time with Maggie.
> 
> Best -


Good advice Walter!


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## rrwtrw (Dec 23, 2008)

maggie's mommy said:


> Sandy, you are so right. This has been quite a learning experience for me and I hope by sharing my experience it will help someone else who is going through a crisis. For me, it comes down to trusting my instincts and not allowing myself to be bullied.


 
Pat -- my heart goes out to you. You really did everything right in this situation. I think we all need to learn how to be advocates for our dogs and learn to develop a collaborative relationship with our veterinarians. In my mind, this includes having an honest discussion about the expectations for direct access to your vet (versus going through someone at the front desk). Please do not beat yourself up. You really did an amazing job getting Maggie the care she needed. There is a great website for dogs with Addison's Disease. Lot of good information here. Maggie seemed to have all of the signs. One of the difficulties in diagnosing is that the symptoms wax and wane often over years. Once you have her stabilized, I bet her gastrointestinal problems eventually become less severe.

AddisonDogs | What Is Addison's Disease

Sending good thoughts for a happy reunion with Maggie tomorrow.

Terre & Denne


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## m_n_m84 (Jun 13, 2012)

My Maya just went through almost an identical crisis!!! She was unconscious by the time we got her to the vet! We had been fighting with her local vet for almost a year now about trying to tell her that something is wrong with my dog. It got to the point where she wouldn't even return my phone calls and wouldn't answer if I called her cell after hours for an emergency trip. I never really understood why she seemed so "bothered" with me because ultimately she was getting a hefty amount of money each time we had an issue and had to pay for after hours care. Maya had to fast for a CT scan at the specialist Blue Pearl vet to try to diagnose what was going on with her. This specialist is located 1.5 hrs away from where we live, but we felt that we weren't getting the answers we needed here at home. The next day when I went to pick Maya up from her CT scan all vitals were good and she had done excellent during the procedure. That night when we got her home she just seemed so lifeless and clumsy and not herself. She had three seizures back to back and I gave her some Karo syrup since she wasn't eating well and had just been fasted for the CT. She got better for about an hour and then went right back to the same symptoms. I then told my fiancé that we have got to take her back and see whats wrong. About an hour into the trip she started seizing constantly and wouldnt snap out of it. We had left the house in a hurry and didn't even think to bring some karo with us; about 15min before we got to the clinic she went unconscious on us and by the grace of god I saw a vanilla creme filled cookie that had fallen into the floorboard at some point. I grabbed the cookie and started rubbing the creme icing on her gums in a desperate attempt to get sugar back in her bloodstream. This actually worked enough to bring her back to a conscious state as we walked in the doors at the clinic. When they tested her sugar upon arrival she was at a 32! They said with her small weight they don't want her below 80. She was in a severe hypoglycemia attack. She was hospitalized for 2 days with IV, fluids, and frequent chicken feedings. While being hospitalized, her CT results came back and showed that her adrenal glands were smaller than normal and everything else looked fine. The specialist on the phone asked me if she could get permission to run a blood test for Addison's and for insulinomas. Of course I agreed and that is how we FINALLY ended up with our diagnosis of Addison's!! We fought this disease for almost 3yrs from beginning symptoms to diagnosis date! I know exactly how you felt; you know something isn't right with your baby but nobody is listening to you! Thank goodness we were lucky like you and were able to save our fur baby! I wish there were more focus put on this tricky disease as I feel that many lives have probably been taken because of Addison's because it was improperly diagnosed.


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## maggie's mommy (Mar 12, 2006)

I so agree with you Melissa. What we went through was horrible and I think it is happening all over. I have been told that Addison's is very rare. Maybe it is, but I agree with you that many dogs die and the vet will tell you "her IBD was just so bad and I couldn't save her". I know that if I had brought her back to that vet instead of rushing her to the ER hospital, she would have died right then. I had never heard of Addison's disease and I probably would have believed him (maybe!). I have since learned that putting them on IV fluids will flush out the potassium and temporarily give relief. It just makes me so angry that you have spent so much money when a simple blood test will identify the disease. I, too, spent a small fortune. First with the local guy that charged something like $700 to keep her overnight on fluids. Then it was $3,000 plus at the ER vet to save her life. She was hospitalized for 5 days.


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