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My dog is listless with high liver/pancreatic values. Is it Addison's?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | spayed | 12 years and 8 months old | 62 lbs

My 12 y.o. husky has been listless. My vet thinks she may have addison's but she does not fit the symptoms: no vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, increased thirst, or loss of appetite . Blood tests show her liver & pancreatic values are too high (she has survived pancreatitis twice, last time 1 1/2 years ago); her potassium/sodium balance is off, and her hematacrit is down to 32.5. Do you think this is a good place to start testing? Or might you suspect other possibilities?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on July 19th, 2017

Hi, I am sorry to hear Fox is having these problems. If she has had pancreatitis once before, it is a possibility she has it again, as some dogs can get chronic pancreatitis. If her Amylase and Lipase are very high, she can have pancreatitis. If you want to know for sure an abdominal ultrasound is the next step. This can be done at some regular vets, or a speciality facility with the Internal medicine department. If your dog is not acting right, I suggest doing this test. Her hematocrit should be rechecked in 48 hours roughly to see if it is dropping. If it is holding steady, I would be less concerned. If it is dropping, there may be a blood disorder or a cancerous tumor that is bleeding internally. 32 is just on the low end. I strongly suggest rechecking her blood work if she is not getting better and getting an ultrasound. Your vet can tell you how to go about getting this. Good luck, and I hope Fox gets better!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    The signs of Addison's disease can sometimes be very vague and imitate other diseases so I don't think it is ever wrong to test for Addison's disease. It is concerning that her liver and pancreatic values are high and it would definitely be beneficial to get an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate her liver and pancreas.

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    Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Fox. Unfortunately, Addisons is not always a classical presentation of symptoms. In fact, there is a term "atypical addisons" which is its own subset of the disease. I do believe these tests were an appropriate start and I'd likely have done the same for my patient. My next go to would probably be an ultrasound to check for abnormalities in the abdomen (mostly on the pancreas and liver) to rule out additional causes of these values and findings. I hope this helps! I'd be happy to consult if you have further questions.

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