Dog with Addison's disease gaining weight from meds. Any solutions?

Question

HI! My dog was diagnosed with Addisons disease almost a year ago. She is now on 2.5 mg Predisone and 0.1 mg fludrocortisone twice a day. Since taking the medication she has gained an excessive amount of weight and her stomach is huge. My family says she should probably stop the medication but i don't want her to get sick off of it. Is there any other kind of treatment? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 4 years and 11 months old | 24 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that Bindy is having side effects from her medication. I would not recommend stopping her meds or making any dosing changes without talking to the veterinarian who is treating her, because this can cause serious problem or even death for patients with Addison's disease. I would definitely recommend discussing your concerns with Bindy's regular veterinarian, since it's likely that her steroid doses can be reduced if they are causing side effects - most dogs this size do not need this much prednisone to control their Addison's symptoms, although each individual patient is different. A medication called DOCP (desoxycorticosterone pivalate) can also be used in place of the fludricortisone if needed, which she may tolerate better. Your veterinarian can discuss these options with you and help you make changes to her medication safely.

Dog with Addison's disease gaining weight from meds. Any solutions?

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