Addison's disease (hypoadrenocorticism) is a potentially fatal hormonal condition in dogs requiring lifelong medication, but well-managed dogs can enjoy excellent quality of life for many years.
Addison's disease presents a welfare journey from acute crisis through chronic management. Undiagnosed Addison's dogs suffer repeated episodes of weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and depression that are often initially attributed to gastrointestinal illness, delaying diagnosis by weeks or months during which animals suffer preventable episodes. The Addisonian crisis is life-threatening and terrifying — severely affected dogs are collapsed, weak and in cardiovascular shock. Without emergency treatment, death follows within hours to days. However, post-diagnosis welfare is genuinely excellent for most dogs: once stable on medication, Addisonian dogs are typically indistinguishable from unaffected dogs in quality of life. The welfare challenge shifts to management: owner compliance with medication, monitoring for stress-dose needs, and regular monitoring bloodwork. The monthly injectable mineralocorticoid (DOCP) may be preferred over daily tablets for dogs that resist medication. Financial commitment to lifelong medication is a welfare consideration — dogs whose owners cannot sustain treatment face recurrent crises.