Primary hyperaldosteronism in dogs, caused by adrenal tumors overproducing aldosterone, leads to hypertension, hypokalemia, and progressive organ damage with significant welfare implications.
Dogs with hyperaldosteronism experience a cluster of welfare-impairing conditions: persistent weakness from electrolyte imbalance that limits normal movement and activity, the discomfort of sustained hypertension that may cause retinal damage and apparent distress, and the metabolic burden of progressive kidney disease. Diagnosis is often delayed because signs are nonspecific. Welfare-centered care involves prompt electrolyte stabilization to relieve weakness, blood pressure management to prevent target organ damage, and careful risk-benefit assessment of surgical intervention versus long-term medical management.