‘Five Golden Rules’ to aid vets in the treatment of Addison’s disease

maandag 9 januari 2017

Dechra Veterinary Products has teamed up with some of Europe’s leading endocrinologists for its latest resource to help veterinary professionals who are diagnosing and treating canine hypoadrenocorticism.

Dechra has drawn up its Five Golden Rules for vets treating a dog with Addison’s disease to go hand in hand with the use of its product, Zycortal®

Addison’s disease is caused by a reduction in corticosteroid secretion from the adrenal glands. Symptoms can include lack of appetite, tremors or vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, low heart rate, muscle weakness, low body temperature and collapse. If left untreated, Addison’s disease can present as an acute, life threatening emergency.

Zycortal is the only European licensed treatment for the disease. It is a prolonged-release suspension used as replacement therapy for mineralocorticoid and has proved highly effective in clinical trials with more than 80 per cent of dogs responding positively to treatment1.

The golden rules aim to help vets with the on-going management of the disease and are featured on the Dechra Academy, the e-learning resource that supports Dechra's key therapy areas.

The reference guide joins a suite of other resources for vets and owners of dogs with Addison’s disease.

Dechra has produced a series of six video presentations to help vets in their diagnosis and treatment and created a dedicated owner website - www.myaddisonsdog.co.uk - to demystify the condition and help owners understand the condition and monitor their pet's progress.  

Dechra Brand Manager Craig Sankey said: “Addison’s can be a hidden disease but Zycortal presents a very visible answer. With the wealth of expertise from the endocrinologists, the Five Golden Rules should be an important reference tool for vets.

“We hope that the series of resources we have produced, used in partnership with Zycortal, will make the diagnosis, treatment and management of dogs with Addison’s an easier journey for both vets and owner.”

For more information, click here.

1 CVMP Assessment report for Zycortal (EMEA/V/C/003782/0000) 2015 pg. 19
2 Baumstark, M.E. et al (2014) Use of plasma renin activity to monitor mineralocorticoid treatment in dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism: desoxycorticosterone versus fludrocortisone. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 28(5): 1471-8