Tip for Lowering the Cost of Dog Addisons Treatment

by Anonymous Reader

My son's dog was recently diagnosed with Primary Addison's. 2 year old Basset Hound, male. Lovely dog. In doing research on treatment I have found the treatment cost to be grossly understated.


Treatment with the injection, the prednisone, electrolyte monitoring, and occasional kidney function tests will run the dog owner, in CA at least, approximately $175 - $300/ month. On almost every website I've visited the picture of continuous treatment for a dog with Addison's is seriously amiss as to cost.

This is the quandary my son now faces, as the recession has taken it's toll on he and his fiance.

Suggestion from our Veterinarian on the cost of Dog Addisons treatment

Hello,

You are right that treatment for canine Addison’s disease can get quite expensive. There are ways for your son to minimize the cost though.

Perhaps his veterinarian would be willing to write a prescription for the Percorten-V (he might be able to find it through an online pharmacy at lower cost) and teach your son how to give the injections himself. Of course, regular monitoring with the veterinarian will still be necessary, but the good news is that your son’s dog should be able to live a long and happy life with appropriate treatment.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

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Feb 01, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Florinef
by: Mike

We have a Lab with a 9-year history of Addisons. With the cost of Percortin continuing to escalate I decided last year to try to transition him to oral Florinef. Medication cost has dropped from over $100/mo to $30/mo but there is very little information out there about undertaking this transition.

Initially we were underdosing him on the Prednisone, which showed up in decreased energy and poor skin condition. We now have him on the same Pred dose as before and he looks better. His Thyroid is slightly low. I haven't been able to determine if that is related or not. Otherwise his labs are perfect two months out. My only advice if you try this is find a supportive Vet, devise a plan, and be hyper-alert to clues your dog gives you. Bad things can happen fast with Addisons.
Jan 04, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Expense of Treatment for Addison's
by: Lisa

Today I am taking my Sophie Sue to her vet for her Percorten injection which she gets every 25 days for the last 4 years. She weighs 140 pounds, being a Mastiff/Dalmatian, so the Percorten itself costs about $215. Then, she requires daily thyroid and prednisone tablets as well. Periodically, of course, she needs blood drawn to check for dosage of all these. Diagnosing her in the first place involved massive expense, as she suffered four episodes of being rushed to the emergency night and weekend hospital, followed up with stays at her doctor's office, for severe sickness of undiagnosed origin. Finally, she was sent to Texas A&M University, and a diagnosis made. This had been a rescue dog from a litter of puppies thrown away on a country highway. I will tell you now the only thing that has made it possible for me to save this dog - like all my dogs, as soon as I adopted her I insured her. This is the best advice I know. Insure each dog, as soon as you adopt it.(editor note: see our overview of dog health insurance.)

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