Here is our latest update on Aspen:
Last night we received a phone call from the emergency vet. Before Aspen had left their care on Saturday they ran a screening for Addison’s Disease, mostly to rule it out as a possibility. Addison’s is another kidney disease that is basically like kidney diabetes, so it’s not really a great thing, but it is treatable and would allow Aspen to live out her full life. The screening came back that there is a possibility that Aspen may have Addison’s. Further testing will confirm the diagnosis. We will learn the results this afternoon.
The reason we are thinking there is a strong possibility that Addison’s could be Aspen’s actual diagnosis is because of the symptoms. Aspen fits the Addison’s symptoms to a “T” and it just feels right. We were scratching our heads after talking with the breeder who we got Aspen from who had never even heard of kidney dyspliasia, which is a genetic disease. Also, upon doing some independent research of Addison’s, one thing it says is that often times dogs will go on an IV to lower their BUN (kidney value) and seem to make a miraculous recovery. Since Aspen has been home, she has been back to her same old crazy self. She’s wild, rambunctious, chases the cats, steals socks from the laundry, runs around the house, smiles, and most importantly, she’s eating like a champ!
Another “filling in the blanks” if you’re wondering – her original diagnosis of kidney dysplasia cannot be confirmed 100% without a kidney biopsy, which is very invasive, so we are not planning on going through with that.
We are trying not to get our hopes up on this one, but we’re thinking optimistically! Once we learn more from the vet, we’ll continue to keep you updated.