Corticosteroids are the hormones that enable us to adapt physiologically to stress. As a general biological rule, where there's sodium or salt, there's water. When sodium is conserved, potassium is lost as part of the biological balance.
Patients are usually young or middle-aged female dogs.
At first signs are very vague - listlessness, possibly some vomiting or diarrhea. The animal collapses in shock due to its inability to adapt to the caloric and circulatory requirements in stress. Blood sugar may drop dangerously low. Potassium levels soar and disrupt the heart rhythm because there is not enough conserved sodium to exchange for potassium. Heart rate slows, arrhythmias result.