How to Be Sure If My Dog Suffering from Cushing's Disease?

Did you just find your dog urinating too much? Or is he drinking more water than usual? This excess thirst and urination must not be ignored as they can very well be signs of Cushing’s Disease. How did he get the disorder? Can it be treated? Can your dog die of the disease? Find your answers here.

Visualize this. You are deep asleep in the middle of the night when you woke up by your dog’s frequent visits to the restroom. You are alerted and take your pet to the vet the next day. He examines your dog, does some tests, and prescribes him Vetoryl for dogs. Oh well, your dog is diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease.

Is it scary? Can it be cured? Is it diagnosed too late? Had you known about it a bit earlier, would that have been better? Queries and doubts like these might swarm up in your mind.

Time for a reality check about the disease.

What is Cushing’s Disease?
The Cushing’s Disease is a disorder that affects the endocrine system which is the collective system of glands responsible for producing and secreting hormones in the body. Among these hormones is the cortisol, a hormone which, under normal levels, performs several useful functions. It helps individual respond to stress and also helps to modulate the immune system.

But, too much of cortisol in the body is dangerous. This is what happens in Cushing’s Disease or hyperadrenocorticism when excess of cortisol is produced. In dogs, the condition affects middle-aged to older ones.

Signs and symptoms to watch out for:

Do make sure that not all the symptoms are evidently noticeable in every dog with Cushing’s Disease. Also, that many signs can be associated with other diseases too. To determine and to be sure whether it is actually Cushing’s Syndrome, your vet would do several tests when you find any or few of these symptoms.

• Increased thirst (polydipsia) and urination (polyuria)
• Increased hunger
• Urinating at night with frequent accidents
• Too much panting
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Muscle weakness
• Obesity
• Fat pads around the neck region
• Pot-bellied abdomen
• Hair loss
• White scaly patches on the skin that are hard to touch
• Skin darkening
• Thin skin
• Bruising
• Infertility

Common Causes of Cushing’s Disease:

Cushing’s disease is primarily caused by the dysfunction in the pituitary and/or adrenal glands. This dysfunction is often caused by tumors caused by the affected glands that produce excessive levels of cortisol steroids. This disrupts the normal function of the gland as well as of multiple organ systems.

Common causes:

• Pituitary gland tumor
• Adrenal gland tumor
• Breed disposition

Diagnosing Cushing’s Disease in dogs:

To diagnose if your dog is suffering from Cushing’s Disease, your vet will go for comprehensive health history of your dog and then perform a complete physical exam. The usual tests include a blood chemistry profile, complete blood cell count, fecal examination and a urinalysis.

The most commonly done test to diagnose Cushing’s Disease in dogs is the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST). If the cortisol level is not suppressed, it means that the dog has Cushing’s Disease.

Treatment for Cushing’s Syndrome

Dogs with mild symptoms of Cushing’s Disease might not need immediate treatments, but they must be closely monitored to notice any further deterioration in their health. If it is found that dog’s pituitary-dependent Cushing’s disease has been reached or has worsened, they must be administered (trilostane) Vetoryl for dogs.

Please note that trilostane often interact with other common dog medications. So it is advisable to discuss all medications and supplements with your veterinarian before administering the medicine.

You can get your medicines by placing online orders on websites that sell pet medications online. One of the most trusted online animal pharmacy is PetRx2Go. Get in touch with them on https://www.petrx2go.com or call up at 1-800-798-2165 to place your order now.