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Everything About Cushing’s Disease Of Dogs


Decorative Curiosities Staff
Updated: Jun 4, 2024

Our dogs face many health issues as do us when they grow old. One of them is cushing's disease. It can attack your 6 years or more older dog. Hyperadrenocorticism is the medical term for this disease. It can attack Horses and cats too. But dogs are the most victims of this disease. About 100,000 dogs are diagnosed with cushing’s disease every year. So you have to know about this disease if you are a pet owner. Because the right treatment will happen if you diagnose the disease correctly.

Cushing's disease Symptoms don't come out all at once. They develop slowly like ageing.But the right diagnosis of this disease can help you out in the process of cure.So read this full article to know everything about cushing's disease if you want a pet owner.

01.What Is This Disease?
01.What Is This Disease?
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This disease produces too much cortisol in the body of your pet. Adrenal glands produce and store Cortisol hormone. This hormone helps your dog adapt to stress and takes a role in the fight or flight response. It helps the tissue structure, body weight, and skin health of dogs.But excessive amounts of cortisol weakens the dog’s immune system.And the symptoms can't be noticed in the early stage of this disease. This is the worst part of Cushing’s disease.

02.All The Three Types Of Cushing’s Disease
02.All The Three Types Of Cushing’s Disease
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More than 80% of the dogs who have been diagnosed with Cushing disease have developed tumors in the pituitary gland.Did you study gland is located in the base of their brain.PDH is usually benign.15% of dogs have diagnosed a small tumor in the adrenal glands in front of the Kidneys. Half of these tumors are benign and half of them are malignant. There is a third type of cushing's disease.If a dog receives long-time cortisol-like steroids for treatment, It can develop iatrogenic cushing's disease.

03.Dog Breeds Most Vulnerable To This Disease
03.Dog Breeds Most Vulnerable To This Disease
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The breeds larger in size are prone to cushing's disease.This disease is often diagnosed in female dogs. Female dogs are three times more vulnerable than male dogs to this disease.Veterinarians diagnosed cushing's disease in her numbers in the breeds like terriers, poodles, and dachshunds.Boxer, German Shepherd, American eskimo, beagles, labrador retrievers, Australian Shepherds, Cocker Spaniels, and maltese are also vulnerable to this disease.

04.Early Symptoms Of This Disease
04.Early Symptoms Of This Disease
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The early symptoms might go a noticed. Most dogs suffering from Cushing disease experience a significant increase in appetite. cortisol stimulates appetite in dogs. so they eat a lot of food and drink more water due to this disease. The dogs can pant more than usual. They can be sleepy, drowsy, and lose interest in playing. Normal activities of them can be hampered. They can refuse to go for a walk.Restart urinating more often and can accidentally urinate inside the house.

05.Other Symptoms Of This Disease
05.Other Symptoms Of This Disease
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It's a chronic and progressive disease. The dog starts Losing hair from the back side and body but not from the head and legs. This hair might not grow back quickly between grooming and clippings. Their muscles can become weak. They can fail in climbing stairs or jumping into a car. The skin of them could become thinner and become more valuable to skin diseases. And the most prominent symptom is an enlarged dog abdomen.

06.Diagnosis
06.Diagnosis
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After discussing with the dog-owner, a veterinary expert can conclude his decision and diagnose the disease.This disease can be diagnosed by testing blood and urine. It can be diagnosed by urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, dilute urine, and increased blood cholesterol also.Finally the veterinary expert will do the following tests—

  • chest x-ray
  • CT scan
  • ACTH stimulation blood test
  • Low-dose dexamethasone suppression blood test
  • MRI
  • Hair analysis
  • Abdominal ultrasound
07.Treatment Of This Disease
07.Treatment Of This Disease
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It is possible to go for a surgery and remove the tumor. but this treatment is still under development and still not widely available. Radiation therapy is the second option. but the most used process is medication. These medicines block cortisol production in dogs and kill cortisol producing sales. But the proper amount of medicine is needed. Extremely high doses can even kill your dog.

Adrenal tumors are treated surgically. The veterinary expert removes the tumor.The wet surgeon may prescribe additional medicines after the surgery.The medicines should be continued for a few weeks to a few months. but the surgeon will not go for surgery if the tumor is malignant or the Mele density has played to other specific areas in the body of the dog. He will prescribe medicines in this case.

08.Prognosis
08.Prognosis
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Most dogs respond to the treatment and become well within a few months. The dogs diagnosed with pituitary-type Cushing’s disease usually live an additional 2 years.But if you don't take them to a doctor, they will eat more, drink more water, will become lazy, will have diabetes, will be suffering from lung and respiratory diseases. Will become prone to skin infection, recurring urinary tract infection, pancreatitis, and protein loss etc.

09.Should You Go for a Treatment?
09.Should You Go for a Treatment?
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Cushing’s disease is a disease of older dogs. it does not cause death. but if you feel that your dog is not feeling well, then I would like to suggest you should take it to a veterinary expert.

The Final Words
The Final Words

If your dog is more than 6 years old and is drinking more water, having more food, has become lazy and is having skin problems, then you should not waste any time and go to a veterinary expert as soon as possible.