Treating Cushings Disease In Dogs

Hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushings disease in dogs, is a rare disease involving too much release of adrenal hormones. It can occur naturally or be the result of over administering corticosteroids. If it occurs because of too much corticosteroids, slowly cutting back on the administration will allow the dog's body to return to normal functioning; however, if it occurs naturally, it can be much more difficult to cure.

There are two reasons that this disease can occur. These two reasons both involve the presence of one of two different types of tumors. If there is any kind of tumor within the dog's body that produces too much of an adrenal hormone, this can stimulate the disease's growth, or stimulation of the regular adrenal glands by hormones that occur naturally. Tumors can account for up to 85% of Cushing's disease cases.

Symptoms of this disease include an increase in water consumption, more frequent urination, an increased appetite, excessive panting, high blood pressure, and hair loss. The thinning of hair usually occurs evenly on both sides of the body. The increase in water drinking and the frequency of the animal's need to urinate can become irritating to some pet owners.

A simple blood test can diagnose whether one's pet is affected by this disease. To confirm Cushing's, a dexamethasone test can be done. A blood sample is taken and injected with the dexamethasone.

Eight hours later, the blood is then checked again. In a dog without the disease, the cortisol levels are suppressed. In a dog with Cushing's disease, this does not happen. Once the dog is diagnosed, a second test will be done to find what kind of tumor the dog is carrying. X-rays and ultrasounds may be employed to seek the placement of the tumor.

Many times, if it is a tumor of the adrenal gland, it can be taken out of the pet. Surgical risks can sometimes be high, so a specialist is often the one who completes the surgery. A pituitary gland tumor will not usually be removed; instead, it will be treated with a medicine know to shrink this type of tumor.

The administering of proper amounts of this medicine will shrink enough of the gland to bring corticosteroids back to their optimum levels. It is important that this treatment be administered quite carefully, because overdosing can lead to another common pet disease, Addison's disease. Immediately notifying one's veterinarian is pertinent if one notices any symptoms of improper treatment, such as weakness, loss of appetite, or nausea.

It should be noted that this treatment is only meant to treat the symptoms; it does not kill the tumor. An educated guess as to the average lifespan of a dog once it has been diagnosed is thought to be around two years. Not much extensive research has gone into the longevity of a pet's life once treatment has been started. One should look at treatment as a means of a better quality of life rather than increasing the lifespan of the dog.