Cushings Disease in Dogs – Facts You Need to Know

Cushings disease in dogs is a condition that, if left untreated, can evolve into a life-threatening condition for your pooch. Canine Cushings disease can lead to worse conditions like kidney, liver or heart failure. Diabetes and a variety of neurological disorders are likely to occur it the condition goes untreated. Infections on your dog’s skin, in his mouth and in his urinary tract are also common results when untreated. This disease occures due to an overproduction of cortisol for a long period of time. While cortisol is essential to your canine’s proper health, too much of the hormone leads to Cushings disease.

If your furry friend contracts canine Cushings disease, you will note several signs. 

Symptoms of Cushings Disease in Dogs:

• Pot Belly. This is a result of relaxed ligaments in teh abdomen.
• Enlarged liver (this also contributes to the pot belly)
• Hair loss
• Thinning of the skin (skin feels papery and loose to touch)
• Increase appetite (this leads to weight gain, contributing more to the pot belly)
• Increase thirst
• Increase urination
• General sense of not feeling well. You know when your dog or cat is normal.

Canine Cushings is usually a condition that middle-aged canines contract. While it is most common among dogs, cats can suffer the same symptoms, though it occurs much less frequently in felines. Also, if you have a female canine, she will actually be more likely to contract the desease because adrenal gland tumors are more common in female animals. Additionally, certain breeds are more prone to Cushings than others.

The disease is most common among Terriers, including Silky, Bull, Boston, Yorkshire Dachshunds and other Terrier breeds.

Diagnosing Cushings disease is a tricky thing for veterinarians. This is because symptoms resembles those of many other similar kinds of diseases. A thorough blood test is important to be able to successfully and accurately diagnose the condition. Urinalysis is also important in order to pinpoint the symptoms as actually being related to Cushings disease. In other words, do not attempt to diagnose your pooch on your own simply because there is a pot belly.

Canine Cushings disease treatment is important to implement once you have a proper diagnosis that your canine is indeed suffering from the disease. Depending on the situation, your pooch may be required to undergo surgery, particularly if there is a tumor present that has affected the adrenal gland. The highly specialized procedure is often not an option for many owners. They must look to less expensive alternative treatment options. To treat dogs with Cushings, most owners decide to pursue an oral treatment. There are several leading forms of oral treatment, all of which are showing promising results.

Until recently, though, canine Cushings treatment options produced unpleasant and serious side effects. Even though the products are inexpensive and sometimes effective at treating the source of the problem, the side effects may outweight the benefits. The synthesis of steroid hormones, for example, may create other complications. What you need as a solution to the Cushings disease in dogs problem is an herbal, holistic approach that will treat the disease without unpleasant side effects.

 

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