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Cushings Disease in Dog"Cushings Disease in dog can be caused by a tumor on the pituitary or adrenal glands or drugs like prednisone. Diagnosis is difficult. Treatment can include surgery, radiation, medication and possibly homeopathic supplements" Cushings disease in dog (hyperadrenocorticism) is a fairly common condition in older dogs and is often mistaken for part of the natural aging process. Cushing’s disease is caused by a tumor of either the pituitary or adrenal glands, causing the production of excess cortisol. Cortisol is a naturally-occurring chemical in the body, which helps the body respond to stress such as infection or pain. With Cushing’s disease, however, the body continues producing cortisol even when the stressor has been removed. This causes a number of problems. Dog Cushings disease has also been linked to prescription medications that contain corticosteroids such as Prednisone. Cushings Disease in Dog SymptomsSymptoms of Cushing’s disease in dog include: * Increased water drinking Diagnosis of Cushings Disease in DogThere is no test for Cushing’s disease in dog. It can be a difficult condition to diagnose. If your dog has several of the symptoms above, your vet should consider Cushing’s disease as a possible diagnosis.Your vet will do some blood tests to check for diabetes and for signs of infection and your dog’s urine to check cortisol levels. Treatment of Cushing’s Disease in DogTreatment of Cushing’s disease in dog depends on the type of Cushing’s disease, i.e. whether the tumor is situated on the pituitary gland or on one of the adrenal glands.Adrenal gland tumor - surgery is an option. If the tumor is benign (non-cancerous), this may be a good choice of treatment. However, since one symptom of Cushing’s disease is poor wound healing and since most dogs with the condition are elderly, many owners opt against surgery. If the tumor is malignant (cancerous) it often has spread to other organs by the time the Cushing’s disease has been diagnosed. In this case, surgically removing the tumor is not useful. Pituitary tumors- are not removed surgically because removing them is too risky and they are very small and do not usually grow any larger. Instead, treatment focuses on managing the symptoms of the condition. Radiation can be used to shrink the tumors further, but this is quite costly and most dog owners opt against it. There are medications available to treat Cushing’s disease. Lysodren damages the adrenal glands so that they cannot produce excess cortisol. Of course, this can have serious side effects if the adrenals are damaged too much, because the body requires a certain amount of cortisol in order to survive. There are other medicines that are less effective but safer. For instance, Ketaconazole works by suppressing hormone production. Anipryl works by balancing and stabilizing brain chemicals. In the case of many elderly dogs, owners opt to forgo treatment and focus instead on keeping their pet comfortable by just treating symptoms of the condition. Cushings Disease in Dog Natural SupplementsWhile natural supplements can't cure Cushing’s, some herbs will safely and effectively support your pet’s general health and contribute to a reduction in the severity of the symptoms of Cushings disease in dogsLook for supplements such as Cushex for Cushing's Disease which contain a blend of herbal and homeopathic ingredients designed to treat Cushing’s in dogs. Each herbal ingredient of this natural remedy has a specific role to play in normalizing adrenal function, balancing corticosteroid levels or reducing the troublesome symptoms of this condition. You should see improvement from herbal remedies in 3 to 6 weeks. Sources:Canine Cushing’s DiseaseConnick, Kate Diagnosis and Treatment of Hyperadrenocorticism in the Dog Neiger, Reto From Cushings Disease in Dog to Dog Health Guide Home
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