Crush the Cushing Disease in Time

Dogs as pets probably make one of the best companions for the young and old. Explains why a good percentage of people in the USA have pets. However, what comes with this four-legged friend is the need for care and prevention against illness.

Dogs and Diseases

Sadly, despite the best care, canines often succumb to diseases, mostly with growing age; much like humans. One such disease which is often found in older dogs is the Cushing disease, also known as Hyperadrenocorticism in the vet’s dictionary. It can be treated with medicines like Vetoryl for dogs. However, timely treatment is dependent on the pet owner’s understanding of the disease, its causes, symptoms and more.

The Knowledge Bank

What is it?

Cushing disease is caused by the excess production of the hormone cortisol in the dog’s body. The adrenals, located above the kidney produce cortin, which is a hormone responsible for regulating body weight, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, mineral balance, white blood cell production and skin health among others. Another important part of the endocrine system is the pituitary gland. The adrenocorticotropic hormone from this gland stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortin. Therefore, excess production of cortisol could be due to the presence of a tumor on either the pituitary gland or adrenal gland. Such a tumor on any of these glands causes the adrenals to malfunction, which result in the excessive production of the cortisol hormone.

The common cause of the Cushing disease is the presence of a tumor on the pituitary glands. A tumor on the adrenal glands is rarely found. These tumors are mostly benign and rarely cancerous (malignant).

Yet another cause of the Cushing disease is the administration of excessive amounts of glucocorticoids for the treatment of allergies, inflammation and low cortisol levels.

How do you know?

How would you know that your dog’s body is high on cortisol levels? Excess production of the cortisol hormone hampers the body’s metabolism, thus, leading to gastrointestinal problems and hypertension. Hampered metabolism shows through an increase in the dog’s hunger, thirst and urination. High blood pressure, resistance to exercise, weakness in muscles, obesity, lack of energy, loss of hair, darkening of skin, thinning of skin and inability to sleep are other consequences of the Cushing diseases.

However, these symptoms are common to many diseases and therefore, often fail to ring loud alarm bells in the pet owner’s ears and thus, go neglected. However, the result of neglect could be further enhancement in the pituitary gland tumor, which then presses the brain and causes severe neurological problems like difficulty in walking, diabetes and others.

So, if you observe any of these symptoms, visit your veterinarian before the problem takes a gigantic form. The vet would simply conduct some tests to diagnose the disease. If the pet has the Cushing diseases, then he will mostly administer Vetoryl for dogs for treatment. Well, if the results are negative, then you can rejoice at your pet’s good health and save yourself from the guilt of not being careful.

So, keep your eyes open and visit the vet when required. At least, you will be sure.

The author is a pet lover and animal health enthusiast. He has worked closely with veterinarians and understands animal health issues. He is also an avid reader and a proficient writer. He has written articles and blogs about pet medications.