Question about Cushing's disease

Post Canine health, behavior, and veterinary questions here
User avatar
momPaws
Posts: 3540
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2003 8:13 am
Location: Beautiful USA

Post by momPaws »

Am good Mary, now retired and spend a lot of time with little Honey. She is 13 now and doing good...thank God. She is so much company to me. We have a lot of fun together and am so glad I have her. Am praying for you to be healthy and for Mr. Blue, too.
PS - re Davet- be kind, Mary, and ease him into it. He is our hero sharing his adventures, esp. jumping out of a plane (but with a parachute- chicken!!)
User avatar
Traci
Site Administrator
Posts: 15325
Joined: Wed Apr 16, 2003 1:27 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Question about Cushing's disease

Post by Traci »

Mary, it occurs in middle-aged to older dogs, and I don't think there is any one breed predilection, although higher incidences seem to occur in boxers, beagles, poodles, dachshunds, and boston terriers.

It is caused by a disorder where high cortisol concentrations are produced in the body and affect several organ functions (renal, skin,, musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular, etc). It can be caused by a pituitary overproducing hormones from a pituitary tumor, or, from an adrenal tumor. In a smaller percent of cases, high or prolonged administration of steroids can cause cushings. Some dogs may have only one or two symptoms of the disease, others may have a multitude of symptoms.

Surgery is generally not adviseable unless a tumor is a very large size and can be removed safely, and providing the dog doesn't have any other organ disfunction, etc. Treatment may include any of the medications described in the links above, treatment is lifelong.
..........Traci
Post Reply