Cushings Disease

Question: What is the life expectancy of a dog diagnosed with Cushing's disease? My 7 year old terrier has recently had blood work done which indicates the possible existance of Cushing's disease. He had elevated ALP of 146 last year and this year it is 176. His thyroid is low at 0.49. The vet thinks he might be pre-cushings, hence the only slightly elevated alp levels. He shows no other symptoms of the disease, no excessive drinking or eating, no incontinence or frequent urination. He is active and playful and has no intolerance to heat. My question is how might the presence of cushing's disease effect his life expectancy?

Answer: Cushing's disease, also known as hyperadrenocorticism Left untreated, Cushing's disease will progress and can lead to life-threatening disorders such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, and liver and kidney failure, and to chronic maladies such as hypothyroidism and infections of the skin, ears, gums, eyes, or bladder. Cushing's disease cannot be cured, but the treatments available can prolong your pet's quality of life and keep him around for years longer. If an adrenal tumor is causing the disease, surgery may be indicated. Either way, it's better to get started on treatment. There are 3 forms of Cushing's Disease: Pituitary-Dependent Cushing's Disease - This is the most common form of Cushing's Disease. It accounts for approximately 85% of cases. It occurs when a very small tumor develops in the pituitary. This tumor sends excessive messages to the adrenal glands to produce and release steroids beyond what the body needs. 2. Adrenocortical Tumors - Tumors of the adrenal glands account for the other 15% of the cases. These are functional masses which are malignant about 50% of the time. The majority of dogs with adrenal tumors are female. 3. Iatrogenic Cushing's Disease - This form of the disease is caused by excessive and/or prolonged steroid administration. The life expectancy of a dog with Cushing's is shorter than for normal dogs. The average survival time after diagnosis is 2 years with the appropriate treatment. Complications that may arise include embolisms, infections, hypertension, heart failure diabetes, pancreatitis, and other illnesses. Owning a pet with Cushing's Disease can be problematic.

Question: Has anyone went through cushing's disease with a dog? My Chihuahua exhibits symptoms of significant weight gain, thin skin, moderate to severe allergies. Our vet suspected cushing's disease but the test was negative. Are these test not always reliable? I would love to find out if anyone has gone through this before. Thanks so much!

Answer: did your vet check your dogs thyroid level? there are a couple of different tests that can be run to determine cushings. sometimes the tests might come back negative even though cushings is a prime suspect. sometimes clients will test there dogs every 6 months before they get a definitive diagnosis. what test did your vet run?

Question: Our dog has been diagnosed with cushing's disease and diabetes. How can we boost his immune system? He takes anipryl daily for the cushings and receives insulin injections daily for his diabetes. He has a severe dermatitis/skin infection right now and currently takes 2 antibiotics and an antihistamine daily for these complications. What can we give him to boost his immune system so as not to complicate these other health issues?

Answer: You should talk to your vet for this question. Also post animal questions in the animal section . You will get more answers . BTW- I have both diabetes and Cushing's.

Question: What treatment has worked best for treating your dog with Cushing's disease.? My 13 1/2 year old Weimarner has been dignosed with Cushing's about 4 months ago. Since his diagnosis, I have elected not to treat him with the chemotherapy drug Lysodren as my vet suggested. I don't like the long list of potential side effects. So, what other treatments have worked for you. I'm exploring other options. Thanks.

Answer: Coming from someone who had for 13 years a Yorkshire, 5 of those with his Cushing's disease: Use bronchodilatators (sp?). They help making your dog breathe better without almost any side effects. Ask him what are the chances of him making through surgery. Don't euthanize him. Cushing's disease is perfectly controlled with bronchodilattators and can improve your dog's life greatly.

Question: How does hypercorticolism (Cushing's Disease) affect the water/salt balance of the body? Does it increase it or decrease it?

Answer: When excess cortisol is released for extended period of time, the cortisol can start acting on the kidneys in the same way as aldersterone (since they are similarly contsructed). This means that it can cause hypokalemia (low Potassium...as it is excreted), Normal or high Sodium...and thus, water retention (which can lead to hypertension) I hope this helps.

Question: Does anyone on here know about or have Cushing's Disease? I just got diagnosed with Cushing's Disease. It is disease that causes your body to release too much coritsol because of a tumor on my putuitary gland........anyone have this or can give me any information that i haven't read about?

Answer: go to webmd.com and type in your disease. you can find some very useful info on that website. hope it helps

Question: Trying to find a Canine Cushing's Disease Specialist? My dog was diagnosed with Canine Cushing's Disease and I feel there is something else going on? I live in a small town in Louisiana the vets here are awesome, but this is not something they see everyday. They have been really helpful and they have recommended some other Vets, but I was wondering if anyone here would know a Vet that may know something about this. I do not mind driving outside of the state, I just want to find someone I can at least talk to or something???

Answer: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Canin… This is a support group for owners of dogs with cushings - they may have a reference list of vets or be able to show you papers/reference texts to help. These lists can be a GODSEND.

Question: My dog was diagnosed with Cushing's disease? She is a 12 year old Siberian Husky/Dalmation. The vet told me her life expectancy is only 12 years old. I love her so much and don't want her to suffer. My internet research has left me in a: do I give her conventional medicine with horrible side effects OR do I treat her naturally and let her pass when she has reached the organ failure stage. Does anyone have anything encouraging to tell me, experience with this disease. Sounds like the outlook is so bleak.

Answer: I've seen many dogs with Cushings treated well with conventional medicine, no side effects. Some have even lived a few years afterward. I'm not sure what you are referring to as side effects are rare and are usually only seen in dogs that are very sick and their body cannot process the medications properly. It is really up to you. You could get a second opinion from another Vet or see a holistic specialist. Personally I've seen just as many animals with reactions to "natural" cures as conventional, but it could just be our area. You could always use a combination of both. She's had a long life, 12 is old for both of those breeds and it is a condition which is hard to control. But it isn't hopeless, she can still have another year or so ahead of her if her organs aren't failing.

Question: Any experience with Cushing's disease in dogs? My 15 year old cocker spanial was just diagnosed with Cushings disease.I don't know if it is adrenal or pituatary but the medication is the same. Anyone have prsonal experience with a dog who has Cushing's Disease?

Answer: My dog (approx 7 or 8 y o) was just definitively diagnosed today, but I've been doing research on it for a few weeks since the possibility arose. I highly recommend that you visit www.caninecushings.net. It's a group for owners of dogs with Cushing's and it's a great source of information and as a sounding board!

Question: Does cushing's disease show up on a thyroid test? I had one a while back after i gained 20 lbs in the last 3 months since i stopped running. I found out my cousin has this. My thyroid came back normal. would I need an x-ray to know?

Answer: not normally. they would test your cortisol levels as well as your ACTH levels. Usually these tests are requested seperately. First they would perform blood tests. There also would be clinical signs with a more rounded face as well as facial hair development in females and possibly central fat distribution. If there is an abnormal level of cortisol then they might do an x-ray to rule out the source of the overexcretion as well as an abdominal CT and a head MRI.

Question: Does anyone know about Cushing's disease for a dog? I have a Westie with Cushing's.

Answer: Cushing's disease is probably more accurately referred to as hyperadrenocorticism -- the production of too much adrenal hormone, in particular corticosteroids. It can be naturally occurring or due to over administration of corticosteroids such as prednisone (iatrogenic Cushings). The latter is easy to cure - just cut out the corticosteroid administration slowly to allow the body to return to normal function. The former is more difficult. Hyperadrenocorticism occurs for two reasons --- a tumor of the adrenal gland that produces adrenal hormones or stimulation of the normal adrenal glands from the hormones that control it. The primary reason for this to occur is a pituitary gland tumor that produces excessive ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal gland to produce corticosteroids. Adrenal gland tumors account for 15% of the cases of spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism. Pituitary tumors account for 85%. Cushing's disease causes increased drinking, increased urination, increased appetite, panting, high blood pressure, hair loss - usually evenly distributed on both sides of the body, pendulous abdomen, thinning of the skin, calcified lumps in the skin, susceptibility to skin infections and diabetes, weakening of the heart and skeletal muscles, nervous system disease and other symptoms. Most owners reach a point where the water consumption and urination become bothersome to them. The diagnosis of Cushing's can be done with several blood tests. A general hint of Cushing's can be obtained by a blood panel. To confirm it, a test known as a low dose dexamethasone test is done. A baseline blood sample is drawn in the morning, an injection of dexamethasone given and a follow-up blood test done 8 hours later. In a normal dog, the dexamethasone should suppress cortisol levels in the blood stream. In Cushing's disease this effect does not occur. Once the disease is diagnosed, it is possible to differentiate between the adrenal tumors and pituitary gland tumors using a second test, a high dose dexamethasone suppression test. Most dogs with pituitary tumors will have cortisol suppression on this test. There are other tests used, including ACTH response tests and urine cortisol/creatinine ratios to diagnose this disease. X-rays and ultrasonography can help determine if an adrenal gland tumor is present. If it can be determined that there is an adrenal gland tumor, it can be removed. Many veterinarians prefer to have a specialist attempt this since the surgical risks can be high. Pituitary gland tumors are not usually removed in veterinary medicine. This situation is treated using Lysodren (o'p'-DDD, which is a relative of DDT) or ketaconazole. Some research with Deprenyl for treatment of this is being done, too, I think. Lysodren selectively kills the outer layer of the adrenal gland that produces corticosteroids. By administering it in proper amounts it is possible to kill just enough of the gland off to keep the production of corticosteroids to normal levels. Obviously, close regulation of this using blood testing is necessary since overdoing it can cause severe problems with Addison's disease - hypoadrenocorticism. Adverse reactions to Lysodren occur at times but it is the standard treatment at this time. Over medication with Lysodren can cause inappetance, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and weakness. If any of these signs occur then your veterinarian should be immediately notified. Treatment of Cushing's disease caused by pituitary tumors is symptomatic therapy -- it does not cure the pituitary tumor. The average lifespan of dogs diagnosed with Cushing's, with or without treatment is estimated at 2 years by Dr. Mark Peterson, but in a recent conversation with another endocrinologist I came away with the impression that this was an "educated guess" rather than the result of extensive survey of Cushing's patients. At present, though, I think that treatment should be viewed as a means of providing a better quality lifestyle rather than as a method of extending longevity. Michael Richards, DVM

Question: Cushing's Disease--once someone gets treated for it and they were obese are they able to lose their weight? And if so how long does it take?

Answer: I am currently receiving treatment for Cushing's and while a lot of people who receive treatment and begin losing weight rather rapidly, there are others who struggle a bit more. I have seen certain people who the fat just seems to melt off of, but I have also seen quite the opposite. In my case, I am still staying the same weight, though that could be because I still have a tumor and my cortisol levels are not at regular level yet. My understanding is that once your cortisol level is under control, you should be able to loose the weight. It still requires a bit of healthy eating and exercise to shed the pounds. I was just put on Xenical to help my weight loss by my endocrinologist, so if you don't mind the side effects, you could talk to your doctor about that option. Hope I helped some.

Question: Has anyone had to deal with Cushing's Disease in canines (dogs)? My dog had her teeth cleaned today and the vet said her bloodwork was high in a couple of areas. These high 'marks' may indicate Cushing's Disease. She is on antibiotics and he's hoping the antibiotics will bring these numbers down and the high numbers were just a result of too much bacteria in the liver. She'll be tested again next Tuesday and if the numbers are still high, he'll do the specific test for Cushings. Basically, if you have had experience with this whether it was your own dog or you work for a vet, what did you do? What steps did you take to help the dog? I know medication may be involved. I would like to know if you chose medicine, herbal remedies or decided your dog had a good life and let the dog go (euthanasia). I don't think the last option is an option at all, not at this point. Thanks for any advice! My dog happens to be a mixed breed, Jack Russell and Sheltie. But she's older and it happens to dogs around the age of 10 or so. I have questions for the vet, no problem. I want someone who had experience and want their opinions.

Answer: My dog had Cushings disease starting in 2003. The vet was very good and gave me lots of information and web sites to check. Buddy was a mix border collie and black lab, He did take medication and it helped very much. We pretty much let him live a normal life, but had to put him to sleep 2/19/2007, not because of the Cushings, but because he had a tumor on his left leg that was eating away the bone. He was 15 years old by then and that;s actually a long time for a large dog to live. He was in such pain for his leg and got to the point where he could not get up on his own, didn;t want to eat, but still chased the geese from our backyard, even the morning we took him to the vet for the last time. He had a good life. I did a quick web search for "Cushing's Disease in dogs" and came up with some very worthwhile topics. Check it out. Un fortunately I threw away all the information my vet gave us when Buddy passed away or I could refer you to more specific sites. Our dog lived for 5 additional years due to the extremely competent vet we had and the information she gave us. He developed many lumps, presumably cancer on many parts of his body, but that was five full years after his Cushing's diagnosis. He had a quality life until approximately 3 weeks before he passed away. He did rebound and chase geese from the yard the day we had him put to sleep, so I figure he knew...I talked to him and told him what was going to happen and why, so now he's in doggie heaven looking after all of us and probably met up with some of his friends and my dad who loved dogs and dogs loved him. That's what our 3 1/2 year old came up with,..."well, now he's with Gizmo, Rocky, and Pap Pap." Certainly made me feel better. Do what you can..the meds are expensive, but were effective for Buddy, and your dog will probably have at least several more quality years. Good luck and hamg in there!

Question: Anyone that can help with Cushing's Disease problem? We took our 11 year old Dalmatian to the Vet. She had been loosing control of her bladder. She did have a urinary tract infection, but the Vet. felt strongly that she had cushing's disease. Her liver enzimes were in the thousands where normal is 200. Has anyone else experienced cushing's disease with their dog. Pro's and con's. We will not get our report on her for about three days. Any information would be helpful to us. We are concerned with putting her through a lot at her age. Thank you very much.

Answer: My parents Cocker Spaniel, Taka, had this. Cushing's Disease, a common ailment in older dogs, is treatable and it is possible to manage the symptoms for years. It cannot be cured, but your dog can have an improved quaity of life. Treatment depends on the type of Cushing's Disease and the over all health of the dog. Older dogs usually have other concurrent health problems that can complicate treatment. In some cases, it's caused by a pituitary tumour and surgery may be indicated. Chemotherapy in the form of Lysodren or Ketaconazole may be used to treat pituitary-dependent or adrenal-based Cushing's. Lysodren can have very negative side effects though, in about 5% of dogs. so careful monitoring is indicated. Anipryl may be tried to combat pituitary-dependent Cushing's and is very controversial due to its disputed effectiveness. There is a new British drug not available yet in the states without a waiver from the FDA called Vetoryl (Modrenal, Trilostane), which shows great promise. The short tem prognosis with treatment is good. Symptoms of Cushing's may fully resolve over the course of 4-6 months. Excess drinking and urinating abate quickly, hair and coat take longer. The dog can enjoy many quality years.

Question: Anyone know anything about Cushing's disease or syndrome? I'm pretty sure I have Cushing's. A doctor about five years ago took one look at me and told me I have it. I couldn't afford the tests then , but can now. I will soon be talking with my doctor about getting this done. I have researched many, many websites and discovered close to 50 symptoms. I have about 30 symptoms including obesity, hump of fat in back of neck, pendulous abdomen, diabetes, high BP, and more. Cushing's is caused by excess cortisol released by the pituitary gland. Does anyone out there have Cushing's? I would like to share some of my symptoms and problems with you and vice versa.

Answer: http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/cush…

Question: Is fighting Cushing's disease worth the effort? I have a dog that is 14 years going on 15. The Vet thinks that the dog may have Cushing's. They want me to spend $400-500 to find out, then whatever $ for meds after, if it is. It seems to be a lost cause considering the age involved. I love her but I don't know how much longer she would live anyway and she is pushing the limit as it is.

Answer: This is an excellent site, and should help you make that descision> http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushi… Remember, whatever your choice, it will be the best one, as nobody here loves and understands your dog and your own situation as well as you do..You are the one to decide...and your descision will be the right one..