Cushings Disease - Causes & Symptoms

by William Greenbaum, aka Love ya Woof!

What is Cushings Disease?

Canine Cushings Disease is a rather nasty and insidious disease known medically as hyperadrenocorticism, which is a condition of the adrenal glands in which they over-produce a hormone known as cortisol.

Adrenal glands are important. They are small and live beside each kidney (which explains why surgery is tricky) and their purpose  is to regulate systems and metabolism.

Under normal conditions, the adrenals secrete cortisol in balanced amounts which is important  for the regulation of protein, carbohydrate and fat; body weight, mineral balance, and skin health and this helps your dog fight illness and  remain healthy.

However when Cushing's Disease occurs, the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol (corticosteroids) and this has adverse effects. The origins and causes of  the disease are not so well understood.

In the majority of cases, Cushings Disease is found in senior animals and small breed dogs and comes about as a result of a benign tumors in the pituitary gland. The tumor cells produce excessive amounts of ACTH, which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to produce excessive amounts of cortisol.

The remaining 15% of the cases of Cushings disease are caused by either a tumor in one (or very rarely both) of the adrenal glands, resulting in overproduction of cortisol, or excessive use of corticosteroid drugs.

What are Cushings Disease Symptoms?

Symptoms of Cushings Disease include:

• Excessive Drinking and Urination
• Appetite gain
• Lethargy
• Excessive panting
• A sagging pot belly
• Diabetes Mellitus (more frequent in cats, but less frequent in Canine Cushings)
• Endocrine (hormone-related) skin diseases (hair loss and slow-healing wounds)
• You notice a general sense of your pet not feeling well

If you think about it the above conditions are consistent with what you would expect to see in older dogs and this explains why its sometimes quite tricky to diagnose Cushings Disease in its early stages.

So whats the end game with Cushings Disease? The answer is that left unchecked, an unfortunate raft of troubles may occur such as:

1. diabetes
2. urinary tract infections
3. pancreatitis
4. liver disease
5. kidney failure
6. skin infections
7. ear infections
8. congestive heart failure
9. hypothyroidism

Can Herbal Remedies Help?

At our company we have always said that classical veterinary medicine used in combination with alternative therapies is a reasonable way to proceed, so always, always work with an animal health care professional.

From a herbal perspective, and the answer to this important question, can herbal remedies fight Cushings Disease? The answer is that a holistic approach to the disease can help, particularly if you think of boosting the immune system -- which is under pressure from the disease. Constitutional Blend Fights Canine Cushings Disease

We have a product called Constitutional Blend which is available for $21.95. This herbal tincture has two active ingredients -  dandelion and burdock root - among others which are key to flushing the body of toxins and effective in strengthening an overtaxed liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

Both herbs are also rich in minerals such as potassium and magnesium, which are good for the body because much is lost due to excessive urination.

What Other Ways is Cushings Disease Treated?

Conventional treatment of cushings disease  in dogs includes drug therapy and surgery. The good news is that drugs do work but the side effects can be rough stuff.

Surgery works as well but that depends where the tumor is located. If the tumor is on the pituitary gland then generally their is no cure because the gland sits right underneath the brain and its generally too risky a location for surgery. If the tumor is located on the adrenal glands, the tumor is then removed.

Conventional drugs used to treat cushings disease include: Lysodren and Ketaconazole. Side effects would be: nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, lethargy. A new drug entered onto the market about 10 years ago showing some promise. It is called Anipryl. Again, possible side effects include: lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea.

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