Cushing's disease in dogs is also known as hyperadrenocorticism. It means that there is an increased level of glucocorticoid hormones in the dog's body. The increased levels of hormones is due to overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands. This overproduction may be natural, or may be due to administration of corticosteroids like prednisone. The treatment of the latter condition is very easy, as one just needs to cut down on the administration of corticosteroids. However, Cushing's disease in dogs, because of natural causes is very difficult to cure.
Types of Cushing's Disease in Dogs
Cushing's disease in dogs can be divided into three different types, depending on the causes. The types of Cushing's disease in dogs are Iatrogenic Cushing's Disease, adrenal-based hyperadrenocorticism and pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Let us try to understand about these types of Cushing's disease in dogs in a little more detail. You can read more on canine Cushing's disease.
Iatrogenic Cushing's Disease
This type of Cushing's disease is caused by frequent use of cortisol. When the cortisols are used in excess, it causes the adrenal glands to halt the production of cortisol in the body. This halt in the production of cortisols, causes the adrenal glands to shrink in size. The treatment of Cushing's disease in dogs, in case of excess use of cortisols, includes slowly withdrawing the same. If one dramatically decreases the amount of cortisols, it may lead to severe case of vomiting, diarrhea, vascular collapse or even death of the dog.
Pituitary-Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism
This Cushing's disease in dogs is caused due to oversecretion of ACTH hormone by the pituitary gland. The ACTH hormone stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more glucocorticoids. This over-secretion of ACTH is due to a pituitary tumor. About 80% of the dogs suffer from pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism.
Adrenal Based Hyperadrenocorticism
An adrenal tumor causes over secretion of glucocorticoids that leads to development of Cushing's disease in dogs. About 20% of the dogs are affected by adrenal based hyperadrenocorticism.
Who is at Risk of Cushing's Disease?
Cushing's disease is generally seen affecting middle-aged to older dogs. Dogs that are around 6 to 7 years of age are at the maximum risk of contracting this disease. But, the range of getting affected with Cushing's disease is about 2 to 16 years. This disease can affect any of the dog breeds, but those that are more prone to Cushing's disease include Beagle, Boston Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Poodle, and Yorkshire Terrier. The breeds that are commonly affected by adrenal based hyperadrenocorticism are Toy Poodles, Dachshunds, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and few Terrier dog breeds. The dogs which are generally affected by pituitary dependent Cushing's disease include Poodles, Beagle, German Shepherd, Boston Terrier and Boxer dogs.
Cushing's Disease in Dogs: Symptoms
Cushing's disease in dogs is a serious hormonal disorder. The symptoms of Cushing's disease in dogs are mostly similar to other dog illnesses symptoms. Most of the symptoms of Cushing's disease in dogs are similar to aging symptoms like hair loss, muscle weakness, uncontrollable bladder, etc. The symptoms of Cushing's disease in dogs also includes:
- Polyuria (excessive urination)
- Polydipsia (excessive thirst)
- Abdominal enlargement
- Hair loss
- Skin becomes thin and fragile
- Blackheads and clogged pores on skin
- Increase in skin pigmentation
- Calcium deposits causing hard lumps in the skin
- Enlarged liver
- Excessive panting
- Lethargy
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle atrophy
- Intact females do not come in heat
- Intact males may show testicular atrophy
Cushing's Disease in Dogs: Treatment
The treatment varies according to the form of Cushing's disease the dog suffers from. In case of adrenal tumors, the vet may surgically remove the tumor. Pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism is treated with medication. The vet may prescribe mitotane to treat Cushing's disease. The drug is given after meals and the side effects include anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and depression. Dogs with Iatrogenic Cushing's disease are slowly weaned off the steroids and hence gradually recover from this condition. The vet will decide the correct prednisone doses that will help reduce the Cushing's disease in dogs.
Cushing's Disease in Dogs: Diet
You need to help boost the immune system of the dog by providing him with the right diet. The diet for a dog suffering from Cushing's disease should include high protein levels, low-fat, fiber and purine levels. You need to feed the dog with natural meat, eggs and vegetables. You should provide the dog with plenty of water and a potassium rich diet. Supplement the diet with antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium. This helps make the immune system of the dog stronger to fight against Cushing's disease.
Cushing's Disease in Dogs: Life Expectancy
The prognosis of Cushing's disease in dogs shows that adrenal surgery is mostly good. Dogs with benign adrenal gland based tumor have better life expectancy than malignant tumor. The life expectancy of dogs suffering from Cushing's disease who have undergone an adrenal surgery is about 36 months. Dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism have a life expectancy of about 2 years after successful treatment. The life expectancy of a dog suffering from Cushing's disease is more or less about 20 - 30 months.
This was some information related to Cushing's disease in dogs. Depending on that particular dog health, the vet may choose an appropriate treatment for Cushing's disease in dogs. I hope this article was a useful read and helped you learn something about the Cushing's disease in dogs.
DISCLAIMER
* The information offered on this site is not to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. The reader is advised to consult with a veterinarian before taking any home remedies, supplements or following any treatment advised by anyone on this site. A veterinarian will be able to provide the reader with advice that is safe and effective for an individual pet's specific needs and diagnose a particular health problem based on the pet's medical history .
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