Canine Cushing's Disease (hyperadrenocorticism)
of the diseases of older dogs is Canine Cushing's Disease. The primary
symptom of this disease is greatly increased water consumption which
then causes them to urinate more frequently. Previously dependably house
broken individuals may start urinating in the house or demanding to
be let out more frequently to do their "duties". Other symptoms
are bloated bellies, loss of muscle mass or loss of hair as well as
general energy level reduction. These symptoms are often mistakenly
diagnosed by dog owners simply as aging indicators and in some cases
may even make owners begin to think of euthanasia of the dog - perhaps
Disease can be challenging to diagnose and often requires multiple blood
screens to identify the correct disease process. But, if Canine Cushing's
Disease is diagnosed, it can often be successfully treated which will
result in a longer and more comfortable lives for the pets. And, their
owners will achieve great satisfaction in seeing the significant improvement
in their pet's health and behavior.
Cushing's disease results when the adrenal glands secrete an excess
amount of cortisone. It is the most common endocrinopathy (hormone disease)
encountered in older dogs. Most often Cushing's is caused by either
a tumor on the pituitary glands, an adrenal tumor or veterinary interference
from drugs used to treat other ailments - all of which can cause the
adrenal glands to over activate. Cushing's Disease (technically called
hyperadrenocorticism) is the exact opposite of another endocrine problem
in dogs which is called Addison's Disease (hypoadrenocorticism).
is an excellent internet website by Kate Connick (a dog trainer in Westchester
County, NY), that has a detailed article about Canine Cushing's Disease.
She explains the causes of this complicated disease in layman's terms
- yet in sufficient detail to allow the dog owner to get a good idea
what is really involved with Cushing's Disease. It is not an easy disease
to diagnose because there are several conditions that cause this disease.
We recommend you go to Kate's website to learn the basics about Cushing's
excellent website about Cushing's disease (considerably more technical
and detailed in its presentation) is provided by the Long Beach Animal
Hospital. Go to this website, scroll down to "medical services",
select "Cushings Disease" and click "Go".
excellent website containing many other sites, resources and references
about Cushing's Disease is provided at: