Canine Cushings Disease, or hyperadrenocorticism, occurs when the adrenal glands produce excessive amounts of glutocorticoid in the body or the pituitary gland excretes too much ACTH. Canine Cushing’s Disease can cause a whole host of problems for dogs and can usually be resolved with the help of surgery or medication.
Symptoms of Canine Cushing’s Disease
Canine Cushing’s Disease can present itself in many ways. If your dog has canine Cushing’s Disease, you may notice an increase in his appetite and water consumption and therefore, he may urinate more. He may experience hair loss and thinning of the skin. In addition, his abdomen may appear enlarged, a symptom which effects about 80-percent of those with canine Cushing’s Disease.
Diagnosis of Cushing’s Disease in Dogs
If you suspect that your dog may be suffering from canine Cushing’s
Disease, take him to his veterinarian to have tests performed. A dog
who is suspected of having canine Cushing’s Disease should have a
complete blood count, chemistry panel and urinalysis run for
preliminary testing. Abnormal values, such as increased alkaline
phosphatase, cholesterol and ALT, decreased BUN levels and dilute urine
are all clues that your dog has canine Cushing’s Disease and should
have further testing.
A urine cortisol/creatinine ratio is
helpful in diagnosing canine Cushing’s Disease. Typically, the pet
owner collects the sample of urine while the pet is at home—that way,
the pet is not stressed. The doctor will send the urine out to a lab
and, if the results are abnormal, it is likely the dog has canine
Cushing’s Disease. However, because other diseases can cause abnormal
results, more testing should be done to diagnose that it is indeed
Cushing’s Disease.
The next step in diagnosing Cushing’s Disease
is performing a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test. This test
works by administering a low dose of dexamethasone to the canine and
pulling blood eight hours later to see how the body reacts to the drug.
Normal dogs show a decreased amount of blood cortisol levels, while
those with canine Cushing’s Disease do not. Additionally, performing an
ACTH stimulation test can also be helpful in diagnosing Cushing’s
Disease.
Performing an abdominal ultrasound can also be
helpful in many ways. Not only does it let the doctor know if there are
any abnormalities among the abdominal organs, but the veterinarian can
examine the adrenal glands, as well. If the dog has pituitary-dependent
Cushing’s Disease, the adrenal glands will appear either normal in size
or larger. If the Cushing’s Disease is caused by a tumor, one gland
will be larger or uneven in shape. Furthermore, if a tumor is detected,
the doctor can try to see if it has spread to other organs.