[kopdogs] Cushing's Disease in Dogs (Hyperadrenocorticism) - What You Should Know

'Cushing's Disease in Dogs (Hyperadrenocorticism) - What You Should Know'

This disease is known in the medical world as hyperadrenocorticism, which means
an overproduction cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the stress hormone and the
disease usually appears in dogs at the age of 6 years or older. There are
certain dog breeds predisposed to this illness. These breeds are: german
shepherd, poodles, daschunds, terriers, and golden retrievers. Types of
Cushing's disease Cushing's disease is known in 3 types: pituitary tumor,
adrenal tumor, and iatrogenic. Pituitary tumor – a tumor in the pituitary
gland appears and this stimulates the over production of cortisol by the adrenal
glands. This type of Cushing's disease is the most common in canine patients.
Adrenal tumor- the adrenal gland develops a tumor and this breaks the
equilibrium and causes big amounts of cortisol to appear. This is not a very
common type of Cushing's in dogs. Iatrogenic – this type of disease
develops when the patient has abused with the use of corticosteroids. The
corticosteroids are used to treat different ailments such as arthritis,
allergies, and various skin disorders. Because the blood is filled with
corticosteroids the adrenal glands doesn't secrete cortisol and starts to
decrease in size. Clinical symptoms of Cushing's: -the dog starts to eat a
lot, drink and urinate in big quantities -it looses fur -the belly becomes pot
like -excessive panting -the skin becomes thinner -the skin bruises easily
-the dog is lethargic and weak -bladder infections appear Diagnosis of canine
Cushing's: In order to detect this illness, the veterinarian has to conduct a
physical examination, do blood and urine tests, and also ultrasound and x-ray.
Further laboratory tests may be necessary in order to determine the type of
Cushing's disease. Treatment of Cushing's disease in dogs This disease is
treated with drugs. Mitotane is well known and used and it destroys parts of
adrenal cortex that produce cortisol. The dog under treatment needs to be
watched carefully but if complications don't appear, the dog should be able to
live a long life on medication. Another treatment is surgery. This implies
that a part of the adrenal gland is removed so that it produces less cortisol.
If the extracted tumor is benign, the life expectancy of the dog is very high.
But if the tumor is malignant and it spreads to other body parts, the prognosis
is not good and the dog could die. The iatrogenic Cushing's disease type is
often treated by discontinuing corticosteroid in a controlled manner. This is
done by slowly reducing the corticosteroid medication levels and, after a while,
terminating the treatment when the adrenal gland can work on its own. Be aware
that no matter what the treatment is, the dog will suffer drug side effects.
This is why it is better to also research natural treatment methods and help the
dog get healthy again.


Cushing's disease in dogs - articles and information on the causes of
Cushing's disease in dogs and treatment for Cushing's disease in
dogs.Article
Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/cushings-disease-in-dogs-hyperadrenocorticism-what-you-should-know-898609.html