Cushings in Dogs?

Luci07

Luci07

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Not, thank heavens, in mine because with elderly mare and arthritic staffie I have enough to deal with on the vets bills side.

But a friend, who is a fervent staffie lover, has just taken on staffie no 4 and went particularly for an elderly bitch (status quo in her "pack").

The bitch has been looked over and examined by my friends vet who thinks the dog has cushings - signs are a dropped stomach and poor coat. I did ask re: worms but Doris has had been well and truly dosed. I am fast becoming quite well informed on equine cushings but don't know about canine. For starters, there would seem to be no medication available - so I am wrong immediately as I thought that the insulin needed to be balanced.?

So who knows anything else about this? end game is just to give Doris a good quality of life.
Friend is very experienced with staffies (involved in rescue) and all her 4 are from rescues.
 
Colleen's big old dog had Cushings if you want to give her a PM.

B was queried for it last year, his eyes were very weepy and sunken, very rapid heartbeart, hair loss, recurring UTIs, but vet said because he didn't have bloated stomach, curly coat etc, he wasn't convinced. He was also not as lethargic as Cushings dogs typically appear, although a little depressed.
 
We had our GSD tested for Cushings luckily her ACTH levels are normal; he did say sometimes even though the levels are normal they COULD still have Cushings so we are just waiting for more results. Our vet told us not to panic we'd get it under control should it be Cushings.
I googled the treatment - the medication is called Vetoryl, and reduces the production of cortisol from the adrenal glands.
the symptoms are;
Large water intake
Frequent urination and possible incontinence
Ravenous appetite
Pot belly
Thin skin
Hair loss or recurrent skin diseases
Muscle wastage
Lethargy
Excessive panting
but the vet said that the dog doesn't need to show all of these signs. In most cases he's seen its only been one or two symptoms!
K x
 
Lost my 11 year old greyhound Abbey to Cushings. She was initially tested for diabetes as the only symptoms she had was drinking to excess and weird boil type spots on her tummy!

There are drugs available to help ease symptoms but very few can offer longterm prospects. I was told by my vet he couldnt guarantee more than a few months for my girl and very few had gone more than a year.
I know the newer drugs can now offer longterm a better outcome.

Certain drugs can stimulate tumours in the base of the brain which can make the symptoms worse and can alter behaviour in the dogs. My girl had become very snappy and unhappy to do things she would have normally jumped at the chance of doing. She had never been snappy ever in her life so I knew things were bad for her.
 
One of our old dogs Amber had cushings she had all the above plus black spots on her skin. I was only young but i remember my dad turning the door handle to the bathroom upside down as she would drink out of the toilet she was that desperate to drink.
 
Thank you very much for the info guys. Much appreciated. I will pass this onto my friend - at the moment the only symptoms are drinking more heavily and the pot belly. On a more positive note, she seems to have settled in, can now make it the whole way around the common with the other 3 - without being carried home but still isn't sure about sitting next to her new mum and dad on the sofa. oh, and apparently she is no longer a smelly dog either!
 
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