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  #1  
Old March 19th, 2009, 10:03 PM
rg_girlca rg_girlca is offline
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Anyone have a dog with Cushings Disease??

Hi there;

My sister's dog has been diagnosed with Cushings Disease and I would like to know if anyone here has a dog with the same disease and what treatment your vet has put them on and what results your dog has gotten from it.

I have read up on this Disease, but would like to hear first hand from others who is going through this with their dog.

Thank you for any information or comments that you may have.
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Old March 19th, 2009, 10:46 PM
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hi , one of my dogs has cushing ,she has been diagnose back in December , has been on Lysodren since. For some dogs , it's a long process , mine still has accidents in the house. They need to be monitered many times , by vet. How long as this dog been on meds and is it doing better ?
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Old March 20th, 2009, 05:52 PM
t.pettet t.pettet is offline
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Anyone have a dog

My dog Teddy had cushings but unfortunately alot of other health issues also and had him pts last year. His main issues were frequent urination, pot-bellied appearance, voracious appetite and hair loss.
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Old March 20th, 2009, 07:00 PM
rg_girlca rg_girlca is offline
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Thank you Frenchy & T.pettet for your replies and t.pettet I am so, so sorry on the loss of your precious Teddy.

Sonia is the dogs name and she was diagnosed with Cushings about 3 weeks ago. She is 9 years old. My sister noticed that Sonia was drinking an unusual amount of water and she was having accidents in the house, so off to the vets she went for tests. Sonia has been on Lysodren for close to 2 weeks, but she also has developed diabeties. Her vet said that she couldn't give her anything just yet for it until they cut down on the Cushings medication. Last Monday my sister had to rush Sonia to the vets as she said it looked like she was having some kind of seizure, but landed up that she was going into diabetic shock. Thankfully it was caught in time and after staying at the vets for a day, she is now on insulin, twice a day and the Lysodren will be cut to once a week. Yes she will be closely monitered by the vet. My sister said that by Wednesday Sonia was doing better.
BUT, her vet said he is not to familiar with this disease and has consulted other vets and some specialist in regards to it. Her vet said she could call him anytime, day or night as this is his first Cushings dog and he is very interested in learning more about it and the right treatments.

I wanted her to try and find a vet that is experienced in Cushings Disease, but she said no, that she has trust in her vet.

Do you think, she should, or am I just being a paranoid Auntie.
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Old March 20th, 2009, 09:08 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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I sure would want a vet with a little experience with Cushings, rg_girlca. How was the Cushings diagnosed? The onset of diabetes often looks similar to the onset of Cushings--is the vet certain that Sonia has both?
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Old March 20th, 2009, 10:35 PM
rg_girlca rg_girlca is offline
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The vet did a special blood test and some other test that determined Sonia's Cushings is caused by a pituitary gland tumor and the diabetes also through blood test which was probably caused by the onset of the Cushings.
I'll talk to my sister again and see what she has to say.

Yesterday & this morning, Sonia was doing better, so I guess the insulin and medication are doing their job. If there are any changes, she has to bring her to the vets right away, if not, then she has another appointment in 2 weeks for another blood test.
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Old March 20th, 2009, 11:06 PM
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that Sonia has turned the corner and will continue to improve. Even without a lot of experience with Cushings, it does sound like your sis's vet is doing what he needs to do And you sure can't beat how accessible he's making himself.
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Old March 21st, 2009, 09:38 AM
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http://www.cushingsdiseasebreakthroughs.com/optin.htm

My oldest dog has symptoms of the disease and we are researching before we visit the vet, just as we do before visiting human doctors.
Was reading this infomercial site and considering spending the money--opinions?
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  #9  
Old March 21st, 2009, 10:34 AM
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Rainbow posted this for me a while ago : http://www.caninecushings.net/?

it's a forum about cushings , lots of good infos and you can also register and ask questions , read about other people experience with tests and treatments.
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  #10  
Old March 21st, 2009, 10:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleRR View Post
http://www.cushingsdiseasebreakthroughs.com/optin.htm

My oldest dog has symptoms of the disease and we are researching before we visit the vet, just as we do before visiting human doctors.
Was reading this infomercial site and considering spending the money--opinions?
I didn't read the whole thing but ... omg please keep away. The only thing about this article that I am ok with is the diet . A dog on cushings needs to be evaluated and tested many times by a vet while beginning treatment. Every cases is different. And they need follow up too.

The only thing I would do different , on my part , is to find a vet with cushings experience. To avoid too many tests for nothing.

good luck to both of you, it is a long process for some dogs , we started tests with Chloe back in October , and she has been on meds since the end of December , we are still struggling , but I have seen a slight difference since.
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Old March 21st, 2009, 11:54 AM
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I agree, I had an OMG reaction too--as I usually do to infomercials. Just thought I would put it out there in case anyone had a positive case history in following the advice in the e-books he sells.

Thanks for the Cushings forum site, very informative.
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Old March 21st, 2009, 12:34 PM
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Blackdog22 Blackdog22 is offline
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I don't know much about Cushings and have never had experience with this problem, but I do sympathize with you. I was taking a look at a new dog book I purchased and found an article about Cushings. Just figured I would post this in case it is helpful. So sorry for any grammical errors in the following:




Cushings Disease (hyperadrenocorticism), page 290 All you ever wanted to know about herbs for pets. Written by Mary L. Wulff-Tilford & Gregory L. Tilford.

The opposite of Addison's disease is Cushing's disease in which overactive adrenal glands produce too much cortisone and other horomones. This is most commonly caused(in about 80% of all cases) by a malignant tumor or benign tumor of the pituitary gland. The tumor causes the pituitary gland to overproduce a horomone that stimulates the adrenal gland, causing Cushing's disease. The disease may also be caused by excessive use of corticosteroid drugs or by a tumor of one or both adrenal glands.

Cushing's disease occurs in dogs, cats, horses and other animals. The condition progresses with tumor growth. Sypmtoms include increased thirst and appetite; increased urination; abdominal distention; increased panting; obesity; muscle weakness; hair loss and dry, scaly or wrinkled skin.

Conventional treatment is based on the diagnoses of the cause. In cases that stem from a pituitary or adrenal gland tumor, surgical removal or drug therapies are both options. The prognosis is variable according to the amount of disease progression.

Herbal therapy is limited to tonic support of organs and systems that are subjected to additional stress because of the disease. Dandelion root, burdock, garlic and nettle are good choices for supporting an over taxed liver and digestive system and to help replace pottasium that is lost as a result of increased urination. Adaptogenic herbs such as Siberian ginseng or astragalus help buffer adrenal responses to stress. Kelp is especially useful for maintaining iodine and other trace mineral levels that are essential for adrenal function. If your companion has Cushing's disease, avoid licorice, borage leaf and other herbs that stimulate adrenal activity.
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  #13  
Old March 21st, 2009, 01:34 PM
Leasa Leasa is offline
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Sandy.

My Sandy developed this huge fatty tumours so we went to a new vet for a second opinion. She took samples of the lumps and yes they are fat, however, she also took blood samples. Sandy's steroid levels were high. Sandy does not have any of the usual symptoms of cushings, no accidents in the house, she's a shedder but no unusual hair loss, she is satisfied with her supper (but loves her cookies). So, I tried taking my girls completely off commercial dog food and started making my own. On Sandy's re-check in just a few days of the new diet her steroid levels came down a bit. So, what we are doing is trying 3 months of the new diet and then we will test her again. Also, it seems that the lumps are getting smaller.

Her new food consists of:

store bought chicken, beef, liver. about 10 lbs, cut in chunks
long grain brown rice 3.5 liters of water, 2.5 liters rice
6 large carrots cut in chunks
bag frozen peas

cook it all together, add more water or rice to make sure you have a nice thick dog food

at meal time I give then a multivite, a fish oil pill cut and mixed with food and a glucosamine sulfate mixed with food.

I really wonder about commercial dog foods and all these diseases we have with our dogs. Maybe a new diet can help?

Last edited by Leasa; March 21st, 2009 at 01:46 PM. Reason: hit the send too soon
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Old March 21st, 2009, 09:54 PM
rg_girlca rg_girlca is offline
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Thank you all who took the time to respond.

I really appreciated your comments, links and your input.

Frenchy, thank you so much for the website where you can talk to others who are going through the same thing with their dogs.

Since my sister doesn't have a computer, she would also like to thank you for helping out in regards to her precious Sonia.
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  #15  
Old March 24th, 2009, 11:00 AM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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For those trying to find information about Cushing's Disease, I found this site to be very helpful:

http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html

Our little Scottie we lost last year was tested for Cushing's a few times. She had so many symptoms, but never tested positive. I tried to learn as much as I could because my breed has a higher occurrence of the disease.

Sending good thoughts to Sonia. It is great that you are trying to help your sister. Having an ill pet is very stressful and I know she appreciates your support.
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  #16  
Old April 13th, 2009, 02:25 AM
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punky punky is offline
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The Canine Cushings Net site is down at the moment, this site is helping the cush dogs and cushings members till the site is fixed.

http://k9diabetes.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10
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Old April 13th, 2009, 08:08 PM
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ventilate ventilate is offline
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Cushings

Hi,
I just posted again today, I have a giant schnauzer that is now 12 and half years old and been treated for cushings for the past 3 years and doing very well. One of the main things that makes treatment of cushings a success is the experience of the vet with the condition. I am on the caninecushings.net forum and we see all the time where inexperienced vets try to treat cushings and it can result in fatal results for the dog. I am glad that the vet wants to send your sister to a specialist, with Cushings and Diabetes it is going to be difficult to regulate the diabetes until the cushings is under control so the specialist would be the best place for the dog. I love my vet but I love my dog more and did take her to an IMS when her PU/PD did not clear once her cushings was under control, She was diag by the IMS as having Diabetes Insipidus, not the same as the sugar diabetes. I have 2 dogs with DI, it is where they do not produce enough or any antidiuretic hormone so can not concentrate their urine so drink and pee and drink and pee. They now get eye drops of a synthetic ADH and are fine their urine specific gravity is close to normal instead of 1.006 ( water is 1.000) so was very dilute. So if the dog was just drinking more water and peeing was DI ruled out? was there more cushings signs the excessive eating, the sagging belly, the weak hind end?
As Punky mentioned already the caninecushings.net site is down so we are meeting at the Diabetes site for now, thank to Natalie. If you or your sister want to come there, it is a wonderful site for cushings.
Sharon
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Old April 14th, 2009, 04:26 PM
Libbii Libbii is offline
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My next door neighbor's dog was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease. She took him to a holistic vet who suggested that she give him Supraglan.

It is a herbal treatment that helps by improving adrenal functioning and reducing the symptoms of Cushing's disease. She actually bought it online and fully believes in this stuff. Here's the link she gave me:
http://www.petwellbeing.com/dog-adrenal-glands-p92.cfm
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Old April 14th, 2009, 04:57 PM
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ventilate ventilate is offline
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Cushings

The problem with the holistic treatments is they treat the symptoms but not the issue, it is like giving pain meds for a brain tumor, it will help the pain but the cause is still there. The cause of the increased cortisol is a tiny tumor on the pituitary gland(most common) or the Adrenal gland itself. Normally the pit gland tells the adrenal gland when to secrete cortisol, when the body is stressed the pit gland tells the adrenals to send more then it monitors the level and tells the adrenal when to stop, when there is enough cortisol circulating. with the tiny pit tumor the pit gland can not read the amount of cortisol so does not sent the message to stop and the adrenals keep sending the cortisol. It is the increased cortisol that causes the symptoms seen in cushings.
Treating the symptoms only is sometimes recommended in very geriatric dogs but for the most part left untreated the high cortisol can damage the kidneys, heart, liver can cause blood clots in the lungs and brain. The cortisol is considered a "catabolic steroid". This means it takes amino acids from the skeletal muscles and with help from the liver converts them to glycogen, the storage form of glucose. This happens in the liver that is why the liver is normally enlarged. The result of taking the amino acids from the skeletal muscles is the profound hind end muscle weakness. The dogs continue to drink and pee in extream amounts. We have seen on the Canine cushings site where some dogs were so weak they were not able to stand and would pee where they lay. they do not only lose thier ability to move but their dignity as well.
We have seen many people that have tried the nonperscription forms to treat cushings and most have changed to the conventional treatments with the meds that have been tried and proven to actually reduce the amount of circulating cortisol. If it sounds to good to be true it usually is.
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Old April 26th, 2009, 07:48 PM
Corkie Corkie is offline
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Talking My Schnauzer

Hi,

I have a 14 year old schnauzer who up to last year never had a health problem other than a low thyroid. Now she has been diagnosed as having Cushings disease, ane enlarged heart, a tumor in her Liver, and anemia. Last year as we discovered all this when she had a crisis our Vet put her on denosyl the liver protectant which made a huge difference.

She other than a non stop appetite is still not showing the signs of Cushings, other than on paper, and has in the past few months demanded a long walk.. When we took her for her check up last month the vet could not believe how well she is doing. The biggest symptom we see in her on her bad days is she will shake..

I am amazed at her strength and she appears to be in no distress. Before she was on her liver protectant we could not touch her stomach or pick her up...She is still as sassy and strong willed as she has ever been!
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Old April 27th, 2009, 09:11 PM
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punky punky is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Corkie View Post
Hi,

I have a 14 year old schnauzer who up to last year never had a health problem other than a low thyroid. Now she has been diagnosed as having Cushings disease, ane enlarged heart, a tumor in her Liver, and anemia. Last year as we discovered all this when she had a crisis our Vet put her on denosyl the liver protectant which made a huge difference.

She other than a non stop appetite is still not showing the signs of Cushings, other than on paper, and has in the past few months demanded a long walk.. When we took her for her check up last month the vet could not believe how well she is doing. The biggest symptom we see in her on her bad days is she will shake..

I am amazed at her strength and she appears to be in no distress. Before she was on her liver protectant we could not touch her stomach or pick her up...She is still as sassy and strong willed as she has ever been!
hi Corky,

Best place to learn about Cushings is the the Canine Cushings Forum.

The Canine Cushings Net site is down for a bit, this site is helping the cush dogs and cushings members till the site is fixed.

Any other Cushings dogs owners spread the word, thanks

http://k9diabetes.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10
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  #22  
Old October 18th, 2009, 11:51 AM
moneterrie moneterrie is offline
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Cushings disease in dogs

Hi!
My 15 year old shih tzu was diagnosed with Cushings about 1 1/2 years ago, after a cost of $600 for tests.
The vet then wanted another $150 to determine which type of cushings. The treatment is similiar to Chemo. I didn't want to put my then 14 yr old through that.
At the suggestion of my groomer, I consulted another vet here in Victoria BC who recommends chinese herbs. His name is Dr. Brar at Lifeline Animal Clinic. He prescribed Long Dan Xie Gan Tang. She doesn't like the taste so I use cat food. If I don't give her almost 1/4 tsp twice daily her symptoms come back ( increased thirst and unable to walk). The cost for a bottle is approx $70 for 100 grams. and usually lasts two months. Even though she is almost blind and deaf, she is very alert and actually runs.
His exam cost is $55 compared to $63 everywhere else here. Even the cost of spaying varies from $180-$450 here in Victoria where there is a huge retired population with pets. Some are referring it as a licence to steal. If you live near Victoria, I highly recommend this course of treatment. Or a Vet who practices in Chinese Herbs.
For futher info, please call me at (250) 920-3705.
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