New to Cushings disease

[Eva Cicmirko]

Hi, I am Eva and my dog is an 11 year old Malteste/Cavalier cross called Max. I have noticed the symptoms of Cushings coming on since January and the urine test confirmed it. Today Max is going for his blood test. I am really worried about him as he is very lethargic, cannot go up the steps to well and has pancreatitis. My dog is my baby - should I be worried.:(

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Eva,

Welcome to you and Max! Sorry for the reasons that brought you here but sure glad you found us.

Cushing's is one the most difficult endocrine diseases to get a confirmed diagnosis for because not one test is 100% accurate at diagnosing it and other non-adrenal illnesses can create false positive results on tests for Cushing's.

In order for us to give you our best feedback we need to know more about your dear boy, ok? What symptoms did Max display that led you or your vet to test for Cushing's in the first place? How much does he weigh? Is he taking any other herbs/supplements/medications? Could you get your hands on copies of all tests that were done on Max and post any abnormalities that are listed...e.g....ALT 150U/L (5-50). Was an urinalysis done, and if so, could you post those findings too? Does he have the chronic or acute type of pancreatitis and how was it confirmed?

I am not aware of any urine test that can diagnose Cushing's, you may be referring the UC:CR which is best used as a screening tool for the absence of Cushing's. If other non-adrenal illnesses are ruled out but the UC:CR result is high, you are in need of one of the blood tests that are diagnostic of the disease: the ACTH stimulation test and/or the LDDS.

Cushing's can be very challenging to diagnose because false positive results can happen when other illnesses are present, and there isn't one test that can accurately diagnose it, which is why a vet needs to run mulitiple tests to validate a diagnosis for Cushing's.

If Max does have Cushing's I want you to know that it is a treatable disease. The drugs used for Cushing's do not cure the disease, the goal of therapy is to remedy problematic symptoms of Cushing's, so that is why strong symptoms do play a huge role in the diagnosis for Cushing's.

The key to successful treatment is an experienced vet and an educated pet owner. Adverse side effects are usually only seen when the proper protocols are not being followed.

We all know how stressful times like this can be so please know that we are here to help you in any way we can. Please be sure to check out our Helpful Resource section. There is a ton of information there, including a great thread for folks new to the disease. Here's a handy link: Helpful Resources for Owners of Cushing's Dogs (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10) and Links to Cushings Websites (especially helpful for new members!) (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180) Feel free to print anything out and do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want.

Hugs, Lori

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome. You mention that he has pancreatis. Is he being tarted for that? Is it active now or is it a case of he has had it before or is prone to it?

Has thyroid been tested? What other blood work have you had done?

Welcome to the forum