New member with possible Cushing's

[DeeDee]

Hi, I am new to the forum as we may get our dog checked out for Cushing's though she only has a few of the symptoms, mainly thirst, dribbling urine and difficulty with muscle weakness. In fact, she has arthritis (since the age of 6 and hip dysplasia). I am concerned about the dribbling though and after reading this article see that I should be checking Cushing's out: https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/cushings-disease

Anyway, I am glad I am here as I have learned quite a bit today while reading the posts. It's a great site and I look forward to the support if the diagnosis is positive.

[labblab]

Hello, and welcome! You'll see that I've moved your post so as to create a thread that is your very own. This way, it will be much easier for our members to reply to you directly if you do indeed move forward with Cushing's diagnostics. ;)

We'd be happy to help you with a bit more brainstorming now, if you'd like. What is your dog's age, and have you had any routine blood and/or urine labwork performed recently? If so, were there any abnormalities noted? If you haven't had a panel done recently, that would be a good place to start. There are certain abnormalities that are common to Cushpups, and their presence or absence could signal the need for more specific Cushing's testing. In addition to routine testing, there is an additional urine test that can be viewed as a "gatekeeper" for Cushing's: the UC:CR, or urinary cortisol to creatinine ratio. If this test has an elevated result, Cushing's is a possibility and additional specific testing may be warranted. If the test is within normal range, however, Cushing's can essentially be ruled out.

We can tell you more about all these tests, if you have an interest. So once again, welcome! And we'll be very interested to hear more about your boy as time goes on.

Marianne