Process of testing our dog for cushings

[bmsamilpa]

Hi I'm new here. We are in the process of testing our dog for cushings. He is approximately 12-13 years old. We noticed his excessive thirst and urination recently. He may have had it a bit longer but this has been a crazy year for us w/ our other 2 dogs being sick with cancer and unfortunately losing them. :( But my concern at the moment is that our dog is just wanting water NONSTOP....we are basically at the point of putting up the bowl and only giving him a little at time through out the day. I feel bad for him but i dont want him to get sick by having TOO much water and in all honesty, we can't keep going out during the day to let him out. We are just lucky that my husband is home right now to do that. Any suggestions or things we should ask the vet? I really hope we aren't facing a pituiatary tumor w/ this guy. He's been our rock through all of this and i hate to see that he's now sick.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and your boy!

You will see that I have taken the liberty of moving your post from the "Checking in for October 2019" thread where you originally posted, and I instead shifted it here to create a new thread that is your very own. This way, it will be much easier for our members to reply to you directly.

I surely do understand the issue with the drinking but I need to warn you that restricting water from a dog that is suspected of Cushing's can be life threatening. With Cushing's the increased amounts of cortisol make the kidneys work harder thus the dog pees more often and the dog HAS to drink more water to keep up with kidneys. Could you place pee pads on the floor? Another option could be belly bands that are made for male dogs with urine accidents.

I also want to extend my sympathy for the loss of your precious dogs, my goodness how heart wrenching and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this most difficult time.

Could you tell us more about your boy, such as posting all tests that were done with the results? We need only see the values that are marked abnormal with the reference ranges and units of measurement...thanks! What symptoms is your boy displaying that led you or the vet to suspect Cushing's? Has diabetes been ruled out? What about an UTI? Does your boy have any other health issues? Is he taking any herbs/supplements/medications?

I know I've asked a lot of questions but any additional information we know will enable us to provide you with better feedback. Please know we are here to help in any way we can, and again, welcome to the family!

Lori