[Glenn G]

Hello,

I have a 6-year-old female Bichon Frise who was recently diagnosed with pituitary Cushing’s disease and has been put on medication. I would like to know what type of dog food she should be put on as I read that regular dry kibble will continue to make her drink more water, which is one of her problems. I read that a raw diet would be better and I am open to suggestions on which brand would be good for her as she is eating everything in site now and has gained some weight.

Thanks

[jeanne e]

My puggle had cushing’s and my vet put her on HILLS Prescription Distdiet. I think it was W/D Dry kibble, plus medications. She passed away in 2017 so I dont remember for sure. Check with your vet. I remember her appetite increased and her tummy bloated.

[jeanne e]

NY puggle was 15 yrs old.

[Lori H]

Hi Glenn,

My dog also has Cushing’s among other things and if you are willing to change up your dog’s diet, I highly recommend reaching out to Rick. Buddy was a mess before finding Rick. He had been diagnosed with Cushing’s and diabetes. He had recently undergone surgery to removed bladder stones from him urethra and also the liver failure diagnosis over three years ago and my vet prepared me for the fact that he was going to die. It was a lot and I was so overwhelmed, but I was not willing to accept that he was going to die so I started doing research online. I found Rick and the rest is history. Buddy is still here and a little over 13 years old and healthy and happy. The diet saved and changed his life.

Below is Buddy’s story off of Rick’s website.
https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Good luck and I hope you find the direction you need to make changes for your dog.

Lori

[Lori H]

https://www.doglivershunt.com/cushings-diseaseaddisons-disease.html

[Laura L]

My dog had increased liver numbers and was diagnosed with possible Cushing’s not too long ago. We started a few supplements suggested by our vet and decided to hold off on the drugs. Since we started the supplements (https://www.askariel.com/natural-remedies-for-cushings-disease-s/1848.htm) her thirst and her pot belly seem to be a little better. We’re giving her the Cushing’s one and the Liver Kit. The vet said that if we can get her liver numbers down and manage her symptoms, we may not need to start her on Vetoryl. The supplement company gave us some food suggestions too and our dog really likes it. She is a big dog with a few other things going on, so it may not be right for your Bichon, but you should try reaching out to Ask Ariel. We go back to the vet in a few weeks for another follow-up, but for now, It seems like our girl is feeling pretty good.

[Jamie N]

Hello,

My 8 month old German Shepherd, 65 pounds, swallowed about 2 inches of a himalayan chew last night. I had taken it away, but somehow she managed to get it back. I didn’t realize I shouldn’t feed her after, so that her stomach could digest it fully, so I fed her as usual. She hasn’t had diarrhea and is not vomiting, but she’s more lethargic than usual and is drooling all over the place. She seems like she doesn’t feel well, but she still has an appetite (pretty much nothing phases her appetite– she could be vomiting uncontrollably and still want to eat). I’m worried that the chew was forced into her intestinal tract, since she hasn’t tried to vomit yet and its been 24 hours, and about the complications that might cause. Or the chew could just still be in her stomach. Does anyone have advice on what I should do, and at what point I should take her to the emergency vet?

[Jo J]

In addition to getting my dog off grain-free food and back on a limited grain food (but one that is also free of flaxseed), and still very skeptical about anything saving him, this product saved my dog’s life: PetAlive Cushex Drops-S. His weight normalized, scabby skin lesions went away, his panting and heavy drooling stopped, his energy increased, thirst normalized, and his anxiety levels fell. It took about 3 months to really improve things and as long as I keep him on it, he is fine. This, after I had nearly given up on him.

It’s a 100% herbal formula containing the following ingredients in therapeutic dosage:
Certified Organic Dandelion Leaf and Root, well-known as a supporter for the liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands and helps to support normal adrenal functioning. Dandelion also contains vitamins and minerals important for hair health and growth and has been studied for its antioxidant activities (Hu, C. and Kitts, D. D. “Antioxidant, prooxidant, and cytotoxic activities of solvent-fractionated dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flower extracts in vitro.” J Agric. Food Chem. 1-1-2003; 51(1):301-310).
Certified Organic Burdock Root, cleansing and eliminating herb that cleanses tissues and supports waste removal from the body (Shimizu, J., Yamada, N., Nakamura, K., Takita, T., and Innami, S. “Effects of different types of dietary fiber preparations isolated from bamboo shoots, edible burdock, apple and corn on fecal steroid profiles of rats.” J Nutr Sci Vitaminol. (Tokyo) 1996; 42(6):527-539). Burdock is also traditionally recommended for maintaining blood sugar levels already within the normal range and has been investigated for its ability to support health.
Certified Organic Astragalus Root, an herb that has been used for many centuries as a revitalizing herb. Astragalus is known as an adaptogen and helps to support balance in the adrenal glands, maintain healthy adrenal cortical function, and supports blood pressure and blood sugar levels already within the normal range. Recent research confirms the positive effect of Astragalus in supporting the immune system.
Certified Organic Licorice Root has a long history of being used to help with cortisol levels and for its liver-protecting and immune balancing effects.
Certified Organic Eleuthero Root is commonly just referred to as ‘Eleuthero’ and is highly respected and prized as a natural energy tonic to support energy, circulation, and natural vitality and to act as an overall systemic supporter. Eleuthero is comparable to Ginseng and is an excellent supportive tonic for healthy adrenal hormones. It has also been shown to have anti-stress, anti-inflammatory and liver-protecting properties.
Inactive ingredients: Vegetable Glycerin, Deionized Water

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Jo J.

[Lucey B]

One of my dogs had Cushings disease she was probably about 12/13 when she was diagnosed with it and lived to over 16 years and when I did lose her it wasn’t anything to do with the cushings. Cushings cant be cured but it can be managed so that they don’t get any symptoms with the medication usually vetoryl. The body both dogs and us needs cortisol without it of too little we cannot function, having too much is bad too and that can make you feel ill.
With cushings you produce too much cortisol which leads to symptoms like excessive drinking, excessive urination, they often seem to always be hungry, pant a lot, decreased exercise intolerance, they tend to pant a lot, weight gain, have a big stomach often called a pot bellied appearance, the coat and skin usually suffers too and they can get a thinning coat and hair loss., the skin can thin too and come out it little lumps called calcinosis cutis.

My dog had most of the above symptoms and once on the medication they all disappeared, the cushings had aged her so much, and once she had the medication not only did the symptoms disappear she looked and acted so much younger and happier again.

My dog had the ACTH test too, and also something called a low dose dexamethasone test after, these are the main tests to diagnose cushings. Whilst it is true that if you give them too much medication it can reduce the cortisol levels too much which can cause issues, she should be very closely monitored.
After starting the medication if the ACTH test confirms she has cushings, they will do another ACTH test to check her levels usually at 10 days after starting medication, then they do another 4 weeks later, and then another 12 weeks later. After that you usually have an ACTH test done every 3 months to monitor the levels of cortisol. You give her medication in the morning as usual on the day of the tests, and then usually have to tell the vets what time you gave it or they may even tell you what time to give it to her in the morning on the day of the test. The ACTH test as well as for diagnosis is usually the test used to monitor. There is however now also now research being done on a pre pill single cortisol test together with the monitoring of the dogs condition and response to the vetoryl. The test recommended at the moment as far as I’m aware though is the ACTH for monitoring.

I found that I could tell when my dogs levels had been supressed too much with the vetoryl, she never did get to the vomiting and diarrhoea stage, with her I used to notice that she would leave some food or wasn’t so interested in eating, so loss of her usual healthy appetite, she would also stumble a bit here and there and not be so sure footed. I found that if I stopped the vetoryl for a few days then she was fine again, and then I gave it too her as usual once these symptoms disappeared again. It didn’t happen very often just very occasionally with https://www.caninefinds.com/food-and-treats/ . Obviously the vets will instruct you what to look for as regards to symptoms if the levels should start to become too low, you will as said also have regular monitoring blood tests too.

My dog was cushings and on the medication for the last almost 4 years of her life, and it did make a huge difference too her, I never really had any problems and she was much better for taking the vetroyl.

If you have any more questions or I can be of any more help just ask.

[Author]

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