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.
