Pets & Animal Dog Breeds

Cushings Disease in Dogs - A Guide to Canine Cushings Disease Treatment

Cushings Disease in Dogs - The Symptoms It is never a pleasant thing to see your faithful companion not feeling well.
Often times it is easier to notice that something is not right than it is to identify the reason that your dog is not well.
Dogs with Cushings disease may have signs that are very similar to symptoms of other diseases.
This is why owners often misdiagnose their pet's condition.
Therefore, it is important to take your pet to the vet.
What are the symptoms of canine Cushings disease (Hyperadrenocorticism)?
  • Pot Belly (this is the most obvious)
  • Excessive drinking and urination
  • Increased Eating
  • Hair thinking and skin problems
  • Slow-healing skin wounds
  • General sickness in your pet (you notice that they are just not quite the same)
It is very important to identify the signs of Cushings, but it is equally important to discover the cause.
Without discovering the root cause, you will not be able to choose the safest and most effective treatment option.
So what is the cause? The Cause of Canine Cushings Disease Dogs with Cushings may have adrenal glands that are overproducing cortisol, a hormone that helps the body to deal with stress and helps with many other bodily functions.
Age, stress and many other factors cause the adrenal glands to produce too many corticosteroids.
Usually the symptoms of cushings disease progress slowly, unless a tumor is present on the adrenal glands.
When a tumor is present the symptoms may appear at a quicker rate.
Drugs such as Prednisone are also known to complicate the condition.
Always check with your vet regarding medications.
For many dogs the problem is not based on overactive adrenal glands (Hyperadrenocorticism), but rather stemming from problems with the pituitary gland.
Cushings Disease Treatment Before choosing a treating it is important that you go to your vet to properly diagnose the problem in order to rule out other disease that may show the same symptoms.
The vet may order a blood test or urinalysis in order determine the problem.
Once the diagnosis is made the treatments will be chosen.
Surgery is not the first option when dealing with Cushings disease in dogs.
Other, less radical approaches are followed first.
This may cost you lots of money.
Drug prescriptions may be one of the treatments employed by vets.
The following are some of the drugs that may be used: Selegiline (L-deprenyl, Anipryl), Lysodren, Ketoconazole, and Trilostane.
They will be the ones to know which drugs are the safest and most applicable for your dog's condition.
A holistic approach is something that entails all areas of your dogs life, including food, environment and natural remedies.
A holistic approach is not necessarily opposed to the above methods.
In fact, it may be used to enhance the effects of the above.
Always consult your vet for advice.
Natural remedies may have a greater influence on the support of the dogs organs and have several positive benefits that were not expected.
Generally, a natural approach for canine Cushings disease is gentle and long term.
It is the day-to-day support and care for your pet in ways that are less radical.
Several herbs have been proven effective for hundreds of years in various cultures.
So it is not something new.
Do yourself and your dog a favor and consider a holistic approach.
Learn more about homeopathic solutions for Cushings disease in dogs.


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