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Cushings Disease In Canines
Cushing's is a syndrome that can affect different kinds of animals, but cushings disease
in canines is the most common. Canine cushings disease is a complicated endocrine disease also known
as hyperadrenocorticism. Cushing's syndrome stems from the abnormal function of the adrenal,
or both the adrenal and pituitary glands.
The pituitary is a pea size gland located at the base of the brain that makes a hormone known as ACTH. Once produced,
ACTH travels to the adrenal glands located on top of the kidneys where it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce a
glucocorticoid steroid known as cortisol. When something goes wrong with the pituitary,
like a tumor for instance, it can produce excess amounts of ACTH, excess amounts of ACTH reaching the adrenal
glands causes those glands to in turn produce excess amounts of Cortisol.
Cortisol affects a wide variety of functions in the canine body including blood sugar, immunity, the muscles, the nervous system,
tissue health, the cardiovascular system and more. In normal amounts, cortisol can be beneficial, but overproduction leading
to an excess buildup of cortisol in the body can be very harmful indeed. In fact, cushings disease in canines is
something to be taken quite seriously and it cannot be ignored.
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Dogs Cushings Disease - Symptoms And Potential Complications
Dogs cushings disease symptoms include, but are not limited to, excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite,
loss of muscle mass, lethargy, changes in coat, excess panting and more. Another indirect symptom to consider sometimes
is the disappearance of previous health problems like inflammatory arthritis or less trouble with allergies. These
things may actually improve due to the effect of the heavy amounts of cortisone being produced by the dog's body.
Although, the idea of having other ailments disappear may sound good, it is important to note that excess
cortisol, left unchecked, can still cause greater problems than those it might correct, including suppression of the
immune system leading to development of infections, hypothyroidism, diabetes, kidney failure and other issues.
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Canine Cushings Diseases - Types And Causes
There are a few different kinds of cushings diseases possible in dogs, basically the end result is the same - an overproduction of
the steroid hormone cortisol. The difference between the various dogs cushings diseases lies mainly in the cause. The most common cause which
causes over 80% of cushings disease in canines cases is a tumor in the pituitary gland which causes that gland to produce too much ACTH hormone.
Another cause resulting in approximately 10% or more of canine cushings cases is a tumor located in the adrenal gland(s) itself.
Another potential cause of dogs cushings disease syndrome is an "external" source such as a medication that your pet may have
been taking. Manufactured glucocorticoids medications such as hydrocortisone meds can cause too much
cortisol production in the body too, leading to cushings disease symptoms. What kind of cushings diseases your dog has will
influence what kind of treatment or medication your veterinarian will decide to use for your specific canine.
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Canine Cushings Disease >
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Save On Expensive Cushings Medications When You Buy Online
Buying pet medications online can often save
you up to 50% off retail price cost, possibly making your dogs cushings treatment a reality when it otherwise would not have
been affordable. We've found some remarkably low med prices online for you to review.
* Important: listed medication discount prices are as they were posted by pharmacies 5/19/11 and are subject to change with out notice, please check to verify the current price before you buy.
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Cushings Diseases by %
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Diagnosis and Treatment Of Cushings In Dogs
The onset of cushings disease symptoms is usually a slow, gradual process - making it a little harder to notice and
diagnose than some other ailments in dogs. If you suspect your dog may have cushings disease,
your veterinarian may wish to run a blood
test to help identify if there is a tumor in either the pituitary or adrenal glands. They may also want to conduct an
ultrasound of the adrenal gland which can often help identify tumors in that area. Providing your pets doctor with
thorough information regarding your pets meds regimen and any symptoms or recent changes in your pets behavior will be important.
Cushings disease caused by tumors is not normally thought of as a "curable" disease
as that would require removal of the tumor which is often difficult, particularly if it is in the pituitary gland.
The good news is that with proper treatment, dogs cushings disease can become somewhat manageable so your canine can
experience some symptom relief and a higher quality of life in general. Once diagnosed,
there are several treatment options, mostly medications that may be suggested by your veterinarian.
The medications you and your veterinarian will choose to use will depend on several factors including
what kind of canine cushings disease your dog has, other existing health conditions and medication regimens,
potential drug side effects, how much time you have to administer the cushings treatment, how much treatment
progress monitoring needs to be done and finally what you can afford to spend on medications.
Treating cushings is a balancing act that requires extensive monitoring of your dogs progress throughout the
treatment period, particularly in the beginning stages. Depending upon the medication used, frequent blood
tests may very well be required to monitor any
potential damage to the adrenal gland. And even if your dog is on one of the dogs cushings meds that is not harmful
to the adrenal cortex, it will still be important to run periodic blood tests to make sure the drug is working. Some
medications are less damaging to the body but their success rate may also be lower than some of the stronger medicines.
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Cushings Medication Options, Comparisons And **Discount Prices
Possible dogs cushings medications that your veterinarian might prescribe include Lysodren, Anipryl,
the generic anipryl med Selegiline, Vetoryl or Ketoconazole.
You'll want to be sure and visit each of the individual profiles we've put together for you on these specific
cushings disease medications so you can learn more about them. They can also be a bit expensive so you will want to be sure
and check out the discount prices we've found for you as well.
Although it is not FDA approved for use in veterinary medicine, lysodren was the most common drug of choice for many years -
partly because it was effective, but also because it was one of the few cushings medications for dogs available.
Lysodren, considered a chemotherapy drug, it works by eroding away at the layers of the adrenal
cortex (the outer layers of the adrenal) to slow down the overproduction of cortisone steroid.
It is possible that lysodren can erode away too much of the adrenal cortex, creating a new health issue.
If over erosion occurs the adrenal cortex can sometimes re-thicken but at other times it cannot and the damage is permanent.
Something to note at this time would be that since the pituitary gland itself is not treated, it may still
send the signals to the adrenal gland to produce cortisol as it did before the lysodren treatment, but the lysodren helps limit
the adrenal glands ability to respond to that signal just the same.
Lysodren is often effective, yet it can be expensive and it carries
the potential for serious side effects. Consequently, it requires extensive monitoring during its administration.
The upside with lysodren however, is the fact that because
it has been around so long, many veterinarians are experts in its use and knowledgeable on monitoring its effects
and knowledgeable regarding the necessary measures to help prevent potential risks.
Vetoryl is one of the newest FDA approved medications available today. It has shown promising results and is the only med that
treats both pituitary and adrenal dependent cushings diseases in dogs. Vetoryl (Trilostane) works by inhibiting an enzyme that
is involved in the production of cortisol. Inhibiting the enzyme inhibits the production of cortisol. But, as with
lysodren, permanent adrenal damage is possible making careful monitoring while on vetoryl a must.
Ketoconazole is sometimes prescribed for dogs that cannot tolerate lysodren very well. Ketoconazole is an
antifungal medication that just so happens to have the "side effect"
of reducing cortisol production, thus making it potentially useful in treating a dogs cushings disease symptoms.
Although some cushings medications can damage the adrenal tissues, ketoconazole does not have a tendency to do this, thereby
reducing the need for frequent blood test monitoring. Just the same, it is not always the first drug of choice for veterinarians,
because it not necessarily as effective over the long run, it requires frequent administration and can be expensive too.
Some dogs can also have trouble absorbing Ketoconazole and it can have side effects as other meds do.
Anipryl is perhaps best known as a psychotropic medicine used to help stabilize the balance of brain chemicals
in dogs exhibiting senile behavior characteristics, but it used to treat cushings disease in canines as well.
Anipryl has been shown to be a little safer than lysodren but may or may not be as effective. Anipryl is limited to
treating only pituitary dependent causes of dogs cushings in which it addresses the tumor directly. There is less danger of
adrenal cortex damage with anipryl than there is with lysodren so it is sometimes chosen for that reason. However, it is not
compatible with certain medications including most psychoactive drugs or with phenylpropanolamine (a common medication for
urinary incontinence in dogs). Anipryl has a more affordable generic alternative, Selegiline, but selegiline
does not come in the variety of dosage sizes that Anipryl does.
Which med your veterinarian chooses will depend on different factors including
the cause of your pet's cushing's disease. What medication works best for one dog
may not for another, and finding the right treatment and dosage can often be
a matter of painstaking trial and error. For the most effective treatment you will want to work closely with
your pet's dr. regarding the med chosen, and carefully monitor your pet's reactions and progress
to that specific medicine.
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** Please Note: Listed prices are as posted online on 5/20/11 and are subject to change without notice, please verify
current product prices before you buy
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