Dog collapsing, vomiting, bloody diarrhea: Is it Cushing's disease?

Pooping blood can be related to medication, but without knowing the medications she is on, I can't say for certain. It's not a typical symptom of Cushings, however, and it could be caused by GI ulcers, intestinal parasites, eating something rotten, a foreign body, or GI tumors. Given that she is eating and drinking well, it's fine to wait until Monday, but if that changes or she becomes very lethargic and unwell, I would take her into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her right away.

This could be a possibility. If your vet thinks Cushing she could be complicating her diabetes, you could consider testing her for cushings. If she definitely has cushings then you can start treating her for that. In the meantime, y'all will need to work on getting her diabetes under control. Another option would be to see if there is a specialist (internist) near you that could take over her case to help you get the DKA under control while also diagnosing and treating for cushings if needed. The main difference between a specialist and a general practitioner is that the specialist specializes in these complicated metabolic diseases and usually have facilities and specialized equipment that can care for them 24 hours if needed. If there is a cost concern and yall are unable to get the DKA under control and she is continuing to decline then yes, I would consider euthanasia. Unfortunately, even with intensive care and extensive testing, sometimes these guys don't improve and continue to decline no matter what we do. I know this is a difficult time and decision. Just know that you are doing the best thing for her whatever you decide. I hope this helps and know we are thinking of you. Hugs!

That is very concerning that she is not eating, vomiting, and losing weight. If blood work is normal than your vet could do x-rays and/or an abdominal ultrasound to look for abnormalities. Your vet could also do an ACTH stim test to make sure she is on the correct dose of vetoryl. Your vet could also treat with an anti-nausea medication called Cerenia and an antibiotic called Metronidazole to see if that helps with the vomiting and diarrha. Hope she feels better soon.

My biggest concern is that your vet is talking about hyperadrenocorticism also known as Cushing's disease. This is what I think of when you discuss those symptoms, liver enzyme elevations and adrenal issues. Cushings is where they produce too much cortisol in their system. You can do a test to rule this in or out. You can have your vet do a low dose dexamethasone test OR a ACTH stimulation test. If it comes up positive then you can treat with the disease with a daily medicine called trilostane to help the symptoms. But you cannot cure cushings. I hope this helps and will help guide you in a conversation with your vet if this is actually what your vet thinks is going on.

Cushing's or Hyperadrenocorticism is a fairly common endocrine disease in dogs. It can be caused by a bit of overactive tissue in the brain (in the pituitary gland, which is the master ruler of hormone secretion in the body) or a mass in an adrenal gland (sits by the kidneys, secretes hormones as directed by the pituitary gland). Basically what happens is an excess of a hormone in the body, usually a steroid called cortisol, if it is traditional Cushing's. This then causes some symptoms in the pet, blood work changes, and sometimes other changes like high blood pressure. I suspect based on the value that you report that this was a liver enzyme elevation call ALP. This very commonly occurs in pets that have Cushings, but is not specific for Cushing's and elevation can be caused by other disease processes. This value does not correlate with severity of disease as many dogs have a high value. It sounds like your vet is on the right track by recommending an ultrasound to look at the adrenal glands and also the rest of the abdominal organs to rule out other disease processes. Ultimately Cushing's Disease has to be diagnosed by some sort of endocrine testing which your vet may recommend as well. Treatment if then based on what type of Cushing's disease is present. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This sounds serious enough that he needs to be seen by your veterinarian right away. He could have a number of things causing this including parvovirus (if he isn't fully vaccinated), a foreign body obstruction, or just a severe case of colitis associated with the new food that you introduced. Poor guy. I would recommend taking him in today if possible and getting this treated quickly. Best case scenario is that he has a severe case of colitis and a short course of antibiotics and probiotics, along with a bland diet is enough to get him well again. Best wishes with your pet Winston. I hope he feels better soon. Take care.

I’m sorry that Sparky isn’t feeling well! Rectal bleeding is not typically caused by Cushings disease. I’m not sure if you mean that she has blood coming from her back end or has blood on her feces, but both are cause for concern, yet not life threatening in most cases. I recommend having Sparky seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is going on. There are emergency clinics which are open 24 hours in most towns/cities if your regular veterinarian is closed for the holiday. I hope this helps and that all is well!