My 11-year-old dog has Cushing's. Is he suffering? What's his outlook?

It is common for people to decide not to treat their dog for Cushing's disease. Unfortunately, the treatment is expensive and has side effects. The biggest concerns with Cushing's disease are the side effects of the disease (drinking more, urinating more, etc) and the potential for the dog to develop other infections from a suppressed immune system. So, I recommend that a dog with Cushing's disease be closely monitored at home for any changes in clinical signs and have them evaluated in case the dog is developing a secondary infection. That will often mean checking urine samples on a regular basis to make sure a urinary tract infection isn't hiding. I have attached more information on Cushing's disease below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=635 At almost 15 years old, if Bullwinkle has other health problems, then Cushing's disease may or may not shorten his life. But the most important thing is to closely monitor him and make sure any infections are treated right away. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bruno. I base quality of life decisions on several factors. Is the patient eating and drinking on his own? How is his mobility? Can he navigate stairs safely, move freely around the house and get outside to go potty? This tends to be a significant problem in large breed dogs. Any time a pet has a chronic illness, there will be good and bad days. Are the good days still outnumbering the bad days? Finally, does he still seem happy? I would recommend carefully thinking about these questions and seeing what his blood work shows. Cushing's can be managed most cases. The seizures are worrisome though. They are unpredictable. He might never have another one, but they could go on to become a frequent occurrence. His blood work will determine if he is healthy enough for anti-seizure medications. I hope this information helps.

There are studies that show it does not affect their life span ! It is a disease of symptoms and can be frustrating to live with. It will cause an increase in drinking and urination which can lead to accidents, it causes thin skin and a pot belly appearance with weight gain a muscle loss. In severe cases it can lead to a skin infection and calcifying of the skin

Hello, I am so sorry for your concerns about Tucker. I would guess that he is having issues with his liver, hense hepatitis, which can occur with long term phenobarb. use. The medication to control the symptoms of Cushings ( we can not completely cure this disease, as it involves a tumor on the adrenal gland or the pituitary gland), also has some side effects that require frequent blood work to monitor. You have a very hard decision to make, & it is wonderful that your veterinarian is there to support whatever you decide to do. Take a few days to try & put things is perspective. Weigh the good days against the bad days & decide what is in Tucker's best interest. It is hard to let a pet go, but if there is a choice between existing because a decision can not be made, & truly living, then please consider things this way. If you are not happy seeing Tucker this way, knowing that things will probably get worse, he can not be happy, either. I sympathize with your predicament. For all of us who love our pets, this is a day that always breaks our hearts. Take care.

I am so sorry to Charlie is not doing well. It is always difficult to see our beloved pets getting older. If you feel Charlie is in pain it would be worth discussing with your regular veterinarian to see if you can increase his tramadol, or if there are other medications you can add in for additional pain relief. You also need to consider that Charlie may be coming to the end. It sounds like his quality of life is becoming diminished, if he is no longer interested in walks and other things that typically have made him happy previously. Check out this link for an article that can help you better understand this part of Charlie's life.http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf Charlie's Cushings diseases and elevated liver enzymes unfortunately complicate the picture, and mean that some of the medications we might normally use for a dog who is in pain are not suitable for him. I hope I have been able to provide you with some ideas to chat with your vet about-do not be afraid to emphasize that you feel he is in pain-you know Charlie best and sometimes the trip to the vet clinic can cause an adrenaline rush that masks some of the symptoms you are concerned about.

Whatever decision that you make for Gizmo will always be the right decision. If Gizmo has not responded to the treatments and medications from his vet visit, I would recommend seeing the vet sooner than 5 days. He may need additional medications to control his symptoms. It sounds like his current issues are expected to be manageable with medications. However, there is a possibility that the stomach wall thickening could be cancerous, in which case Gizmo may not feel better, even with medications. You may discuss pain medications or treatments such as acupuncture with the vet to help with Gizmo’s comfort. Here is a website you may find useful in deciding when it may be “time”: https://www.lapoflove.com/Mobile-Menu/EDUCATION/When-it-is-time

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.