Can my dog with Cushing's eat before her ATCH blood test?

There are a range if different tests used to investigate cushings and most would not be affected by fasting or not. Not fasting would not do any harm but may make some results less reliable. Please post further information if you know which test and results have been performed

Hi there, Yes, this sounds similar to a typical test for Cushing's disease. The most common test is blood drawn prior to injection, as well as samples taken four and eight hours later. Sometimes, the eight hour sample may not be necessary depending on test results. Here is a link to more information about diagnosing hyperadrenocorticism: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951504 Thanks for using PetCoach. Best of luck to you and Miss Dixie.

There are a few tests that require testing but most do not. A basic panel of bloodwork just as a routine screening does not typically require fasting. If she needed to be fasted your vet probably would have let you know. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Charlie. I would not feed him breakfast in the morning until after his blood is drawn. Samples can be too fatty if the blood is taken too soon after a meal. He can have water, but hold off on feeding him in the morning. I hope this helps!

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.

Hi there and thank you for posting your question. The medication used to treat Cushing's disease can cause some pretty serious problems if not monitored appropriately. Unfortunately, the blood testing to monitor Cushing's is expensive. For the first two to three months I will perform this particular test called the ACTH test to monitor the response to treatment and to make sure that the medication is not causing the reverse problem called Addison's disease. If the dog is well regulated I might spread out the blood test to once every 6 months to ensure that the values are regulated. Of course, this is something that you will have to discuss with your veterinarian who is ordering this blood test up every few weeks. Every doctor is different with how they monitor their patients, so not all of us will recommend the exact same plan for every patient. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.