Cushing's disease in dogs | All about cushing's disease in dogs. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and more. http://www.cushings-disease-in-dogs.info/ en-us pets,animals,dogs,cats,home,pet care,health business@nevillepettersson.com 2011 Cushing's Disease In Dogs Cushing's Disease In Dogs Holistic Treatment Cushing's disease (or hyperadrenocorticism) strikes older dogs, and is often mistaken for the aging process itself. The victim loses hair, gains weight, loses bladder control and urinates in the house. Dog owners sometimes consider euthanizing dogs afflicted with Cushing's disease. But the disease is treatable. Cushing's disease is characterized by chronic excessive cortisol hormone in the dog's system. Cortisol (cortisone-like) hormones are secreted by the dog's adrenal glands in response to chemical signals from the pituitary gland. It's an important bodily regulator, governing reaction to stress, fat metabolism, kidney function, and important nerve and muscle functions. An oversupply of this hormone throws all these things out of balance, resulting in the symptoms of Cushing's disease. There are several causes of Cushing's disease, of which the most common is a tiny (usually less than 3 millimeters in diameter) benign pituitary tumor, and the second most common is a tumor on the adrenal glands. Cushing's Disease Testing There are three different tests for Cushing's disease commonly used by veterinarians. The most reliable test is the low dose dexamethasone suppression test, in which the dog is given a dose of dexamethasone (a cortisone-type drug) which, in a healthy animal, will signal the pituitary to stop the adrenal glands from secreting cortisol hormone. If the dog suffers from the pituitary-tumor type of Cushing's disease, the dexamethasone will not induce this response. Approximately 90% of dogs with Cushing's disease will test positive using this method. The second type of test is called the ACTH stim test. This involves giving the dog a dose of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that triggers the adrenal response. A high cortisol output two hours later indicates Cushing's disease. Although this test is less accurate than the dexamethasone test, it can be used for non-pituitary-tumor forms of the disease. The third common test is a simple urine screening to test for cortisol concentration. A positive result of this test is not sufficient to diagnose Cushing's, but a negative result suffices to rule it out. Treatment Of Cushing's Disease Removing the cause of the condition (the tumor on the pituitary or adrenal glands) is seldom indicated in the case of an adrenal tumor and, given current surgical techniques, not an option in the case of a pituitary tumor. For this reason, Cushing's disease is normally treated with medication. There are four commonly-prescribed medications: Lysodren, Trilostane, Ketoconazole, and L-Deprenyl. Lysodren is the oldest of these and is about equally effective for both pituitary and adrenal forms of the disease. However, Lysodren also has fairly severe side effects. Trilostane is an alternative medication whose side effects are less severe than Lysodren, but similar in nature. L-Deprenyl is safer to prescribe, but only works with the pituitary form of the disease. Veterinarians don't always recommend treatment of Cushing's disease. It depends on the age of the dog and on other medical conditions which may either make the drug treatments more dangerous or indicate a likely death from other causes. Also, the symptoms of Cushing's disease vary in severity, and milder forms of the disease may be judged not worth the risks involved in treating them. The side effects of the drugs are particularly dangerous in animals with heart conditions, hypothyroidism, and diabetes, and at minimum these conditions need to be stabilized before beginning drug treatment for Cushing's disease. Rare forms of Cushing's disease may result from the use of cortisone-type medications rather than from tumors on either the pituitary or the adrenal glands. In such cases, where it is medically possible, cessation of the medication or lowering of the dosage should eliminate the Cushing's symptoms within a month. However, this is not always possible, as the medication may be a treatment for a serious condition. For that reason, even in cases where medication is at fault, veterinarians sometimes continue the cortisone treatment and prescribe drug treatment for the Cushing's symptoms as well. http://www.cushings-disease-in-dogs.info/ 16 Nov 2011 11:12:45 GMT pets,animals,dogs,cats,home,pet care,health business@nevillepettersson.com My Dog Has Diarrhea And Is Lethargic It can be quite difficult to figure out whether your pet has a problem because nobody is capable of communicating directly with them. Since many people have dogs it's important to be able to determine what kind of symptoms can tell you that your dog is ill. Some dogs will experience symptoms similar to humans when they are sick such as fevers, a high dog temperature and even diarrhea. Although diarrhea might seem like something normal, it can be a signal that something worse is wrong with the dog. Being able to know for sure is difficult unless you are properly informed. My Dog Has Diarrhea But Is Acting Fine Many dogs that experience diarrhea might remain calm and still act completely normal. This does not necessarily mean that your dog is well. In fact, most dogs will actually have a deeper problem that you may think if they have diarrhea. This does not mean that your dog is in a life threatening situation but figuring out what the problem is will be the only way that you can tell for sure. A good way to figure out what the problem behind the diarrhea is would be to have the feces checked for parasites. Parasites are the leading cause for diarrhea when your dog still acts normal but it isn't always the case. If your dog continues to have diarrhea you should avoid feeding the dog for an entire day. This may seem cruel but it is the only way that you can flush the body from the cause behind the problem. My Dog Has Diarrhea With A Little Blood Dogs tend to eat almost anything that they can find, especially when they are young. The may even eat grass and flowers while you take them for walks which can do some damage to the dog's interior. Preventing this from happening is the best way that you can avoid problems from happening such as bloody diarrhea. However if you do notice a little bit of blood in your dog's diarrhea you don't have to worry right away. Most of the time, bloody diarrhea in dogs is caused by a sudden change in diet. This can even happen by simple feeding your dog a new kind of food. However, blood in your dog's diarrhea could also mean that something much more serious is wrong such as rectal problems or intestinal problems. If the blood does not go away after a few days it could also be linked to a tumor or cancer. Tumors are rare but they do happen and it is important to get your dog checked for tumors in your dog has bloody diarrhea for several days. My Dog Has Diarrhea And Won't Eat Diarrhea in your dog can be something simple or something terrible but as long as you know how to identify the difference between the two, you will be able to know whether to worry or not. When diarrhea is accompanied with other symptoms such as a lack of appetite it could mean that something is wrong. This is often the case when it is accompanied with blood. The best thing to do is to wait a few days and if the appetite returns and the diarrhea goes away there will be nothing for you to worry about. However, if a few days passes by and your dog is still not eating and still has diarrhea you should do the cleaning process that was mentioned above. It is simple and easy; do not feed your dog for 24 hours. This will give your dog's stomach a chance to settle so if it act anything unhealthy, it will pass and have a better time being digested. Try not to give your dog too much to drink as well during this time but do not refrain from letting the dog drink entirely as this could cause dehydration problems. http://www.cushings-disease-in-dogs.info/my-dog-has-diarrhea.html 05 Dec 2011 08:31:28 GMT pets,animals,dogs,cats,home,pet care,health business@nevillepettersson.com Vestibular Disease In Dogs Symptoms Taking extra good care of your dog will keep it alive much longer than a dog that is poorly treated. Knowing how to recognize signs that your dog is ill is the best way to prevent a disease from spreading and getting worse. There is a certain disease that dogs can contract spontaneously which is call vestibular disease. This is basically an inflammation of nerves that connect the ear to the brain. Some of the first signs that you can notice in your dogs if they have vestibular disease is that they will tilt their heads and they may have a high dog temperature. However, this is not always the case as some dogs with this disease will not show signs until the disease fully kicks in. Vestibular Disease In Dogs Prognosis If you think that your dog has vestibular disease you should make sure that your dog fully has it before treating the dog. The bright side about this disease is that vestibular disease will not likely affect your dog's life. More often than not, dogs with this disease will go on in life without a problem and will lead a happy and full life just as they would without it. Generally speaking, most dogs that get vestibular disease will only experience symptoms for a few weeks. This is not always the case but the prognosis of this particular type of disease has a great outcome. Vestibular Disease In Dogs Symptoms Noticing the symptoms of this disease can be fairly easy because the vestibular system is responsible for a very precise part of the body. In fact, the vestibular system is responsible for a dog's balance, stability and general movements. One of the best ways to find out whether your dog has actually come down with this disease is to notice its walking patterns. If a dog looks dizzy and disoriented more than usual you should start thinking about treating the dog. There are several other symptoms that dogs will have as well such as a loss of appetite, they might fall to one side and they may also begin rolling over for no reason in a non-playful way. Another symptom that your dog might have is that its eyes will go from left to right and be completely disoriented. Vestibular Disease In Dogs Treatment It can become a very scary situation for you to be in if you notice several of the symptoms that are associated to this disease. However, this does not mean that you must worry because the treatment is quite efficient. Most of the time the treatment that will be provided for the dog will be able to completely remove the symptoms, making it possible for the dog to completely ignore the disease. The treatment itself will depend on the specific symptoms that your dog is experience. For example, if your dog is dizzy and vomiting, you will have to give the dog specific medication to treat those symptoms. Some medications will require you to administer them through the ear. Keeping your dog in a safe and restful environment is the best way to help it get better. It may take up to two full months of restfulness but the dog will soon be back to its normal self. Vestibular Disease In Dogs Recovery Although a dog with vestibular disease will not be at a high risk of dying, it is still important for you to take great care of it. Make sure that you don't place the dog in a tiring situation such as going for runs or playing fetch. The more rest that a dog with vestibular disease gets, the faster it will recover. Remember that worrying is a completely normal thing for a dog owner with a sick dog but in the end your dog will be fine in most cases. Of course there are situations that vestibular disease can be life threatening but this is only in the most severe cases which is quite rare. http://www.cushings-disease-in-dogs.info/vestibular-disease-in-dogs.html 05 Dec 2011 13:20:04 GMT pets,animals,dogs,cats,home,pet care,health business@nevillepettersson.com