The scientific name for this disease is hyperadrenocorticism, and it usually effects older dogs.
Cushing’s disease is brought about due to too many hormones, such as corticosteroids.
The Difference Between Cushing’s Disease And Old Age
Cushing’s disease is usually characterized by an increase in appetite, drinking, and urination, excessive shedding, and panting.
It may be hard to detect the symptoms since they are similar to that of aging and diabetesyou’re your dog has Cushing’s disease; there will be an obvious thinning of the skin, skin infections, and hard lumps under the skin.
If you suspect your dog may have Cushing’s, you should take him or her to the vet. Your vet will do a simple blood test to check the adrenal gland hormone levels. If the test comes out abnormal, your dog may have Cushing’s disease and the next step is to take X-rays.
Cushing’s disease is usually caused by tumors in the pituitary gland or the adrenal gland. And once your vet takes x-rays, he or she will determine which gland should be targeted for therapy.
Treatment Options
It’s easier to treat Cushing’s disease if your dog has an adrenal gland tumor. The adrenal gland is responsible for Cushing’s only 15% of the time though. If your dog is in this 15% of the population, your vet will simply remove the whole adrenal gland.
85% of the time, the pituitary gland is to blame. It’s not possible to remove the pituitary gland because the risk is too high.
When the pituitary gland is responsible for Cushing’s disease, the most common treatment is chemotherapy. Your dog will most likely experience adverse side effects, and you should be on the lookout for diarrhea, lethargy, lack of appetite, and vomiting.
Alternative Therapies
If you are opposed to treating your dog with powerful chemotherapy chemicals, you may want to consider changing your dog’s diet first. In some cases, this is all that is needed.
Feed your dog raw meats and vegetables− this will help balance your dog’s metabolism.
If your dog is eating mostly antioxidants and healthy foods, this should help combat the tumors and strengthen the immune system naturally.
Anipryl and Vetoryl are two new drugs that are being used to treat Cushing’s disease.
Vetoryl is being reviewed by the FDA approval for animals, but Anipryl is already fully approved in the US for treating crushing’s disease in dogs.
Anipryl takes a little longer to be effective in animals; however, it’s very effective in the long run. Anipryl doesn’t have the adverse side effects that are associated with chemotherapeutic drugs, so it may be something to consider.
Talk To Your Vet
Talk to your vet to determine the best treatment option for your Boston Terrier. Don’t be discouraged because Cushing’s disease can be beaten!
If you have any comments, or have been through Cushing’s disease with your Boston Terrier, share your story by leaving a comment below.
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