Dog Cushing’s Disease: How To Treat It Naturally
Cushing’s disease in dogs is a common but often misunderstood health disorder. As a veterinarian and advocate for natural solutions, I believe it’s crucial to understand both the conventional and holistic options for treating this condition. In this article, I’ll explain what Cushing’s disease is, its causes, the common clinical signs, and the best diagnostic tests to confirm it. Additionally, I will cover the most effective conventional and holistic treatment options available to help manage this condition naturally.
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Cushing’s Disease in Dogs: Understanding, Diagnosing, and Treating
Cushing’s disease, or hyperadrenocorticism, is a condition caused by the overproduction of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisol is typically released in response to stress (e.g., fear) and helps the body prepare for “fight or flight" by releasing fat and sugar into the bloodstream and retaining water and sodium. However, when cortisol is continuously overproduced, it negatively affects your pet’s body, leading to several clinical signs, including muscle wasting.
What is Cushing’s Disease?
Cushing’s disease most commonly affects small-breed, older dogs. The condition is characterized by:
- Excessive drinking and urination
- A distended, swaying belly due to abdominal muscle loss caused by excess cortisol
- Skin changes like hair loss, often symmetrically, and a sparse coat
- Increased appetite
- Excessive panting
Dogs with Cushing’s disease often test negative for other potential causes of increased drinking, such as diabetes, kidney, or liver disease.
Causes of Cushing’s Disease
The most common cause of Cushing’s disease is a tumor on the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain. A smaller percentage of cases result from a tumor on the adrenal gland, which is located near the kidneys. In some instances, Cushing’s disease can also be caused by long-term use of steroids like prednisone. In these cases, weaning the pet off the drug can be an effective treatment.
Diagnostic Testing for Cushing’s Disease
The most effective diagnostic test your veterinarian can perform is the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test. This test is about 90% accurate in confirming Cushing’s disease. Under normal circumstances, when dexamethasone is given to a healthy dog, the pituitary gland detects it and lowers the blood cortisol level. However, in a dog with Cushing’s disease, particularly one with a pituitary tumor, there will be no drop in blood cortisol levels 8 hours after the injection.
One of the key aspects of diagnosing Cushing’s disease is distinguishing between pituitary-dependent Cushing’s (caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland) and adrenal-dependent Cushing’s (caused by a tumor on the adrenal glands). This is crucial because the treatments for each type are different.
- Pituitary Cushing’s is typically treated medically.
- Adrenal Cushing’s, however, may involve surgery to remove the tumor. There’s also a 50% chance that adrenal tumors can be malignant.
Treatment Options for Cushing’s Disease
There are two main types of conventional treatment options for Cushing’s disease in dogs:
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Lysodren (Mitotane)
This older cytotoxic drug works by destroying part of the pituitary gland. However, it has serious side effects and can cause Addison’s disease if overdosed. -
Trilostane
A newer drug, Trilostane works by inhibiting adrenal enzymes, which reduces blood cortisol levels. It has fewer side effects than Lysodren and is often the preferred treatment. Both drugs require regular administration and close monitoring by your veterinarian.
Additionally, Anipryl (L-deprenyl) is a newer, safer medication that works directly on the pituitary gland to reduce cortisol production. However, it must be given daily, and treatment can be quite costly, particularly for larger dogs.
Holistic Treatment Options
In addition to conventional treatments, there are several holistic options that may help manage Cushing’s disease:
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Antioxidants: High cortisol levels can cause cellular damage, so adding antioxidants to your dog’s diet can be beneficial. The most effective antioxidants for dogs with Cushing’s disease include:
- Vitamin E: 100 IU per 10 lbs of body weight daily
- Vitamin C: 100 mg per 10 lbs of body weight daily
- Selenium: 20 mcg per 10 lbs of body weight daily
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Ginkgo Biloba: This herb has been shown to reduce cortisol production, similar to Anipryl. The tincture dosage is 1 drop per pound of body weight twice daily, or 3 mg per pound of body weight daily if using the dried concentrated extract.
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Valerian: Since high cortisol levels can cause anxiety in pets, valerian can help alleviate this anxiety. The recommended dose is 1 drop per pound of body weight twice daily.
Conclusion
Cushing’s disease in dogs is a serious condition that results from the overproduction of cortisol, leading to symptoms such as increased drinking, urination, and appetite. The most effective diagnostic test is the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test, which can confirm Cushing’s disease in about 90% of cases. For treatment, Trilostane is the preferred drug, with fewer side effects than older medications like Lysodren. Additionally, holistic remedies like antioxidants, Ginkgo Biloba, and valerian may help support your dog’s health alongside conventional treatments.
Understanding the causes and treatment options for Cushing’s disease will help you make informed decisions about your dog’s care. Always work closely with your veterinarian to develop the best treatment plan for your pet.
my daughter has a cushings dog on the trilostane,the vet says she has a enlarged liver. is this from the cushings or meds? what can be done for the liver?
The Specialist that tested my pup to determine that hers was Pituitary recommended I give her Milk Thistle along with the Trilostane each day. Her liver values actually improved!
My dog has cushings and is on Veterol
But he also has diabetics. and low tyroid. He is on Humilin N 100 & also a med for thyroid
He was tested lately & the cushing & tyroid are testing to be under control
But the diabetics is off the wall. He can ne 594 in AM & 96 in PM . it justs all over the place. I have to give him 2 shots a day & also do a blood test twice a day so I know how much insilin to give him.
It is driving me nuts as I worry when I go to work. And I feel sorry for him with all the needle jabbing. He is 7 yrs and a wheaten terrier. I try to feed the same amt every day about the same time. The vet says he don’t think it’s the insulin but I do.
Any suggestions?
I wish I would have read this article 8 or 9 years ago when my beloved daschund started showing syptoms and when diagnosed with cushings I had no idea what it was.Her whole personality changed and though st the time I was told it was a problem in the adrenal gland it turned out to be pituitary.I am surprised to see that prednisone has an ad verse effect because part of her treatment was 1/2 tablet prednisone every day.She finally died after a whole night of convulsions and howling and I felt totally helpless.It was a shock as she had been at the vet that very day for xrays and since it was rememberance day the next day I could not find a vet open to help us.If my little chihuaha ever gets this[heaven forbid]at least I am mare informed.Thankyou for your good work at informing us with lesser knowledge.
This is my new email as above.
I also lost my Aussie Terrier 3yrs ago to Cushings, I feel that she was not given the correct treatment and was over medicated and she was never tested for diabetes. She did elicit all the sighns of Cushings from blood tests and did okay on Trilostane for 3 months, then became very ill after an increase in dosage and started to have severe seizures. In retrospect I wish I could have known about the more Holistic treatments,perhaps I could have given her a better chance instead of them bombarding her with all kinds of pills for Thyroid, seizures and Cushings.
I pray my little Norwich does not develop this awful disease, she is just 3 now.
Sheila Z. ( Victoria, B.C.)
My dog was diagnosed with Atypical Cushing’s over 6 years ago. We worked with the U of Tennessee to determine a course of treatment that ended up being a melatonin implant and HRM lignans. Needless to say, this was not effective for long. Then I turned to Chinese medicine along with the melatonin and lignans.. Again, no success. Finally, after months on a maintenance dose of Lysodren, I turned to a Naturopath who does Nutrition Response Testing. I stopped the Lysodren but kept my dog on the melatonin implant and the lignans.. The ND put my dog on supplements made by Standard Process to support the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal axis as well as supplements to support liver and kidneys. The third component was detox for mercury. My dog is doing better now than in the previous six years, and bloodwork clearly shows the Standard Process supplements are doing the job.
I love standard process and use it for myself, my dog has cushings and I would love to know which products you use.
My golden retriever at 13-1/2 had this huge seizure in the middle of the night in May(never had a seizure in her life)the paddling & release of her urine as well. Called the vet & brought her in the next day. They did a bunch of tests, finally that 8 hr test you spoke about, diagnoses was Pituitary cushings. Vet had her on phyenol barbitol(sp?) for seizures, prednisone(suppose to shrink the tumor, thats what they told me) Anipryl & she was also hypothyroid, so soloxine. The poor thing had seizures almost everyday, including gran mal seizures.(up to this problem, she had been in excellent health, but I had noticed she had been drinking more water & suddenly had some incontinence. We took care of her until the end when she had a gran mal that become one after the other. She had lived for 5 months after the first seizure and died at 14 yrs & 3 months of age.
My Jack Russell was diagnosed in Oct. of 2010. He is on a maintanence dose of Lysodren 1/4 a tablet a week and he is 9 1/2 years old. He’s not as active as he used to be but he’s still my little baby. the only problem I have is him urinating in the house when I’m not home, we got him used to a litter box near the back door and that has been a furniture saver. this is a terrible disease and I wouldn’t wish this on any animal or person but with constant monitoring and meds it is possible to extend their life with good quality.
I have a 11 year old lab mix who was diagnosed with Cushings 2 years ago, she is on anipryl (30 mg.) throsyn (0.5 mg.)and ursodiol (300mg.) I also give her C (500mg.) E (400 iu) Selenium (200mcg) Supraglan, and milk thistle. I have switched her to grain free food and organic hamburger. She doesn’t have much hair but seems to be doing pretty well. Her back legs get stiff and she still drinks a lot of water and thinks she is hungry all the time. If you have any helpful information to add I would greatly appreciate it. We love her dearly!
My horse has cushings I have had wonderful results from an herb called Chaste tree berry.I give 1 tsp. am and an other with the pm feeding. Will this also work for dogs at a lower dose?
I am another person that was ignorant in finding what was wrong with my German Shepard male puppy.Read every book I could get my hands on to find out what was wrong with him, I had the money to buy him holistic meds, first Buddy had an upper respitory infection, when I first walked into his kennel I coud hear him grasping for air, and wheezing. Took him to the vet and with all kinds of money being dished out I went broke. Kept him in the house,and kept him on Tincture for the upr infection, but he would drink in excessfully, and pee like a race horse. Called the vet and he said he is probably a diabetic, no probablies about it, the first insulin shot he collapsed and I took him to emergency. They said don’t give him anymore insulin you not knowing if he is a diabetic or not. Told them what my vet recommended and they asked if he had a test to prove it was diabetes, I said they did take his blood 3 times and I had to fight with him to get a reading, and it was high, then I injected him is when he collapsed. He could breathe better, no wheezing but I was concerned he had something else wrong. So I took him to get a second opinion, and they said he has cushings but is to far gone to save him. Took him home and stayed by his side which felt like forever, and cried. Let him go outside to be with his mother and he ran into the wood behind her. They never came back, except the mother did with her head down, so I went with a flashlight and could not find him for 2 days straight. That goes to show you not every vet knows what they are doing except throw you pills, etc. and take your money. I joined this group what might be 3 yrs now. Dr Jones was going through some hard times too, and did not want to bother him at that time. So I made my beautiful Buddy as comfortable as I could and searched for him everywhere. My opinion is…after reading all your ltters, if you are not getting results go to another doctor. From then on I followed Dr, Jones recommendation to the letter, I call his course that I took , my bible. All of the holistic remedies he told his group of members worked on my GSD and chihuahuas. Some day I want to fly to BC to meet him personally, to thank him in person. He is a wonderful, compassionate loving person. And knows what he is talking about.
Another comment I must say….I went to medical school for 2 yrs. to become a vet. Had to quit for the sake of my new baby, and 2 other youngsters. I still to this day read everything possible, and watched my dogs like a hawk and fed them home cooked and raw meat on bones, vitamins that I got from Dr. Jones, and have not taken my dogs only to the vets for a heartworm check every year and nothing else. I don’t profess to know it all, but when you have a feeling that a dogs behavior is not the same, and acts differently than before. Then take your beloved pet to the Vets, or contact Dr. Jones ASAP. Don’t wait another second like I did. I regret now that I tried to treat my dog myself, not having the money to shell out for another vet, he was doing great getting rid of the upper respet. infection but should of known, that he was more sick than told, he had cushings I’m, sure of it. No dog should pee out as much as my beloved Buddy did.
God Bless you all!
My dog has cushings. She is wheezing a lot more now and I fear it’s because of tracheal collapse. Is there anything I can do to help her? It used to be just when she got excited bit now it’s even at rest. I’m worried and can’t afford another vet bill. Please help if u can. I’m desperate to help my baby. She’s 12 and has been on trilostane for almost 3 years now.
I see on the internet that chasteberry is used to treat Cushings disease in horses. Can it also be used for dogs? If so, in what quantity?
My dog has just been diagnosed with probable Cushing’s, liver enzymes over 1000. She is supposed to go in for a Stem? Test on this Thursday. She was placed on antibiotic, after one antibiotic she worsened, thought this was coincidence, she fought me taking another, it was horrible, she lost her balance, fell, became very upset. I read about the drug, it can cause increase in liver enzymes, why would they give me that for her? No more of those. Ordered adrenal support and milk thistle after reading that it might help, I hope so. She is 13 and was so full of life still, before starting heartworm meds back. I think it may have something to do with this.
Hello,
I have a 10 year old Dachshund who has Cushing’s Disease. I want to use Gingko for him but am unsure of the correct dosage. He is 16 kilos (a large Standard Smooth).
Can you tell me the best product to buy and also the correct dose please?
Kind regards
Judy Scrivener
My little dog is not in the best of health. She is showing some signs of cushings. She has gone for test after test. In a couple of weeks we will be taking her to a natural path . I,vet been reading your articles trying to give her some relief. When she lays down her belly is causing discomfort in breathing. We have just bought milk thistle and turmeric. I notice muscle wasting too. I keep looking for a change. Pets have a special place in our hearts and hurts when you can’t help them. Sorry to her of your loss of your black lab. Thank you for the postings.
The dosages for vitamin c and e, are those per 10 lbs of body weight also?