Symptoms of Cushing’s Disease in Dogs

When your dog has an increased level of Glucocortiocoids in the body, there will be symptoms that are noticeable. Some of them will be slow progressing and that is why they are so often mistaken for nothing more than signs of aging. Others will be more aggressive. On average it can take up to six years from the onset of Cushing’s disease until they symptoms are severe enough for testing and then diagnosis to take place. The number of symptoms as well as the severity of them will vary from one dog to the next.

Some of the symptoms of Cushing’s disease are more common than others. Many owner’s find their dog consuming much more water than normal. Since each dog out there will have their own habits, that is something only an owner will readily recognize. Along with drinking more comes urinating more and that is understandable.

The amount of water that they increase can be twice as much to ten times as much so you will definitely be able to recognize such changes taking place. More than 85% of dogs with Cushing’s disease will show this symptom. Dogs that have been successfully housebroken for years may start to have accidents on a regular basis due to not being able to fully control their bladder like before.

An increase in appetite is common as well, as up to 80% of dogs with Cushing’s disease will have this symptom. If you aren’t giving them more food that before they will try to steal it from other pets you have. They may attempt to get into trash cans as well. This one is tricky because many dog owner’s attribute a healthy appetite to a healthy dog.

Pay close attention to the size and shape of your dog’s abdomen. If you see that it is enlarged that is a sign something isn’t right. More than 80% of dogs with Cushing’s disease do have an enlarged abdomen. Sometimes it isn’t significant enough though for you to notice. If your dog is eating more you may just assume that they are putting on some additional weight though.

Yet this is a sign you definitely want to watch out for with your dog. When the abdomen becomes enlarged, it is a key indication that fat is moving from one area to another. This means the muscle mass in that area is diminishing and you need to find out why. More hair loss that normal is also a sign of Cushing’s disease as is the skin becoming thinner. The statistics vary on this as some say half of dogs with the disease will have this symptom while others estimate it as high as 90%.

It is often the excessive hair loss though that comes to the attention of the dog’s owner. That is something they readily notice and it can cause them to worry about their dog. This is much more than just shedding, it is entire areas of the body losing the hair. It typically will start along the elbows, flanks, and the abdomen. If it isn’t looked at it, this will continue to progress to the rest of the body. When the skin becomes thin your dog won’t be as protected as it should be. Cuts and other injuries can be more serious and they will also take longer to heal.

There are some other symptoms of Cushing’s disease to be familiar with as well. They include panting more than usual, chronic urinary tract infections, and the inability to reproduce. Since you should know the behaviors of your own dog well, you will be able to recognize those that are out of the ordinary relatively easily. Rather that assuming your dog is just getting older though, you should talk to your veterinarian.