Features

November 2011 Issue

By CJ Puotinen and Mary Straus

Girl, a Miniature Schnauzer with Cushing’s disease, is doing well with treatment, even after developing acute pancreatitis, which is a common problem for both her breed and her condition.

Diagnosing Cushing's in Dogs

Cushing’s disease is common in older dogs; diagnosis and treatment can be complicated.

Sometimes life-threatening illnesses develop so slowly that no one pays much attention. An older dog who’s always thirsty drinks huge quantities of water. He’s hungrier than usual and has developed a thin coat and pot belly. He pants all the time, and now his hind legs are losing muscle tone and getting weak. Many owners dismiss these as normal signs of aging, but they are classic symptoms of Cushing’s disease, which affects an estimated 100,000 dogs in the U.S. every year.

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