Anyone had experience with this with their pet? Supposedly it can be controlled with trilostane, an adrenosurpressant. Just started my dog on it.

We fought it in our beagle for years. It finally got her, just laid down in her favorite spot in the yard and gave out, but she'd had a full life. 'Tore the wife up though 'cause we were gone on a trip at the time. The wife understands it more (RN) and the meds we were giving her, so I'll ask her and try to get back with you.

Here's what the wife said (correcting me somewhat, of course):
- It's like diabetes.
- The meds were expensive, but through the mail was better than the specialty vet clinic. ('Wish I owned one of those clinics!'Talk about a money machine.)
- The dog was constantly hungry and thirsty, always licking the floor (maybe just a beagle thing).
- She lasted 9 months to a year after diagnosis. (I thought this was a lot longer, but apparently I was mistaken. )

I know this didn't help much, but I hope your dog lives many more years. You might consider PMing one of the vets that post primarily on Africa Hunting.

My Chessie, Laddie had it. It is very expensive to treat as you have probably found out. He was on the treatment for a year and then just stopped taking it, even though we hid it in his favorite treats. I KNOW he was telling us it was his time, and so we had him put to sleep. He was a GOOD dog. It is not a cure. The persistent thirst is, I guess, on of the telltale signs. Of course, the treatments are much cheaper in other countries but hey, we don't want our pharmaceutical companies or specialty vets to starve to death, do we.
Good luck (and I mean that)!
Peter.

Thanks gentlemen. We thought it was diabetes at first but tests confirmed Cushings. The vet says Cushings is actually easier to manage than diabetes. He has been on the medication for a week now, seems a little better, not drinking as much, but also not eating well, still not himself. Really tough to watch, hopefully he will show more improvement.

With any luck your dog should live to a ripe old age. Cushing's is easily treated and other than the expense of the drugs relatively uneventful. In 40 years of treating Cushing's I've only had one dog have an "Addisonion crisis". It had to be while the owners were on vacation and they happened to find a new graduate who treated the dog appropriately.
The new drugs are much better than the old stuff which was a not too distant relative of DDT. It was fairly toxic and unpredictable as well as being Godawful expensive. $400 for 100 tabs and it only came in 100 tab bottles. Pharmacies in my area would not keep it because it went out of date before they used it.
I don't thin k I have ever seen a dog actually die of Cushing's itself but they do have problems with water consumption and urination. I did see one dog who had the skin signs but not other clinical signs and after discussing it the owner and I just watched him for any other signs. He never needed treating.
Good luck. It's not a death sentance.

It is treatable and newest therapies are much better. But, realize that the dog can't be a working dog anymore and the dog will be compromised for life. Secondary complications are common...shortened lifespan is normal. Tough break...enjoy the dog as long as you can...may surprise you with these new treatments.

So what is it or what the signs of Cushing's?

quote:

The persistent thirst is, I guess, on of the telltale signs.

Peter.

As I understand it, Cushings is a malfunction of the pituitary which fails to stimulate the kidney to produce cortisol. Cortisol helps helps regulate blood sugar levels, fat metabolism, muscle condition , kidney function, nervous system, cardiovascular health, and immune response. Usual signs sort of mimic old age...hair loss, weakness, lethargy, incontinence and such. My buddy's dog had it and treatment helped but the dog was compromised and died at age 7. I think treatment is much better now.

Cushing's is excess production of cortisol by the adrenal glands. It has primary adrenal and pituitry dependant forms. Most in dogs is pitutary dependant.
Addison's Disease is lack of cortisol production. JFK had it.

My german shepherd has Addison's, which is a lack of adrenal function. She is doing well with some steroids, but not quite what she used to be but she is starting to age anyway.