Cushing's Disease - Teddy's Tale
By Dr Heather Matheson, DVM BSc
Balanced Paws Veterinary Care Ltd.
info@balancedpawsvet.com
Meet Teddy, a 12 year old Maltese. During Teddy’s yearly wellness exam Dr. Heather had a few concerns. Although Teddy’s weight was not too bad he appeared quite ‘pot-bellied’ and his liver felt enlarged. Worried about Cushing’s disease a comprehensive blood panel was done. Teddy’s blood indicated that his liver enzymes were 5 times higher than normal; an additional blood panel confirmed that Teddy did in fact have Cushing’s disease (also known as Hyperadrenalcortism).
Cushing’s disease is an increasingly common disease in older dogs. There are two different forms of Cushing’s. The first is a tumour in the pituitary gland in the brain. This tumour releases too much ATCH, a hormone which instructs the adrenal glands to produce excessive steroid. Eighty five percent of smaller dogs with Cushing’s disease have this form & this is the type that Teddy was diagnosed with. The second type of Cushing’s is a tumour based in the adrenal gland. The tumour does not listen to the normal feedback mechanisms of the body and produces too much steroid. This is the less common or atypical form and is more common in larger dogs.
The high levels of steroid Teddy’s body was producing caused his liver to work harder than normal, hence the dramatic increase in liver enzymes and the increase in his liver size. Excessive steroid will also decrease muscle mass and increase the formation of fat causing the ‘pot-bellied’ appearance. Other symptoms include increased hunger, increased thirst, atrophy of the hair follicles leading to hair loss and a suppressed immune system making the animal more susceptible to other diseases.
The typical treatment for Teddy’s type of Cushing’s disease is a drug called Lysodren which selectively kills off a portion of the adrenal glands. It is easy to give too much lysodren & easy to give not enough and often the side effects are quite bad. Also dosing is determined by a costly blood test that often has to be repeated numerous times.
Teddy’s Mom elected to take a more natural approach to treating Teddy’s Cushing’s disease, here is what we did.
- Teddy’s diet was changed from a commercial kibble to a homemade cooked diet with no carbohydrates. From a Chinese Medicine point of view Cushing’s disease is a combination of Spleen Qi deficiency and Damp heat. By changing to a non-processed food we are supporting the spleen & stomach and carbohydrates were eliminated because they contribute to the Damp Heat pattern.
- Teddy was started on 2 herbal formulas. Si Miao San works to change the pattern mentioned above and is directed at treating the Cushing’s disease itself. Ecliptex is a formula containing Milk Thistle (and numerous other herbs) which treats the elevated liver enzymes & enlarged liver.
Teddy’s follow up exam two months after starting the above treatment: Teddy’s liver enzymes have come down dramatically (from over 1000 down to 583), his pot-bellied appearance is starting to go away, his thirst has reduced to normal and his liver has decrease in size. Above all he is happy, has great energy and quality of life.
Teddy’s tale demonstrates the importance of those yearly wellness exams. Remember one year for us is seven years for our furry-family. Teddy would have been in rough shape in another 7-doggy-years with untreated Cushing’s disease.For an integrated veterinary assessment call
Balanced Paws Veterinary Care at (250) 871-4355
or email info@balancedpawsvet.com.
We are located at 2785C Mansfield Drive in Courtenay (across from the Air Park).
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