Cushing's Disease Fact Sheet:

What is Cushing's Disease?

Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is an overabundance of the body's normal level of cortisone, which occurs when the adrenal glands become overstimulated. This increase in cortisone causes clinical signs such as increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, and excessive panting. Other clinical signs include muscle weakness, thin skin, poor healing, recurrent infections (urinary or other), and poor hair re-growth. More serious side effects of Cushing's disease are diabetes, infection, obesity, pancreatitis, and clotting problems. Overall, it is important to know that excessive levels of cortisone may cause pets to age more quickly and have a decreased life span.

How is Cushing's Disease treated?

Treatment for Cushing's disease entails a medication called Lysodren to decrease adrenal gland function. Typically, a loading dose of Lysodren is given to suppress the adrenal gland and gain more normal levels of cortisone as quickly as possible. During this induction period, you will give ___________mg of Lysodren once a day with a meal for _____________ days.

What should I look for during treatment?

During this time, it will be very important for you to provide us with daily progress reports. Most importantly, we need to know if there has been any change in appetite, thirst, energy, or panting. Other important signs would be decreased activity, vomiting, or diarrhea. Just as increased levels of cortisone can be dangerous, too little cortisone can be even more dangerous. Therefore, if you note any of the clinical signs listed above, call our office immediately and hold off on the next Lysodren dosage until you hear back from us.

Please note that some animals, like people, are very sensitive to even the lowest dosages of medications. If you note sudden weakness, lethargy, vomiting, or your pet just isn't right, STOP the Lysodren immediately and give us a call. If this happens, give a dosage of the Prednisone that we have already sent home with you and call us immediately. If you do not already have Prednisone, we will probably give you a dose that will help your pet through this potential crisis from a drop in cortisone level. It is always best to err on the side of caution and call when you have any questions regarding treatment.

When do I re-check?

Your pet will need to be seen on __________________________ for a re-check and an ACTH-stimulation test to assess response to Lysodren therapy. We will adjust the dosage of Lysodren based on these results.

Thank you very much for entrusting your pet to our care. It is our goal to help provide both you and your pet the longest and happiest life possible. Please feel free to call anytime with questions or concerns!

~ The Doctors and Staff of Leesburg Veterinary Hospital