What are the signs of Cushing Syndrome?
• Increased thirst • Increased appetite • Increased urination • Pot bellied appearance • Loss of top-line muscle. • A thick wavy hair coat in the summer – failure to shed the winter coat. • Chronic laminitis. • Lethargy How is the disease confirmed? The test regime we now recommend is to measure endogenous ACTH, cortisol, insulin and glucose from venous blood samples at 0900 hours before the morning feed and in a quiet environment. This is a simple test to use, although the blood cells have to be separated from the plasma and the sample kept frozen prior to testing. This test does not run the risk of inducing or worsening laminitis following the administration of a corticosteroid. It will differentiate between pituitary dependent Cushing’s cases and those animals with obesity related laminitis. Is it treatable? There are a number of treatments available for the treatment of Cushing’s disease. The principle behind each treatment is very similar. Each treatment is life-long. Within the b
