When should a dog have adrenal estrogen/sex-hormone levels tested?
Initially it was recommended that SARD dogs have an adrenal hormone panel run once lifestyle changes had been implemented. More recently it’s become clear that SARD dogs are already in adrenal fatigue within a week or two of blindness. So it is beneficial to test and treat SARD dogs for adrenal exhaustion at the time of diagnosis. An adrenal panel is distinctly different than typical Cushing’s tests because it measures adrenal estrogen. If estrogen levels are high, it is suggestive of adrenal exhaustion. Prompt treatment not only addresses the underlying adrenal problem but also restores some vision in more than 20% of cases. Dogs other than SARD dogs can suffer from adrenal exhaustion, too.
