Cushing's Disease Booklet

02 What is Cushing’s disease? Dogs with Cushing’s disease, or Hyperadrenocorticism, produce excessive amounts of hormones called glucocorticoids. This is caused by a small growth in the brain on the pituitary gland (pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism) or a growth on the adrenal gland in the abdomen (adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism). Both result in the body producing more of the steroid cortisol. Dogs with this condition are at increased risk of developing diabetes, infections in the urine, kidney or skin, bladder stones and blood clots in the lungs. However, good news! Cushing’s disease is treatable. Cushing’s disease is seen more commonly in middle aged to older dogs and can be mistakenly believed to be part of the normal aging process. It can occur in any breed of dog, but is more frequent in Poodles, Dachshunds and small terriers. This condition almost exclusively occurs in dogs. Uncover the signs of Cushing’s disease