October 13th, 2011
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Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is a common but not necessarily fatal condition in older dogs. Its symptoms of hair loss, weight gain, frequent urination, and lethargy are often mistaken for simple aging.
Left untreated, secondary symptoms include an increasingly bony and angular shape to the head and crusty bumps on the skin, so act fast if you see early warning signs. Depending on the cause, treatment can include medication and/or surgery that will restore a better quality of life for your pet. Please have sudden, severe signs of aging checked out. Helen Fazio and her dog, Raja, are world travelers. Click here to visit their blog, and click here to follow them on Twitter. |
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Cushings is very treatable in most cases and not treating, is not an option. There is a great support community at http://www.k9cushings.com
They helped us through our journey with the disease.
Unfortunately, my sweet Roxy was diagnosed with Cushing’s too late, after she had been subjected to unnecessary tailbone and hip surgery. She was a rescue, so we could only guess as to her age, and we’d had her for 8 years before she got sick. Also, she’d always had something of a limp due to some pre-us injury, so in fairness to the several vets who saw her, it was easy to mis-diagnose as arthritis, a bone spur (that she apparently had always lived with) and general aging issues.
I STRONGLY recommend dog people make themselves familiar with the early warning signs…this is one that goes overlooked far too often.
Great tip. So many things get dismissed as signs of aging. It is always a good idea to look for actual medical causes instead.
I have a blonde yorkie puppy he is 5 months old since he was 2 months old he holds his right rear leg up alot he dont when he runs and he is very fast i had the vet check it a couple months ago she said it was fine it would heal in a month or so maybe a pulled musle but its stayed the same except when he is running any suggestions i will post his pic soon!!! Gizmo cuz he looks like Gizmo the gremlin Thanks