06/08/2026
today goes to this wonderful boy, Charlie. Charlie is always a friendly senior man, bouncing his way to us in the parking lot, and an all around good boy. Today we were so lucky to spend the day with Charlie. He came in early this morning for a Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression test (LDDS), wow that's a mouthful, which is an 8 hour test where we are looking for potential Cushing's Syndrome.
What is Cushing's Syndrome?
In short, Cushing's is typically caused by a tumor on the pituitary or adrenal glad that release a hormone resulting in the over production of cortisol.
That's still a lot, so let's focus more on some of the clinical symptoms; like an increase in drinking and urinating (possibly even incontinence and chronic UTI), excessive panting (even at rest), potbelly, increased appetite, decrease in muscle mass, lethargy, hair loss, and skin problems (chronic infections).
There are also values in the preventative blood work (our adult or senior panels) that can give us some potential precursors before your pet becomes clinical.
So why do we treat?
Untreated, Cushing's syndrome can lead to many other health problems, that can be lifelong treatments for your pet. Some of these health issues are diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, pancreatitis, gallbladder infection and inflammation, kidney and urinary tract infections, high levels of protein in the urine (causing kidney damage), and even blood clots in the lungs.
By getting the right testing you can diagnose, our rule out, Cushing's Syndrome. It is not a viable disease, but with the right medications/ treatment on board, your pet can still have a great quality of life and spend more time with their family.
Happy to our handsome senior boy, Charlie!
