Diet for dogs with Cushing’s syndrome. Once the type of Cushing’s disease is diagnosed and identified, the animal should receive pharmacological treatment (with medications for life) or surgical (removal of the pituitary-dependent or adrenal tumor). Recommendations must also be followed to support the well-being of the dog through modifications in its diet.
The dogs with Cushing’s syndrome have an increased risk of diabetes, pancreatitis, infections of the urinary tract, high blood pressure, bladder stones, and heart failure congestive, so you must design a diet that avoids the dog gets to develop other health problems.
In dogs diagnosed with Cushing syndrome, the consumption of low-end foods should be avoided since they contain very high levels of fat, sodium, fiber, and purines, which can cause an adverse effect, aggravating the condition and symptoms of the disease. Disease. Calcium supplements should also be eliminated, as dogs with this disease are more prone to calcium oxalate kidney stones.
It is recommended to feed the dog with a specially formulated diet rich in highly digestible protein that, in addition, can boost the immune system of a dog weakened by this disease.
Taking into account, in addition, that dogs with Cushing’s syndrome can present possible urinary infections or secondary kidney disorders, a food formulated for kidney care is recommended. The Advance Veterinary Diets Renal range is a portion of high-quality dietary food, especially indicated to support the functioning of the dog’s renal system, as well as to prevent the formation of oxalate stones.
Food indicated for dogs with cushing’s disease
Once the presence of Cushing’s disease is confirmed in the dog, not only medication is essential, but also a correct diet.
Therefore, it is recommended to increase the intake of proteins that are highly digestible.
Proteins have significant functions in the dog’s body.
Modifying the dog’s diet will be vital to improve its health and have a good quality of life.
It is essential to know that if the dog has Cushing’s Syndrome, it can be prone to some diseases, and to avoid them; food will be of great help.
Some diseases are:
- Urinary infections.
- Diabetes.
- Pancreatitis.
- High blood pressure
- Have stones in your bladder.
- Congestive heart failure (the heart does not pump blood properly), among others.
When a dog has the disease, you should avoid foods high in:
- Grease.
- Sodium.
- Fibers and purines.
The presence of these elements in your food can aggravate the symptoms of Cushing’s disease.
For this reason, the change in their diet will be significant to care for the dog correctly.
Similarly, it is essential to eliminate some type of supplement that contains calcium from your diet.
This is because dogs with Cushing’s disease are prone to kidney stones.
Dog breeds prone to syndrome
As we mentioned before, this disease can affect any dog that is middle or old age, usually between 11 years and older.
Likewise, there is no distinction of race or sex. Any dog can have it.
For a dog to suffer from Cushing’s syndrome, the most common is that it is over the mentioned age or that it is given some type of medication that can cause an increase in cortisol in its system.
Because there is no specific breed that can suffer from the disease due to its genetics, adrenal hyperadrenocorticism is usually a little more frequent in large breeds and in females.
Although on some occasions, it could be said that endogenous Cushing Syndrome leans more towards the age and sex of the dog.
However, some breeds are more prone to the disease than others.
Some races are:
- Poodle.
- Dachshund
- Boston terrier.
- Bobtail.
- Maltese.
- Beagle.
- German shepherd.
- Boxer.
How can you recognize cushing’s syndrome in a dog?
In general, one of the most important signs to look out for when keeping a dog in the home is that the dog may start to ingest more water than usual.
This causes an increase in the need for the animal to urinate more frequently.
Almost always, when people go to veterinary clinics, they give a pre-diagnosis of the symptoms that the dog has, and the most common of the symptoms is that the dog urinates a lot and drinks a lot more water.
When the disease worsens in the dog, it is very typical to begin to notice that it loses weight, its general and physical state begins to be weaker, and therefore the mood decreases considerably.
These signs commonly appear slowly on the dog’s body and can be difficult to associate with Cushing’s disease.
Remember that these sudden changes are generally attributed to your advanced age.
If you have a dog at home and begin to develop some of these symptoms or sudden mood swings, you should go immediately to the vet; because this problem can have a significant impact on your health.
We are facing a syndrome that, if studied carefully to discover the cause, a specific treatment can be reached that can give more and a better life to dogs.
Meanwhile, the adopter must be attentive to their care with much love and responsibility.
Cushing’s syndrome in dogs. Feeding
Cushing’s syndrome in dogs can be classified into three types, depending on the cause that causes the increase in cortisol, hence the importance of identification for treatment. It may be due to:
- Pituitary gland tumor: ?? Hypophysis-dependent hyperadrenocorticism ??. The most common cause in dogs. The tumor causes the pituitary gland to overproduce the hormone ACTH, stimulating the adrenal glands to make cortisol. It can be benign or malignant and, depending on the size; different clinical signs may appear. If the pituitary tumor grows, it can affect the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms in the animal.
Cushing’s syndrome in dogs can be classified into three types, depending on the cause that causes the increase in cortisol, hence the importance of identification for treatment. It may be due to:
- Pituitary gland tumor: ?? Hypophysis-dependent hyperadrenocorticism ??. The most common cause in dogs. The tumor causes the pituitary gland to overproduce the hormone ACTH, stimulating the adrenal glands to make cortisol. It can be benign or malignant and, depending on the size, and different clinical signs may appear. If the pituitary tumor grows, it can affect the brain, resulting in neurological symptoms in the animal.
- Adrenal gland tumor: ?? Hyperadrenocorticism dependent adrenal ??. It can be benign ( adenoma ) or malignant ( carcinoma ). In the first case, surgical removal is the solution and cures the disease. If it is a carcinoma, surgery can help; but the prognosis is not very favorable.
Prolonged use of steroids: Excessive administration, both in high doses and in the long term, of steroids, in this case, it is called iatrogenic Cushing’s disease, is reversible when the medication is interrupted or reduced.
