# Cushing Disease



## toriakd (Jan 27, 2012)

Any ideas on supplimenting with herbs, vitamins or minerals? Dog is 10 yrs old.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I'm so sorry to hear that. I have a friends whose dog had Cushings and it wasn't fun for anyone.

i have no suggestions, sorry. i don't think you feed raw so that's probably out.

Or do you?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

If you do, you might find this page interesting. I wish my friend had done this, or I had known more about a raw diet and could have suggested it.

Managing Cushings disease in dogs holistically | A Path With Paws


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## toriakd (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks...can't feed raw...unfortunately he does not do well with real food...he has a perpensity for pancreatitis as well...


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

toriakd said:


> Thanks...can't feed raw...unfortunately he does not do well with real food...he has a perpensity for pancreatitis as well...



It is a terrible thing for a dog to have Cushings. I hurt for you, and for your dog. he is so adorable i hate to think of him ill.

I would like to gently suggest you might re-visit the holistic way of feeding him. What I am reading seems to suggest that corn and grains are not good for dogs with Cushings.

this is from the Myths of Raw Feeding page. You might find it interesting:



> Pancreatitis.
> 
> Pancreatitis, kidney disease, and other diseases claimed to be linked to raw feeding are in the same boat as bacterial septicemia. What generally happens is that a) there are underlying factors, b) there is an underlying disease, and c) the raw diet brings these to light. With pancreatitis, it is typically kibble-fed dogs that suffer from it when they receive a fatty meat they do not usually get. It is also incredibly important to note that fat does not cause pancreatitis; excess fat is simply a trigger for pancreatitis and may start the cascade of effects in the pancreas. If ingesting a fatty meal triggers a bout of pancreatitis, then that is indicative of some other underlying problem with the pancreas (again, ask "Why this dog? Why now?" Not every dog that eats raw meat or high quantities of fat "gets" pancreatitis, so something about that particular dog indicates "susceptibility"); the pancreatitis itself is a symptom that the pancreas (and possibly other organs) are not well, because a healthy dog with a healthy pancreas will not suffer from pancreatitis. Surprisingly, many dogs that previously suffered from these diseases while eating kibble have dramatically improved since switching to a raw diet. Just wander around the Yahoo! Rawfeeding group and you will hear some amazing testimonials. Just the fact that kibble-fed dogs can also suffer horrific and deadly bouts of pancreatitis should be sufficient to show that this is not a 'raw feeding' problem, particularly when dogs with pancreas problems can be greatly helped from a raw diet (since it is easier to digest and actually places less demand on the pancreas). Can pancreatitis or kidney disease happen in a raw-fed dog? Yes, they could. All things are possible, particularly when one has no control over the kind of start the dog received in life (breeding, what the parents were fed, what the pup was fed, what vaccinations and wormers it received, etc.).


Myths About Raw: An Honest, Candid Conclusion


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

Is this a confirmed diagnosis? Just wondering as my Toby has atypical Cushings.


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## toriakd (Jan 27, 2012)

Thank you for the suggestion. I understand that Cushings is a tumor in the pituitary gland. Thanks to your post I am now aware that not a blood test alone can determine whether or not one has Cushings...I have been doing research of my own on this subject and the help from this Forum has been invaluable. Tedi has extreme separation anxiety. He is fine if I leave him at home...but...I can not leave him alone in the car to run into a speedy mart to grab a cup of coffee...I come back to a panting curled tongued dog having a panic attack....can you imagine what it is like to walk into a Vets...lol...he does not want anyone touching him or possibly even looking at him...lol...he became rather ill in Dec 2011 with vomiting and sever gas attacks so bad it actually made it impossible for him to raise his head and had to be in the hospital for 2 days...at that time the Vet did blood work and took X-rays. He is the second vet to tell me Tedi has an enlarged and round shaped liver. Tedi has a history of pancreatitis and almost died two years ago from a bout with Canine Bloat. In Jan 2012 Tedi was back at the Vet's for the same gas problem only this time he was vomiting and had diarrhea ...it was mentioned he might have Cushings disease. The test is rather expensive and I have been saving up to have it done. Again thanks to your post I have discovered a dog food other than raw that seems to be helping his bloating problems. Along with giving him a probiotic, 150 mg of milk thistle and the new dog food I do not need to burp him after feedings. I personally do not believe Tedi has Cushings...nor why the Vet suggested he might have it nor how it could affect his liver.


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

It could be atypical cushings, which is what Toby was diagosed with. I supplement with Sam-e, Milk Thistle, Melatonin and Flax Hull Lignans.


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## toriakd (Jan 27, 2012)

sorry looked up info...:wacko:


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## toriakd (Jan 27, 2012)

Flax Hull Lignans are an estrogen receptor and from what I have been reading could be good for breast tumors or possibly prostate cancer. They may also have a negative effect on other parts of the body while having a positive effect on what it is being used for...how would this apply to Cushings?


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

It's all about the lignans. The melatonin is mainly for hair loss. 



> Flaxseed Hulls with Lignans
> 
> Flaxseed
> 
> ...


I ordered from these guys:
Canine Cushings Disease Remedy

See study:
Cushings Treatment


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