Any experience of Cushings?

[Medievalist]

Our darling 12 year old Labrador has been panting a lot lately, but over the last week she's been having some increasingly excessive episodes. I've had to sleep downstairs with her the last few nights as she was getting in a state with it (she can't manage stairs anymore). Friday night was horrendous - she was awake for 5 hours straight overnight in a very agitated state with her panting. So yesterday morning our vet had her admitted to an animal hospital as an emergency.

Having spoken to them today, they suspect she is producing too much adrenaline which might be the result of a tumour. They're going to do a scan tomorrow. Of course I've immediately started googling and think this sounds like Cushings disease. She has the following symptoms -
Bouts of extreme panting and agitation
Perhaps hungrier than usual (if that's possible for a Labrador)
Hair on tummy is a bit thin
Wakes us up regularly to go out overnight so weeing more frequently (but I put that down to old age)
Tired and inactive - but she's 12 (13 in January) so I would expect that
I don't know if she's drinking more than usual as we have other dogs so difficult to monitor her intake

Does anyone have any experience of Cushings and able to tell me what to expect?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Cushings ( hyperadrenocorticism) is excessive production of cortisol. Usually this is diagnosed by dynamic blood testing - taking a blood sample injecting another drug then taking more blood samples at various times. There are several different protocols. An MRI scan may follow after that, but not routinely in the UK.
If it is Cushings it can be really well controlled by a once daily drug with regular blood testing.

[Medievalist]

That's good to know Lonecat. She's very precious to us. She's now of an age where we have to consider carefully the benefits of any invasive treatments for a dog of her advanced years. So I do hope it can be treated with medication.

[Mrswhirley]

My border terrier is 23 and was diagnosed with Cushing’s a couple of months ago. He was drinking excessively and needing to urinate frequently, having constant accidents in the house. He is currently on Vetoryl but unfortunately this has had absolutely no benefit to his symptoms and if anything they are much worse. He has to wear a nappy in the house at all times now and I am to with him 2-3 times a night.
We feel the medication has possibly exacerbated any underlying arthritis as his joints seem to have become much weaker particularly in his back legs, he no longer wants to go for walks.
I’ve heard lots of encouraging stories of dogs being well controlled on the medication this just doesn’t seem to be working for him.
I am actually going to contact the vet tomorrow regarding taking him off the tablets.
It’s all very sad... I absolutely adore my little man.

[Mrswhirley]

23!!!! I meant 13 I’m not sure where 23 came from!!!

[frankie246]

I was convinced my setter had Cushings but she didn't. She has an under active thyroid. She was panting more, inactive, coat had changed. Larger appetite. Drank more water.

[Piglet208]

Our westie had Cushings with similar symptoms. It took a while to diagnose as the results from the original tests were inconclusive. She ended up wearing a nappy. Once on vetoryl her symptoms were well controlled for nearly a year although she did get weaker. In the end she was found to have a large tumour on either her kidney or adrenal gland which most likely had caused the Cushings and this finally caused multiple organ failure. I hope medication works for your dog. It's very expensive and there are regular tests required but it can manage the symptoms well.

[woogal]

My dog had Cushing a and diabetes. My dog was wearing in the house, huge peed and that was with controlled sugars. He was unable to make it outside even though he tried bless him.