Thursday's issues -- Treating Cushing's Disease

Here is an excerpt from an email I get regularly from a Vet in Canada.  He is very knowledgeable about both medical and holistic care and he has a wonderful course you can take on his website.  This particular email talks about ways to help your pet when Cushing's disease is diagnosed or just a possibility.  Let me know if you find this useful and I will post other excerpts from his email here.

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A dog was recently diagnosed with as disease called
Cushing's Disease - He is producing excess cortisol
in his body.

In most cases this is caused by a Pituatary Adenoma,
but in 15% of dogs it is caused by an Adrenal Tumor.

This dog had EXCESS panting and pacing- he
could NOT settle down

Here is part of what's in my book:


SIGNS
Your older dog drinks and urinates excessively.
He has a distended, swaying belly. He has hair
loss and a sparse hair coat. His appetite may
be increased. He may pant often. He has been
tested for other causes of increased drinking
(including diabetes, kidney and liver disease)
and all tests have come back negative.

CAUSES
The disease is an overproduction of a hormone
(Cortisol) which produces the signs of excessive
 drinking and urinating. The most common cause
is due to a tumor on the pituitary gland (a
gland at the base of the brain). A small
percentage of cases are caused by a tumor on
the adrenal gland (a gland in the kidneys).
In some cases, pets can get all these signs
by being on steroids, such as prednisone. In
this case, the treatment is to wean the pet
off the drug.

SOLUTIONS

TO THE VET.  If your pet has some of the signs
of Cushing's (excessive drinking and urination)
then it is first important to rule out other
diseases. Your vet will check for diabetes,
kidney disease, and liver disease. A general
blood screen will be suggestive of Cushing's.
At this time, they may recommend further
screening tests and discuss traditional
treatment.

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Here is what worked GREAT for this dog:
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VALERIAN. High Cortisol levels will make your
pet feel anxious. Valerian is great at
decreasing anxiety levels. The dog dose is 1
drop per lb of body weight twice daily.

Here are some additional remedies...

ANTIOXIDANTS. In Cushing's, the cells are more
prone to injury from the high Cortisol levels.
The three most effective antioxidants are Vitamin
E, Vitamin C and Selenium. These are best given
in combination: give 100 IU of Vitamin E, 100 mg
of Vitamin C and 20 ug if Selenium per 10 lbs of
body weight daily.

FLOWER. Flower essences can also help to decrease
anxiety, such as panting. One to two drops of Bach
Rescue Remedy given twice daily may help calm your pet.

HERBAL:

GINKGO. This is a herb called Ginkgo Biloba. It has
been shown to reduce Cortisol production.
The dose of the tincture is one drop per lb of
body weight twice daily. The dried concentrated
extract is also available, give 3 mg per lb of
body weight daily.

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P.S. IF you are looking for a COMPLETE resource
of ALL of the specific At Home Remedies for Cushing's
Disease ( along with over 100 common dog diseases)
then get my manual here:

Helping Pets stay healthy and at home

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