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Cushing's syndrome in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment

Cushing's syndrome, named after the person who originally discovered it, the American physician Harvey W. Cushing, can occur not only in humans but also in dogs.


In the following, you will learn about the possible causes of Canine Cushing's Syndrome, the symptoms it causes in affected dogs and how it can be treated.

The most important facts about Cushing's syndrome in dogs at a glance

  • Cushing's disease is a hormone disorder in which there is a permanent increase in the secretion of cortisol.
  • Cushing's syndrome in dogs can be caused by tumours or treatment with cortisone.
  • Female dogs and older dogs are more likely to have Cushing's disease than male dogs and young dogs.
  • Symptoms of Cushing's disease include skin and coat problems, muscle breakdown and susceptibility to infections
  • In the long term, Cushing's disease in dogs can also lead to diabetes and osteoporosis.
  • Treatment depends on the cause of the dog’s Cushing's syndrome and can be carried out, for example, with medication.
  • Dogs with Cushing's syndrome need a particularly easily digestible food.

What is Cushing's syndrome in dogs?

Cushing's syndrome, or Cushing's disease, is a hormone disorder. In dogs suffering from Cushing's syndrome, the adrenal cortex produces too much of the stress hormone cortisol, which in the long run leads to various complaints.

Triggers of Cushing's syndrome in dogs

Cushing's syndrome in dogs can have various causes. The trigger is often a tumour in the dog's pituitary gland, which controls the production of cortisol in the adrenal cortex by releasing the hormone ACTH. This is called pituitary Cushing's syndrome.


Occasionally, however, a tumour in the adrenal cortex can also be responsible for the increased secretion of cortisol and thus for the dog's Cushing's syndrome.


Another possible cause is the long-term treatment of the dog with cortisone in too high doses. In this case, it is the so-called iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome.


Can all dogs get Cushing's disease?

Cushing's syndrome occurs more frequently in the following breeds

In principle, Cushing's syndrome can occur in any dog, although it mainly affects older animals, and bitches are affected more often than males. In addition, some dog breeds have a genetic predisposition to Cushing's disease.

Cushing's syndrome occurs more frequently in the following breeds, among others:

Symptoms of Cushing's syndrome in dogs

The excessively high cortisol level is noticeable in dogs with Cushing's disease through a series of symptoms. Usually, the symptoms occur only sporadically at first and increase over time, although the actual symptoms may vary from animal to animal.


The gradual development sometimes makes it difficult to notice Cushing's syndrome in dogs promptly. Since the hormone disorder occurs especially in older animals, many dog owners consider the symptoms at the beginning to be quite normal accompanying symptoms of the ageing process.

If a dog becomes ill with Cushing's syndrome, it can cause the following symptoms, among others:

  • Severe thirst and frequent urination
  • Incontinence
  • Significantly increased appetite
  • Dull coat and hair loss
  • Tendency to develop various skin problems
  • Impaired wound healing
  • Degradation of the musculature
  • Fatty deposits on the abdomen
  • Fatigue
  • Conspicuous panting
  • Failure to come into heat
  • Reduction in the size of the testicles
  • Increased susceptibility to infections

Other consequences of Cushing's syndrome in dogs

In addition to visible symptoms such as skin and coat problems or an increased appetite, Cushing's syndrome can have a number of other consequences for dogs that are not obvious at first glance.


Since the permanently increased cortisol level leads to, among other things, changes in the bone structure, dogs with Cushing's disease tend to develop osteoporosis and thus more bone fractures. In addition, ligament tears occur more frequently in affected dogs.


Furthermore, dogs with Cushing's disease may develop an enlarged liver and diabetes. In some cases, potentially life-threatening thromboses also occur.

Diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in dogs

If you observe possible symptoms of Cushing's syndrome in your dog, you should not dismiss them as normal signs of old age. Instead, contact a veterinarian promptly to clarify the cause.


The veterinarian can examine your dog and check whether the symptoms are indeed caused by Cushing's syndrome. Diagnosis is often difficult and requires numerous tests to detect the excessive secretion of cortisol and to determine the cause.


In addition to blood tests, urine and ultrasound examinations can also be carried out as part of the diagnosis.

Treating dogs with Cushing's disease

The measures required for treatment depend on the exact test results or the trigger of Cushing's syndrome in your dog.


If it was caused by the administration of cortisone, this must be stopped. It is important that the administration is not stopped immediately, but that the dose is slowly reduced. This is because your dog's body first has to gradually get used to producing enough cortisol again. If your dog does not have this possibility, a cortisol deficiency will occur, which can be life-threatening in the worst case.


If Cushing's syndrome is caused by a tumour in the dog's adrenal cortex, your vet can check whether this can be surgically removed. However, this is not always possible.


As in the case of a tumour in the pituitary gland, treatment of tumours in the adrenal cortex is therefore often carried out with the help of drugs that suppress the production of cortisol.


If your dog is treated for Cushing's syndrome with medication, lifelong treatment is required. If this is the case, regular check-ups with your vet should be carried out with the help of blood tests to see if the dosage needs to be adjusted.

Diet for dogs with Cushing's syndrome

In addition to veterinary treatment, it is important to adjust the diet of a dog with Cushing's syndrome. The food for the four-legged friend should be as easily digestible as possible so that, among other things, the dog's liver is relieved.


For this purpose, we recommend our hypoallergenic dog food with insects. Our food containing the larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) has excellent digestibility.


It contains high-quality fats and easily digestible insect protein that provides your dog with all the essential amino acids they need. At the same time, your four-legged friend’s liver is not unnecessarily burdened, as fewer metabolic waste products are produced thanks to the food’s good digestibility.


Get to know Bellfor insect-based dog food.

Prognosis for dogs with Cushing's disease

If the Cushing's syndrome in your dog is recognised and treated in time, the chances are usually quite good that the therapy will be effective and that the four-legged friend will have quite a few good years ahead of them without any major restriction to their quality of life.

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