Tag Archives: cushings

Is Your Pet’s Water Bowl Half Empty? Disorders of Water Drinking

cat drinking water
A common reason pet families bring their pets to the veterinarians at the Animal Medical Center is an increase in water consumption, or polydipsia in doctor speak. If the pet family doesn’t mention water consumption, the veterinarian will usually ask about any changes in water drinking habits. In today’s post, I outline some of the

Cushing’s Disease in Dogs

A dog with cushing's disease
Recently, two of my patients needed testing for a possible diagnosis of Cushing’s disease, a.k.a. hyperadrenocorticism. Named after Harvey Cushing, the famous neurosurgeon who first described the disease in humans, Cushing’s disease results from excess production of steroids by the body. In dogs, we recognize two major forms of this endocrine disease: a pituitary form

Adrenal Gland Yin and Yang

Two puppies
Last week was a big week for adrenal gland disorders at The Animal Medical Center. Not one, but three dogs were admitted by The Animal Medical Center’s 24-hour Emergency Service with a diagnosis of Addison’s disease, or hypoactivity of the adrenal gland. Additionally, I evaluated two of my patients for adrenal gland hyperactivity, or Cushing’s

Diabetes: A Serious Disease for You and Your Pet

A dog drinks water
November is American Diabetes Month. According to the American Diabetes Association, a person is diagnosed with diabetes every 17 seconds, and annually the disease kills more Americans than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Diabetes also affects dogs and cats, but there are differences in the manifestations of the disease between the species. My patient Charity