My dog has diabetes and Cushing's. Is insulin needed if I treat Cushing's?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | neutered | 7 years and 11 months old | 23.3 lbs
Can a dog diagnosed with diabetes and Cushing's benefit by solely treating one or the other problem but not both? Blood sugar tested at 356..thinking diabetes but then Cushing's was added to the mix. Might the sugar be high because of the Cushing's and could it reduce if we only treated the Cushing's or is it necessary to give insulin injections as well?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 14th, 2017
Diabetes and Cushing's disease are caused by two different things, and both need to be treated. While you can see an increase in blood sugar when a dog has Cushing's, it's not as high as the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients. Gabe will need to be treated for both.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 18th, 2017
Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Pumpkin. Reading this causes me great concern. You should never give Insulin to a diabetic dog that won't eat. Insulin should always be given ONLY when a diabetic pet is eating. You run the risk of dropping her blood sugar to very dangerous levels. So NEVER give insulin if she won't eat. It's better for her to have a temporary high glucose than have a low blood glucose. Addisons disease and Cushing's disease are opposite of each other and certainly, either one could be possible. We do see diabetes and Cushings in the same patient and I have seen diabetes and Addisons in a few dogs. You are correct about Cushing's being associated with a ravenous appetite but when it's combined with diabetes, you may not see this. Also, if the dog gets really sick with Cushing's, a decreased appetite may be seen. So, only some lab tests would be able to differentiate between the two diseases as your vet has suggested. I would contact your vet as soon as you can to discuss this further. Obviously, something else is going on here that is affecting her appetite. And again, if she won't eat, do not give her insulin or you will end up going to the emergency vet if your vet isn't open.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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