My 11-year-old dog has Cushing's. Is he suffering? What's his outlook?

Question

My dog was diagnosed with Cushings. He is 11 years old. Now they are going to do the ultrasound to see if there is a tumor. My question is, can he die from the disease even with treatment? And is he suffering or in pain? Right now he is getting a lot of rest and he also has a slip dic in his neck. So he is recovering from that. He is now feeling better and such a happy dog. I can't tell if he is in pain now. I just want the best for him and not to suffer. I am so torn because of his age. Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Male | neutered | 10 years and 11 months old | 10 lbs

Emily Luisana DVM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry to hear this and I know how hard it can be to tell if your pet is having a good quality of life. The three big things I look for are: 1) Good appetite 2) Comfort level- are they moving around on their own, able to posture to urinate/defecate well, using the stairs, able to rise and lay down easily. If not- would medications or other therapies help? Also, with neck pain- can they eat/drink from their bowls well? 3) Are they still doing the things that make them 'them'- whether it be greeting you at the door, wanting to take walks, whatever it is that makes their personality unique. To answer your specific questions- the term 'tumor' can be scarab, but Cushings can be a disease managed without a loss of comfort, although it may take management- Eg checkups to make sure they don't have urinary infections or skin infections. I would certainly be concerned about any neck pain and want to ask your vet if any therapies would help improve their comfort. I hope this helps!

My 11-year-old dog has Cushing's. Is he suffering? What's his outlook?

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