My dog tested negative for Cushing's years ago. When to retest?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Bichon Frise | Female | spayed | 11 years and 3 months old | 21 lbs
If a dog has tested negative for Cushings disease, do they need to be tested again? The tests were several years ago. Thank you.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 10th, 2017
I would recommend it if she were showing signs. Though she wasn't years ago, she could be now. Signs include increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite, a pot belly appearance and panting. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 8th, 2018
Hi there. Cushing's disease can be difficult to diagnose in some cases, unfortunately. I would agree that Kelly's symptoms sound very suspicious for this problem, so it would be a good idea to pursue additional testing to try and get a diagnosis, if you can. If the initial blood test (probably a low-dose dexamethasone test?) was normal or inconclusive, then you could consider an ACTH stim test (a different type of blood test), a urine cortisol/creatinine ratio, or an abdominal ultrasound as the next logical step. I usually use the ACTH stim test as my second test if the low-dose dex test is negative and we're still suspicious, but an ultrasound would also be reasonable as the second test if your vet is skilled at doing this.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Spayed Golden Retriever age 13 on Levothyroxine .5mg 2x daily. Symptoms of Cushing.Asymmetrical hair loss, excessive panting, lethargy, Cushing blood test negative, cbc negative. Vet wants to do ultrasound because he feels she has Cushing. What wo
Hi there. Cushing's disease can be difficult to diagnose in some cases, unfortunately. I would agree that Kelly's symptoms sound very suspicious for this problem, so it would be a good idea to pursue additional testing to try and get a diagnosis, if you can. If the initial blood test (probably a low-dose dexamethasone test?) was normal or inconclusive, then you could consider an ACTH stim test (a different type of blood test), a urine cortisol/creatinine ratio, or an abdominal ultrasound as the next logical step. I usually use the ACTH stim test as my second test if the low-dose dex test is negative and we're still suspicious, but an ultrasound would also be reasonable as the second test if your vet is skilled at doing this.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Crushing disease symptoms for dogs particularly mine?
Typical signs of Cushing's disease in dogs are as follows: increased thirst and urination, increased appetite, less activity, thin skin, hair loss, excessive panting, possible recurrent skin infections, new pigmentation on the abdomen or comedones (blackheads). If you suspect your dog may have Cushing's disease, you need to make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam and some blood tests.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
The vet put our dog on denamarin and pretty much indicated that there was really not anything we could do. She did say it was adrenal. Could you please provide your thoughts. She has a distended stomach, extreme thirst and hunger, whining, constant u
My biggest concern is that your vet is talking about hyperadrenocorticism also known as Cushing's disease. This is what I think of when you discuss those symptoms, liver enzyme elevations and adrenal issues. Cushings is where they produce too much cortisol in their system. You can do a test to rule this in or out. You can have your vet do a low dose dexamethasone test OR a ACTH stimulation test. If it comes up positive then you can treat with the disease with a daily medicine called trilostane to help the symptoms. But you cannot cure cushings. I hope this helps and will help guide you in a conversation with your vet if this is actually what your vet thinks is going on.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi there. My dog was diagnosed last year with a tumor on his pituitary gland, which caused him to get Cushing disease and calcinosis cutie. We have him on Vetroyl. But his symptoms just keep getting worse, constant peeing, eating, isn’t sleeping or
Poor Nemesis. Sometimes pets will need the medication adjusted. I recommend to call your veterinarian and ask if another test is needed to evaluate the blood levels in his body. The test is called an ACTH stimulation test. It has been found that 50% of dogs with Cushing’s disease will also have a urinary tract infection that can only be detected with a urine culture. I recommend to have this test done as well as this will cause constant drinking and urination. Other conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes or kidney disease can also cause these signs. You must start ruling them out. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
I have a 10 year old shitzu. Some of his symptoms are panting, increasing hunger, increased thirst, bites/licks paws, he also had a seizure for the first time. Do you think it is possible he may have cushings disease? Thank you.
Some common symptoms of Cushings's are panting, increased thirst/urination, but these are also common symptoms of many diseases. Bloodwork and endocrine testing can help to ferret that out. Neurologic symptoms can sometimes be present with Cushing's if there is a larger tumor in the pituitary gland but seizures can also be caused by other things as well so an MRI is typically required. CT can sometimes be used if a pituitary mass is strongly suspected. Itchy feet is typically caused by allergies which may also be associated with secondary infection. Next steps are to see your vet for an exam, bloodwork, and endocrine testing. Abdominal ultrasound and blood pressure measurement are also typical next steps. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I think my dog has cushings , is it syndrome? Heavy panting, restlessness, thirsty .... i cant see the vet until Monday, is there anything i can do to help her or should i get to an ER ..It si 30 miles away and I dont want to stress her more. Please
Cushing’s syndrome (if that is indeed what she has), is rarely an emergency. Many dogs have had the disorder for months (or years) prior to diagnosis. However, diabetes can have very similar signs and that is more of a concern. If she has lost weight, or if she is not eating then I would recommend an emergency veterinarian to make sure she is not diabetic and starting to Decompensate. I also notice that she is not spayed. Pyometra is a uterine infection that usually starts with increased water intake, But they usually progress to not feeling well soon. Some of these dogs also have vaginal discharge and typically occurs 6 weeks or so after last heat cycle. If she is eating well and seem fine otherwise then waiting until Monday seems appropriate to me. If possible try to take a urine sample with you to your veterinarian appointment. Best of luck and I hope she does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog has many of the symptoms of Cushing's disease (increased panting, obesity, frequent ear & urinary tract infections, and lack of energy), but she's had these symptoms since she was a puppy. The urinary tract infections began when she was around
Although it is more rare to see Cushing's disease in a younger dog it is definitely still possible. I have definitely diagnosed Cushing's in a dog at this age, however it is still pretty uncommon. There are other possible causes of increased drinking and the other signs you've described so I think a veterinary visit is the best place to start. Instead of jumping right into a Cushing's work up I'd suggest starting with some baseline blood work, a thyroid level and a urine check. This will rule out some other potential causes and make it more clear if Lola should be checked for Cushing's disease. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco and good luck to you and Lola!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Does an ALKP level of 2,000, an ALT of 135, Sodium 165, Lymphacyte .82, HCT 7, MCV 44,74, MCHC 28.4, PLT 581, PCT .52 cause you to suspect Cushings Disease? Our sweet Riley has been taking Apoquel for over a year, and Fluconazole for Valley Fever for
Riley is a beautiful dog! And elevated ALP is suspicious of Cushings but not definitive for it. Cushings is a diagnosis based on blood work AND clinical signs. The signs are a pot belly appearance, hair loss on the sides of his abdomen and hips, panting, increased appetite, increased drinking, and increased urination. If you aren't seeing these other signs, it may be unlikely she has it. The elevation could be caused by the medications she's on. I hope that helps! Kisses to Riley!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 13 year old miniature schnauzer was diagnosed with cushins disease a few months ago. We have to take her every 3 weeks for this very expensive blood work. She has also been given some trilostane. Both are not covered by our dogs plan. My question
Hi there and thank you for posting your question. The medication used to treat Cushing's disease can cause some pretty serious problems if not monitored appropriately. Unfortunately, the blood testing to monitor Cushing's is expensive. For the first two to three months I will perform this particular test called the ACTH test to monitor the response to treatment and to make sure that the medication is not causing the reverse problem called Addison's disease. If the dog is well regulated I might spread out the blood test to once every 6 months to ensure that the values are regulated. Of course, this is something that you will have to discuss with your veterinarian who is ordering this blood test up every few weeks. Every doctor is different with how they monitor their patients, so not all of us will recommend the exact same plan for every patient. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog was given a blood test to check for Cushing's disease and it came back that she needed more tests and she's booked in for an ultrasound. whatever they tested for, it came back very high which indicated cushions. I think the level had to be
Cushing's or Hyperadrenocorticism is a fairly common endocrine disease in dogs. It can be caused by a bit of overactive tissue in the brain (in the pituitary gland, which is the master ruler of hormone secretion in the body) or a mass in an adrenal gland (sits by the kidneys, secretes hormones as directed by the pituitary gland). Basically what happens is an excess of a hormone in the body, usually a steroid called cortisol, if it is traditional Cushing's. This then causes some symptoms in the pet, blood work changes, and sometimes other changes like high blood pressure. I suspect based on the value that you report that this was a liver enzyme elevation call ALP. This very commonly occurs in pets that have Cushings, but is not specific for Cushing's and elevation can be caused by other disease processes. This value does not correlate with severity of disease as many dogs have a high value. It sounds like your vet is on the right track by recommending an ultrasound to look at the adrena
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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