Any tips on distinguishing warning signs of Cushings from normal signs of aging?

[gefitlepez]

So my Aunt's poodle was just diagnosed with Cushing's and not having heard of Cushing's in dogs I spent 30 minutes reading up about it, which basically resulted in me making myself completely paranoid about my 9 1/2 year old Boxer girl, Haley.

I understand that the only way to diagnose Cushings is through a battery of different tests, but I am curious if anyone who has experience with Cushings can give me sense for the severity of some of the symptoms I read about.

I don't really think Haley has Cushings, but sometimes these things sneak up on you - especially from what I've, with a disease like Cushing's which can sometimes appear to be similar to normal aging.

Thanks in advance for indulging my almost certainly unfounded paranoia.

- Weight gain - Any way to really distinguish between normal weight gain with aging? The vet says that Haley is a healthy weight and looks good, but to my eyes she is noticeably flabbier around the belly than when she was younger. Is it fairly common for healthy aging Boxers to get a little bit fuller in the midsection?

- Lower energy/exercise intolerance - How low is low? Haley doesn't have as much energy as she used to, but I just chalked it up mellowing with age. She still does her full dancing, wiggling spinning and jumping routine when I get home, and I take her on at 3 mile runs at least twice a week. Is that something that a Cushing's affected dog could achieve?

- Drinking a lot - how much is a lot? I haven't noticed much difference there, but again, sometimes over time these things sneak up on you.

- Accidents in the house - Haley has always had the occasional accident in the house (like once every 3-6 months approx), but she is sometimes home alone for as long as 10 hours while we are at work and has no problems holding it the vast majority of the time. How frequently do dogs with Cushing's have accidents?

- Increased appetite - How evident is this, typically? Again I think it seems the same, but sometimes she tries to steal my puppy's food if she finishes before him, and she will occasionally paw her dish, but almost always only if we haven't yet fed her in the evening.

- Hair loss/prickly hair - no hair loss and her hair seems to be no more bristly than I can ever recall. Her head is still nice and velvety

Biggest warning signs with Haley are a little bit of a belly, energy level lessening somewhat over the past few years, and I guess a small lipoma (nickle sized) on her right side. Other than that nothing I can specifically point to.

Again, thanks everyone in advance for indulging my paranoia about this.

 

[trc4941]

Rocco was diagnosed with Cushing's about a month ago - he turned 9 in April. We also chalked up his symptoms to old age at first. I finally started looking into it when his water intake, peeing and panting seemed out of control. he was drinking over 1-1/2 gallons of water per day. He would leak urine when he was sleeping and if he wasn't sound asleep he was panting. I did some research on those symptoms alone and came across Cushing's. When I read the rest of the symptoms, it all fell into place.
-He had lost his boxer figure of a small waist - he now had a pot belly
-He always had allergies that caused him to chew on his feet all the time - that had mysteriously disappeared
-Early in April he had a lump removed from his tail - by late May the fur still hadn't grown back on the shaved areas
-When I petted his head it felt bonier than before
-Rocco would always finish his bowl of food and then be done with it - he now would finish his food and then stand by his dish and whine like he wanted more
-He would lay splayed out on the floor like he was hot
-He rarely jumped up on the furniture anymore
-We would go on 2 brisk two mile walks every day - I could now barely get him to walk 1/2 mile...slowly
-The panting was so bad at night that I would wear earplugs so I could sleep
-He'd have to wear a diaper at night. One evening I heard him whine and thought that he was upset that I had closed up the toilet (his drinking trough!) for the night, but he was crying because he had to pee and I ignored him. He suddenly let loose a stream of pee that sounded like an elephant! That was the only accident he ever had, because we would always try to put him out immediately after he drank and because at night he'd wear his diaper which would usually be wet in the morning.

We have started treatment and most of the symptoms have abated. It's a lengthy and expensive process, but it has been well worth it to see him almost back to his old self in less than a month.

So from what you've described I don't think it's Cushing's. I'm not a professional, so if you have any doubts, please see a vet. Good Luck

 

[gefitlepez]

I'm so sorry to hear about Rocco, I'll be sending out healing vibes for him. It's really wonderful that we have this community of Boxer lovers to advise, support and console us. Thanks for taking my question seriously as well, you gave me a ton of good information. Even though I am likely just being paranoid, with this breed, once they hit 8, 9, 10 and on, it seems as if all bets are off health wise, so I really try to take nothing for granted. Fortunately Haley is a healthy girl, but every little thing freaks me out these days. I'll keep my eye on it, but sounds like she's just put on a few a old lady pounds.

All my best to you and Rocco!

 

[Gatorblu]

- Weight gain - Any way to really distinguish between normal weight gain with aging? The vet says that Haley is a healthy weight and looks good, but to my eyes she is noticeably flabbier around the belly than when she was younger. Is it fairly common for healthy aging Boxers to get a little bit fuller in the midsection?

- Lower energy/exercise intolerance - How low is low? Haley doesn't have as much energy as she used to, but I just chalked it up mellowing with age. She still does her full dancing, wiggling spinning and jumping routine when I get home, and I take her on at 3 mile runs at least twice a week. Is that something that a Cushing's affected dog could achieve?

- Increased appetite - How evident is this, typically? Again I think it seems the same, but sometimes she tries to steal my puppy's food if she finishes before him, and she will occasionally paw her dish, but almost always only if we haven't yet fed her in the evening.

Biggest warning signs with Haley are a little bit of a belly, energy level lessening somewhat over the past few years, and I guess a small lipoma (nickle sized) on her right side. Other than that nothing I can specifically point to.

Again, thanks everyone in advance for indulging my paranoia about this.

Of the symptoms you listed, with the exception of the accidents, you are also talking about low thyroid or hypothyroidism. It can weaken the immune system so things like lipomas are more likely to show up.

 

[Barkley]

The Cushing's symptoms that most often result in a vet visit are voracious appetite, excessive drinking/peeing (usually to the point of accidents in the house), and hair loss. Sounds more likely to me that you are dealing with general symptoms of aging or, as mentioned, possibly a thyroid problem. Based on the symptoms you listed, along with their relative severity (or lack thereof, fortunately, in some cases:D), I might think about getting the thyroid checked or I might just wait and watch. Hypothyroid is very, very frequently misdiagnosed, though (yeah...voice of experience on that one), so I would caution you to make sure they do a test that includes more than just t4 (t4, free t4, and TSH; or else a full panel). As for Cushing's, if you do decide to take your baby in for a check-up, there's an easy, inexpensive urine test called a UC:CR that can be done to (mostly) rule out Cushing's. If the urine doesn't have excessive cortisol in it, then it's highly unlikely your pupster has Cushing's. If it does, that's when you get into the expensive "battery of tests" you reference (also the voice of experience, unfortunately!).

Hope this helps!

Best,
Jenn

PS If you did decide on the UC:CR for peace of mind, I'd recommend collecting the urine at home, first potty of the morning, for three days, then pooling the samples for the most accurate test. If not, then at least take the sample from one day, first thing in the morning, at home. Cortisol levels escalate with stress, so if they get a sample while you're at the vet, it could trigger a false positive and send you off into the realm of unnecessary, expensive tests.

 

[Barkley]

PS Particularly at this age (ours are 8.5, 9.5) there can be a fine line between paranoia and vigilance. I think you're being a great puppy parent!!!

 

[Barkley]

OY. It just occurred to me I didn't really finish my initial thought about appetite/water consumption. What I meant to convey is this...factor in that everyone has different levels in the observation of and tolerance for their pets' behaviors, so in order for those two symptoms to be the most common cause for vet visits regarding Cushing's, the symptoms tend to be on the more severe side, or else people either wouldn't notice or would just shrug it off. Jordan's appetite was absolutely heartbreaking, if that gives you an idea. He was to the point of eating even non-food items, and I'm not just talking about your occasional tasty Kleenex or whatever...on our walks, he was absolutely desperate for whatever he could find to eat, whether it be tissues, horse biscuits, and sometimes even rocks. Again...I'm not talking the occasional transgression, which most dogs have because, hey...who can resist a tasty horse biscuit, right? I'm talking about a desperate, nose-to-the-ground search through our entire walk, looking for the next thing he could shovel into his mouth. Based on what you've listed in your symptoms, this doesn't sound like what you're seeing. Hope that helps!

 

[trc4941]

I'm so sorry to hear about Rocco, I'll be sending out healing vibes for him. It's really wonderful that we have this community of Boxer lovers to advise, support and console us. Thanks for taking my question seriously as well, you gave me a ton of good information. Even though I am likely just being paranoid, with this breed, once they hit 8, 9, 10 and on, it seems as if all bets are off health wise, so I really try to take nothing for granted. Fortunately Haley is a healthy girl, but every little thing freaks me out these days. I'll keep my eye on it, but sounds like she's just put on a few a old lady pounds.

All my best to you and Rocco!

Thank you so much for your wishes. Rocco is doing great - within a week of beginning his treatment, he made such a huge turn around - it was truly amazing. Like you said, it's great to have the Boxer Board to go to when you have questions and concerns.

 

[Holden's Mom]

My Petey had both hypothyroidism and Cushings. Test first for hypothyroid. If the test is positive, meds help almost immediately. Cushings symptoms are increased thirst and urination, and I mean really increased. Also increased appetite, and agaiin truly out of sight appetite. Petey unwrapped Christmas gifts of dog treats under the tree, opened them and ate every cookie. He ate from the cat litter box. All this was very abnormal for him.

Pam and Autry

 

[gefitlepez]

Thanks again for all the great advice everyone!