What You Need To Know

Cushings disease occurs when your pet’s body is producing excess cortisol, a hormone that helps their body respond to stress, control his weight, fight infections, and keep his blood sugar levels in check.  Since this stress hormone is key in controlling many important body functions you can expect symptoms in each of the areas that cortisol helps to control. I will discuss more of the symptoms in the sections called Tell Tail Signs.

AKA, Also Known As:

Cushing Disease is also known as hypercortisolism and hyperadrenocorticism

Did Stress cause Cushings Disease in my pet?:

No. The increased cortisol production can be related to the following disorders:

1.  excessive stimulation of the adrenal glands by the pituitary gland, usually as a consequence of a pituitary tumor (pituitary origin)
2.  the unregulated production of cortisol by the adrenal glands (adrenal origin)
3.  occasionally, administration of steroid-containing medications may result in the development of Cushing's disease (iatrogenic origin) such as corticosteroids like prednisone

Types of Cushings Disease

Cushings disease can involve two glands in the body, the adrenal gland and the pituitary gland. Therefore the types of Cushings involve both those glands