Test for Cushings?

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear about Thor's problems. The symptoms certainly sound like Cushing's disease. Dogs with cushing's will often pant a lot, drink more water than usual, have a very high ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and protein in their urine.

The tough thing with cushing's though is that it can be difficult to treat. With that being said, even if you weren't going to go ahead with treatment it is still a good idea to have the test done. If you know that this is Cushing's then you know what you can expect. Knowing this can help you make decisions when it comes to quality of life.

If this is not Cushing's then there are other possibilities but getting a diagnosis can be difficult. A liver condition can do this, but a liver ultrasound and biopsy would probably be needed to get a diagnosis.

There are some dogs that can have odd bloodwork changes like this and still have nothing seriously wrong with them. It's possible that the panting could be due to something like arthritis pain. If the Cushing's test came back negative then your vet may consider a trial of pain medication.

It's always hard making decisions when there is a financial burden.

If you have more questions, let me know.

Dr. Marie

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