Companion Animal Cushing Disease Welfare

Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing disease) causes significant welfare harm in dogs through muscle weakness, skin problems, and behavioral changes. Treatment significantly improves quality of life.

Key Facts

Canine Cushing disease is most common in middle-aged to older dogs with poodles and dachshunds overrepresented
The condition causes pot-bellied appearance, excessive thirst, hair loss, and muscle weakness
Trilostane treatment effectively controls Cushing disease in most dogs with significant quality-of-life improvement
Cushing disease can mask other conditions making comprehensive diagnosis important before treating symptoms alone

Welfare Considerations

Cushing disease welfare spans the chronic discomfort of uncontrolled disease through the recovery enabled by effective treatment. Dogs with uncontrolled Cushing experience muscle weakness that limits movement, skin fragility, and constant thirst from excess cortisol. Treatment with trilostane dramatically improves these welfare-compromising signs in most dogs. Owner recognition and prompt veterinary assessment are the rate-limiting steps for this highly treatable condition.

What You Can Do

Monitor middle-aged and older dogs for Cushing disease signs including pot-bellied appearance and excessive thirst
Seek veterinary diagnosis for dogs showing multiple signs of Cushing disease rather than attributing them to normal aging
Maintain prescribed trilostane treatment consistently and attend monitoring appointments as scheduled
Discuss quality-of-life assessment with your veterinarian to track treatment benefit over time