Cushings

[Dana]

A friend's 13 year old small dog has been diagnosed with cushings. The vet said it is probably due to a tumor on the adrenal gland. Leo has been on a grain free diet his whole life. I suggested the first step would be to move to raw and think about ways to lower Leo's stress. I am looking for any other suggestions. Would you recommend consulting a homeopath at this stage? Are there other modalities that could help?

 

[Dr. Sara]

It is kind of you to help your friend with her dog.
A raw diet would indeed be of benefit. Some dogs with Cushings have digestive issues because of their high steroid levels, so a cooked diet may be a good intermediate step.
Constitutional and possibly symptomatic homeopathic treatment will be helpful. I have a number of Cushings patients who have done well, and have not needed conventional treatment.
There are herbal treatments as well, if your friend prefers a Western herbal or a TCVM approach, and the University of TN has a protocol using lignans and melatonin.

https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/vmc/dls/endocrinology/Documents/Treatment%20Considerations.pdf

This is further discussed here:

Vet Recommended Cushing's Treatment Options - Cushings In Dogs

Dr. Jack Oliver, DVM, former Head of Endocrinology at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine was one of the foremost authorities on adrenal disorders in dogs. Dr. Oliver developed the protocol for treating Cushing’s in Dogs with lignans and melatonin. He also provided...

cushingsindogs.com

I have seen some improvement from melatonin, less from lignans.
Your friend will need guidance from an holistic vet in analysing her options.
Stay well,
Sara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Dana, you're a good friend to help your friend and the pup with a Cushing's diagnosis.

Thanks as well for your helpful reply Dr. Sara. Have you ever used the lignans for life products?

Cushings Disease Treatment for Dogs | Shop Lignans for Life

Lignans are an effective, holistic option to treat Cushing's Disease in dogs. Lignans are a natural alternative to harsh medications. Shop today for your pup.

www.lignans.net

Dana absolutely a raw, or even just fresh food, diet, decreasing stress and increasing sniffing would help!

It might also be helpful for your friend to do research on Cushing's. 80% of these cases are not from a malignant tumor on the adrenal, but rather, over secretion of a hormone from the pituitary gland (in the brain) that stimulates the adrenal.

Has an ultrasound been done to look at the adrenals?

If your friend has not yet consulted an internist, I can highly recommend my friend Dr. Forman at Cornell in Stamford. He's a great internist, nice guy, and is holistically-oriented.

Marnin Forman | Cornell University Veterinary Specialists | Stamford, CT

www.cuvs.org

FYI, treatment for Cushings can lower quality of life more than the dis-ease itself. Advise your friend to focus on BEAM and not "Cushing's".

 

[lizkunz]

Dr. Forman is amazing! But I didn't realize he was holistically oriented. Should I be using him for major issues? I don't have any but I know how everything can seemingly be good one day and an emergency the next. (Of course I know it wasn't really ok.) Thanks!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Yes, he's wonderful!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi again, Liz. To elaborate on my thoughts about Dr. Forman:

He is an incredible diagnostician and clinician but is not trained in any specific holistic modality. His appproach may be strictly conventional, and he is great at what he goes, but he considers the whole pet during his evaluation and decision making.

He will recommend the safest and least invasive diagnostics and most current and least toxic of all medication.

So, he is strictly conventional but open minded and supportive.