Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and recovery of steroid-induced Cushing's in 28 dogs
By Huang, H P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1999·Department of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism in 28 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 dogs developed symptoms of iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism, which is a condition caused by long-term use of corticosteroids. Owners noticed skin problems, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and lethargy in their pets. After stopping the corticosteroids, most dogs began to show improvement in about six weeks, with complete recovery taking around 12 weeks. Regular monitoring of their blood tests showed that their hormone levels returned to normal as they healed.
People also search for: dog skin problems after steroids · excessive thirst in dogs · dog lethargy treatment · corticosteroid withdrawal in dogs · dog frequent urination causes
Abstract
Twenty-eight dogs with iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism were studied. The most common clinical signs were cutaneous lesions (27/28), polydipsia (21/28), polyuria (19/28), and lethargy (16/28). The most predominant findings on biochemical profile were elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP, 15/28) and alanine transferase (ALT, 14/28); hypercholesterolemia (14/28); elevated aspartate transferase (AST, 12/28); and elevated triglycerides (12/18). Baseline cortisol levels of all 28 dogs were at the lower end of the reference range and exhibited suppressed or no response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation. The mean time for each dog to show initial improvement of clinical signs after corticosteroid withdrawal was six weeks, with another mean time of 12 weeks to demonstrate complete remission.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10333257/