Content
- What is Cushing's syndrome?
- Cushing's syndrome symptoms in cats
- Diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome
- Cushing's syndrome treatment
Cats are animals that are generally in good health, although this is not to say that any signs that might indicate a problem should be ignored, as early diagnosis is essential for any recovery. Among these possible diseases, there are from the most common to rarer ones, but which is equally necessary to know in case your cat suffers from them. That's why in this PeritoAnimal article we'll talk about Cushing's syndrome in cats, its symptoms and treatments.
What is Cushing's syndrome?
Also called feline hyperadrenocorticism (FHA), it is a serious illness but rare in cats, caused when the hormone cortisol is excessively accumulated in the blood. This excess can have two causes: a tumor located in the adrenal glands, which is called Cushing adrenal, or a tumor in the pituitary.
In cats it usually appears more often when the animal is medicated with steroids or when suffering from diabetes. However, it is still a very uncommon condition, of which there have been few cases and whose treatment is still under study. It occurs mainly in adult and old-age cats, being more prone to short-haired crossbreeds, especially females.
Cushing's syndrome symptoms in cats
The symptoms vary from one feline to another and they can be confused with other diseases, for which an adequate diagnosis will be necessary. However, the most common are:
- Frequent and abundant urination.
- Excessive thirst.
- Appetite.
- Lethargy.
- Abdominal swelling.
- General weakness.
- Hair loss, especially on the body.
- Prone to appear bruises.
- Thin and fragile, brittle skin.
- Breathing hard.
Diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome
Confirming the disease is a little complicated and requires several studies that must be carried out gradually:
- First of all, it will be necessary multiple blood and urine tests, with a few hours in between. Therefore, it is possible that the cat will have to stay in the hospital for a few days to carry out the tests.
- Meet the feline clinical history it is essential to detect possible problems due to medications or tendency to certain diseases.
- Studies such as radiographs, X-rays to observe the state of the liver, MRIs, suppression tests and ACTH stimulation tests are necessary to reach a definitive diagnosis.
Cushing's syndrome treatment
First, it must be based on the elimination of tumors that cause the syndrome. Both adrenal and pituitary tumor removal are delicate operations with a high risk rate.
To avoid surgery, it is often preferable to treat tumors with different drugs, such as metyrapone. However, this rare disease still does not have a definitive treatment, and many cats do not respond satisfactorily to medications or do not survive surgery.
In case the cat uses medications that contain corticosteroids, these must be discontinued, but gradually in order to combat the substance's dependence. There is also a homeopathic treatment, which consists of using a substance thought to cure the effects of cortisol.
Unfortunately, in none of these cases is guaranteed a cure and it is often not possible to obtain major improvements in the health of the pet. However, we recommend that you follow the your veterinarian's recommendations.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.