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Medical Condition🐕 Dogs🐈 Catsendocrine

Cushing’s Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism)

🗣️ Pronounced:KOOSH-ingz dih-ZEEZ / HY-per-ad-REE-noh-kor-tih-SIZM
In One Sentence (Plain English)

An endocrine disorder caused by excessive, prolonged levels of cortisol hormone in the body.

Editorial Status: Verified from peer-reviewed veterinary sources (v1.0)
Updated: 2026-01-15

💬 In Plain English

Cortisol is the body’s natural stress and energy-regulating hormone. In Cushing’s disease, either the pituitary gland in the brain or the adrenal glands above the kidneys produce far too much cortisol over months or years. This causes pets (mostly dogs) to drink and urinate excessively, develop an insatiable appetite, lose muscle over their spine, lose fur symmetrically along their flanks, and develop a classic pot-bellied appearance.

🔬 Clinical & Technical Depth

For Vets & Technicians

Formal Clinical Definition

Hyperadrenocorticism results from chronic glucocorticoid excess, most commonly caused by an ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor (80–85% of canine cases) or a functional cortisol-producing adrenal tumor (15–20%). Clinical consequences include gluconeogenesis, protein catabolism, immunosuppression, and hepatic glycogen accumulation.

Why Veterinarians Use It

Veterinarians use this term to describe persistent adrenal overactivity when evaluating labwork anomalies such as elevated ALP, dilute urine, or outward endocrine physical changes.

Clinical Context Encountered

Most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged to senior dogs during investigations into increased water drinking, house-soiling accidents, or non-itchy bilateral hair loss.

Clinical Reference Guide (Medical Condition)

Severity
Emergency StatusNon-Emergency Care
🚨 Red Flag Warnings (When to Contact an Emergency Vet)
  • •If your pet on trilostane therapy becomes suddenly lethargic, weak, collapses, or begins vomiting, discontinue medication immediately and seek emergency veterinary care (potential Addisonian crisis).

❓ Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian

Take these actionable questions with you to your next clinic visit or appointment:

  • 1Is my dog’s Cushing’s disease pituitary-dependent or adrenal-dependent?
  • 2Which diagnostic screening test do you recommend first: an ACTH stimulation test or a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test?
  • 3How frequently will we need to monitor bloodwork once we begin trilostane (Vetoryl) therapy?
  • 4What signs of medication overdose (such as lethargy, vomiting, or weakness) should prompt an immediate hospital call?

Academic & Clinical References