Recommended Diet for Cushing’s Syndrome in Dogs
Cushing’s Syndrome in dogs is a disease characterized by elevated levels of cortisol in a dog’s body. This hormone regulates responses to stress, maintains weight, prevents infections, and stabilizes blood sugar. Therefore, conditions such as hypercortisolism can cause serious health problems for dogs. Cushing’s Syndrome can be either pituitary dependent or adrenal dependent. In both cases, a tumor growth is the main cause of the hormone imbalance.
Your dog may have Cushing’s Syndrome if it exhibits the following symptoms:
- Your dog seems hungrier or thirstier than usual
- Your dog has more accidents despite being housebroken
- Your dog starts to lose a lot of hair
- Your dog has a noticeable pot belly
- Your dog has a visible skin disease
- Your dog is sluggish and less active than before
You can obtain an official diagnosis from the vet, who will run some tests on your dog’s blood or urine samples. Sometimes, surgery is an option for removing the tumor. However, surgery is out of the question for dogs who have a more advanced stage of the disease. Drugs like Vetoryl can help relieve the worst symptoms, though they may cause side effects as well. Many pet owners tend to supplement their dog’s diet with natural products such as Adrenal Support and Hemp, both of which fight the symptoms of cushings.
When all of the warning signs are there, then it’s time to consider changing your dog’s diet. Be sure to consult your vet before starting a new diet treatment. After all, you want to pick the best Cushings Syndrome diet for dogs, to help them recover faster.
Cushings Syndrome Diet for Dogs
When feeding your dog, avoid giving them fatty foods like fish, beef, and pork, or else your dog will gain too much weight. They already have an abnormally high appetite and are prone to overeating, so stick to low-calorie foods instead. It’s recommended that you give your dog raw foods instead of cooked meals because cooked food contains high levels of purines which are harmful to dogs with Cushing’s Syndrome.
The raw diet consists of more protein, but fewer carbohydrates and fibers. The medication makes fibers harder to digest, which is why you should refrain from giving your dog whole grains and uncut vegetables. Prepare the food by shredding it into smaller bits first. On the other hand, provide your dog with more potassium-rich foods like salmon, potatoes, beans, or broccoli.
Diet for Cushings syndrome in dogs
Here are some other suggestions about a diet for Cushings Syndrome in dogs. You can purchase medicinal herbs and supplements to accompany your dog’s daily meals. Many dog owners use fish oil, dandelion, and magnolia bark. Commercial dog foods don’t contain much meat and are full of artificial flavorings.The healthier option is to feed your dog raw meat and bones but not meat from organs since they are high in purines. Be mindful of foods including pork, chicken, beef, and lamb. It’s safe to feed them to dogs as long as it’s lean meat. Last but not least, grind up all fruits and vegetables to prevent your dog from getting an upset stomach.
