• Increased appetite
• Increased drinking and urination
• Panting
• High blood pressure
• Bulging abdomen
• Skin lumps and discoloring
• Hair loss
• Muscle weakness
• Nervous system disorders 

The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys. The adrenals produce cortin, a complex of steroid hormones that help regulate body weight, mineral balance, the structure of connective tissue, some white blood cell production, and skin health. Adrenal glands are stimulated to produce cortin by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland. Cushing's disease can be triggered by a tumor of the adrenal glands or of the pituitary gland; either one can cause the adrenal glands to run amuck and produce an excess of corticosteroids.

Diagnosis
The symptoms may creep up on the pet and pet owner. The danger signs of vomiting, diarrhea, pain, seizures, and bleeding do not occur; the pets do not appear to be critically ill. To the contrary, the symptoms often appear to be connected to normal aging. Muscle weakness also causes a reduced tolerance for exercise and lethargy, both of which are typical in aging dogs and cause no alarm in owners. Often owners do not seek veterinary advice until the signs become unmistakable or intolerable — when the dog breaks his housetraining or begs to go outside during the night for example.

Once suspected, Cushing's disease can be diagnosed by blood tests. Once it is diagnosed, tests can also differentiate between disease caused by pituitary gland tumor and disease caused by adrenal gland tumor.

About 85 percent of the cases are caused by pituitary tumors. Pituitary-induced Cushing's can be treated by drug therapy, but it cannot be cured. Adrenal gland tumors can often be surgically removed.
 

Diabetes in Dogs 

Diabetes mellitus is a disease caused by a deficiency of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by a certain cell in the pancreas, and is necessary for the body tissues to use to absorb blood sugar. An analogy, is that insulin is a key that unlocks the door to each cell that allows glucose to enter the cell. All food that we eat is broken down to sugar and then fed to each cell. Without insulin, sugar remains in the blood stream and eventually passes into the urine. This causes increased urine production and thirst. Hunger is increased because the body cannot use the sugar in the blood. As diabetes progresses, chemicals called ketones accumulate, resulting in vomiting and dehydration. Eventually coma and then death occur in untreated animals. Diabetes is not a curable disease, but with proper insulin administration, the disease can be controlled. Although not the most common of dog diseases, as many as several hundred thousand dogs may be affected.

The good news is that diabetes in dogs, like the similar disease in people, is usually manageable and can have little effect on your dog’s ability to live a full and happy life. But as with many potentially serious health problems, owners must be attentive to their dog’s well-being so they can seek professional care at the earliest signs of sickness or decline, and before serious damage is done.

Diabetes can occur at any age, but is most frequently diagnosed between ages seven and nine. A rare form of diabetes can affect puppies. Breeds that have a higher incidence of diabetes include Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, and Dachshunds. Females are perhaps twice as likely as males to develop diabetes. Females should be spayed because the hormone levels during their heat cycle disrupt control of diabetes.

The common form of diabetes in dogs is analogous to juvenile diabetes in people. This form of diabetes can not be managed by diet alone and will require the owner to administer one to two injections of insulin a day for the rest of the dog’s life. Two to four small meals rather than one large meal to better manage the blood insulin and glucose levels and this will be coordinated with giving insulin injections.

Although the exact cause of diabetes mellitus in dogs is unknown, the excess glucose causes most of the clinical signs and long-term complications. There is great individual variation in cases of diabetes, and the dynamics and treatment requirements may change over your dog’s life span. It is important to work with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate frequency of injection, dosage, and type of insulin to use.

As stated before, if your dog’s condition is untreated, your dog may go into a coma and subsequently die. Injections of too much insulin can trigger a life-threatening emergency. This will produce a low blood sugar reaction which usually happens 3-6 hours after insulin treatment. If your pet seems weak, tired, uncoordinated or is having a seizure, call your veterinarian and do the following. Give your pet a sugar containing syrup (Karo) orally and take your pet to the veterinarian .

Injection of too little insulin inadequately controls your diabetic dog’s clinical signs. Your veterinarian will recommend an ongoing balance of properly timed insulin dosages, regular exercise, a high-quality diet, and will make you aware of other possible health threats.

If your dog is overweight, you should bring your dog’s body weight back to the normal range gradually, within two to four months. Consistency in the timing and caloric content of meals also minimizes the fluctuations in blood glucose levels, while reducing excess weight. Canned and dry kibble foods that are predominantly complex carbohydrates (and lower in calories) are key to this process. Soft, moist foods should be avoided.

If your dog’s diabetes has progressed to the point where she is seriously underweight, focus instead on a high calorie diet until the dog’s weight returns to normal.

There are occasional complications to insulin therapy, but again, they are usually quite manageable and infrequent when the dog’s diet, exercise, and insulin levels are properly managed. These side effects can include excessive urination, thirst, and hunger, as well as weight loss and lack of appetite.

One special concern is that diabetic dogs are more susceptible than healthy dogs to infections, especially urinary tract infections. The increased sugar in the urine creates an environment more hospitable to infectious agents. But with good owner attention to your dog’s overall health status, these infections usually can be detected early and treated routinely. 

Kennel Cough (Tracheobronchitis)

Canine infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in dogs. Fortunately, the majority of cases are not serious. But because some dogs develop life-threatening complications, you should take precautions to prevent your pooch from becoming infected with this highly contagious disease.

Kennel cough can be caused by a number of different airborne bacteria (such as Bordetella bronchiseptica) and viruses (such as canine parainfluenza), or a mycoplasma (an organism somewhere between a virus and a bacteria). Typically, more than one of these pathogens (disease-causing agents) must bombard the dog at once to trigger illness. Such a multifaceted attack is most likely to occur when a dog spends time in close quarters with many other dogs. Dogs that attend dog shows, travel frequently, or stay at kennels have a higher risk of developing kennel cough than do dogs that stay at home most of the time.

The primary sign of kennel cough is a dry-sounding, spasmodic cough caused by pathogens that induce inflammation of the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi (air passages into the lungs). At the end of a coughing spell, a dog will often retch and cough up a white foamy discharge. Some dogs also develop conjunctivitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the eyelids), rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane), and a nasal discharge. Affected dogs usually remain active and alert and continue to eat well. But if you suspect your dog has kennel cough, isolate it from other dogs and call you veterinarian.

Your veterinarian can typically diagnose kennel cough from a physical exam and history. The cough is very characteristic and can be easily elicited by massaging the dog’s larynx or trachea. But if the dog is depressed, feverish, expelling a thick yellow or green discharge from its nose; or making abnormal lung sounds, your veterinarian may want to perform diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), chest x-ray, and laboratory analysis of the microorganisms inhabiting your dog’s airways. These tests can help determine whether the dog has developed pneumonia or another infectious illness such as canine distemper.

Immunization can be an important part of a kennel-cough prevention program and is recommended. Don’t share your dog’s toys or food and water bowls with unfamiliar dogs. And if your dog is in an indoor kennel or show, make sure the indoor area is adequately ventilated so airborne organisms are transferred outside. 

If your dog is diagnosed with kennel cough, your veterinarian will likely prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent any secondary bacterial infection and a cough suppressant. Again, before any treatment regimen administered, it is imperative that a proper veterinary examination and appropriate diagnostics be performed. 

Famous Cat Quotes 

"There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." - Unknown 

"Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this." - Anonymous 

"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." - Jeff Valdez 

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb 

"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat." - Ellen Perry Berkeley 

"One cat just leads to another." - Ernest Hemingway 

"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." - Mary Bly 

"Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia." - Joseph Wood Krutch 

"People that hate cats, will come back as mice in their next life." - Faith Resnick 

"There are many intelligent species in the universe. They are all owned by cats." - Anonymous 

"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior." - Hippolyte Taine 

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats." - Albert Schweitzer 

"The cat has too much spirit to have no heart." - Ernest Menaul 

"Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God." - Unknown 

"Time spent with cats is never wasted." - Colette 

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well." - Missy Dizick 

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats." - Colonial American proverb 

"Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want." - Joseph Wood Krutch 

"Cats aren't clean, they're just covered with cat spit." - John S. Nichols

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