hi, i have a jack Russel tilly and she is gaining weight rapidly, she is having shortness of breath and also excessively drinking water. Sadly Tilly is old and has a tumour on her ear, she has been to the vet about this problem. I cant take her to the vet because i am old and unwell, I believe she could have cushings disease as all the symptoms match. I was going to order some vetoryl online but i am unsure and need advice. Thanks

Updated On May 22nd, 2022

Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Female | 39 lbs

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

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Hi there! You are correct that Cushing's disease would be a common cause of the symptoms you are describing in an older dog (excessive panting, weight gain, and drinking/urinating more than normal) - however, there are also other illnesses that could cause this, so diagnostic testing would be needed as a first step to find out if Cushing's disease is even the problem or not. It would be EXTREMELY unsafe to start Vetoryl or any other medication for this condition without even knowing for sure if Tily has it, since these meds would be very dangerous for a dog to take if they weren't needed, and close monitoring of cortisol levels is needed for dogs who are on medication for Cushing's disease because if the dosing isn't right they can get very sick or even die. So this would be a problem that you would need to work closely with your veterinarian to diagnose and treat safely - it's not something you can do yourself at home, just based on guessing. If taking Tily to the vet is difficult for you, I would suggest calling around to some local clinics to see if there is anyone in your area who does house call visits. A mobile veterinarian could examine Tily and take the required lab samples (usually blood and urine testing, as a starting point), and then go from there depending on what is found.

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