Hyperadrenocorticism (pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism, PDH, Cushing's disease) arises from benign functional tumors of the pituitary gland that result in hypersecretion of cortisol. The clinical presentation of PDH is highly similar between dogs and humans, but the incidence in dogs is astronomically higher. The rate of diagnosis of pituitary tumors in dogs is so high that it amounts to the incidence of half of all other cancers combined. Can this really be the case, or is the condition being over-diagnosed? And if it’s not a pituitary tumor affecting these dogs, what is it? This lecture illustrates a simple, safe and inexpensive treatment approach to dogs diagnosed with PDH, allowing most of them to be rapidly cured of the condition without the use of any pharmaceuticals. The evidence base for why the approach works will be explored, answering in the process the question of “what’s really going on with Cushing’s in dogs?”
