I thought of myself as an educated pet owner - I've had pets since I was about nine years old. Many kinds too: you name it, I've had it. I'm familiar with kidney problems in pets and what signs to look for, especially since my cat died in my arms from kidney failure three years ago. I know that dogs can get heartworm if you don't give them their monthly medications. I know about hip displaysia, and other well-known diseases and health problems. But Canine Cushing's Disease? I didn't know, and never heard of, this disease ...... until last week.

The test was done on July 10th. The next day was an excruciatingly emotional one for me - waiting for the test results was taking a mental toll on me. When I didn't hear from the vet by 1:30 p.m., I starting thinking the worst thoughts. Oh my God, is she in the early stages of kidney failure? Is she dying soon? It was too much to take. Then finally, the call came.

"Her numbers are off the charts, blah blah blah, but her kidneys are fine, blah blah blah, we think she may have Cushing's Disease." What? What does that mean? The vet said my dog needs to take an 8-hour test (known as a Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test or LDDST) to confirm whether or not she has Cushing's. Well, she took the test on Monday, July 16th, and needless to say, Tuesday was another day of hell for me just waiting for the test results. The vet called around 4 p.m. and confirmed that yes, my dog does have Cushing's. More than likely, she'll be on medication for the remainder of her life. It's not a curable disease, but thankfully, it is manageable. Once she starts her medication, she'll be back to her normal self.

During this past week, I've done a lot of research about this disease and also joined an online support group dedicated just to this condition. I want to use this recently-acquired knowledge to make people aware of this disease and what the symptoms are so I might be able to help more pet owners out there.

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