For any medical condition, we are attracted to the idea of natural treatments. The same is true for Cushing’s Disease.
Why?
Because Cushing’s Disease natural treatments do no harm!
Supplements typically cost less.
And, home remedies generally require less effort.
However, the big question is: “Do dog Cushing’s disease natural treatments work?”
When deciding to treat your dog naturally for Cushing’s disease, the best approach centers on treating the signs and symptoms of Cushing’s, not the disease itself.
For example, with the typical approach of Western medicine, the symptoms are treated, not the root cause.
If you want to treat the root cause, you must use pharmaceutical drugs like Mitotane which affects the adrenal gland directly.
Dog Cushing’s Disease Natural Treatments
The following four natural treatments can and do benefit dogs with Cushing’s:
- Milk Thistle
- Fish Oil
- Vinegar
- Eastern Herbals
- Ophiopogon powder
- Rehmannia 11
- Rehmannia 14
Read on to discover details on all of the different options.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is a European medicinal plant that contains silymarin (silymarin, silibinin, silybin), a flavonoid complex.
Its primary use in veterinary medicine is with liver disease because of its antioxidant activity. Milk thistle also aids the flow of bile throughout the liver.
Dogs with Cushing’s disease frequently have elevated liver enzymes (ALP). Therefore, one can assume that the liver is being impacted by Cushing’s disease.
And, it is!
Increased circulating cortisol causes steroid hepatopathy which only exacerbates the clinical signs of Cushing’s.
The recommended dosage is 10mg per pound of body weight per day. Milk thistle can be purchased at any local drug store.
Fish Oil
Fish oil has been praised for helping pretty much any kind of disease.
However, in regards to Cushing’s, fish oil is beneficial because of its direct effects on the skin and increased circulating fats/lipids in the bloodstream (hyperlipidemia).
Cushing’s disease and its accompanying increased cortisol level decrease the ability of dogs to fight infections.
In turn, the decreased immune response is the very reason many Cushinoid dogs chronically battle hot spots and inflamed skin.
Fish oil is the perfect natural remedy to quiet inflamed skin.
For skin disease, dogs are usually given 60-100mg/kg twice daily.
For hyperlipidemia which is discovered on routine blood work, add fish oil at a dose of 220mg/kg of body weight (BW) once daily.
Fish oil capsules may be obtained over-the-counter.
Make sure you read the label carefully to ensure that your dog receives 220 mg/kg body weight of a combination of:
- Alpha-linolenic acid
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
Eastern Herbals
Ophiopogon Formula is a Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) herbal blend that treats Cushing’s Disease.
How Do Eastern Herbals Help?
The Western medical indications for Ophiopogon Formula are:
- Cushing’s disease
- Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)
- Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
Likewise, the Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine indications are:
- Dry skin with hot ears and feet
- Excessive panting with spontaneous outbursts at night
- Polydipsia (excessive thirst)
- Polyuria (excessive passage of urine)
- Yin deficiency
- Thready, fast pulse
- Red, dry tongue
Ophiopogon Formula consists of herbs that work synergistically to relieve symptoms of Cushing’s Disease, while at the same time addressing the underlying causes of the symptoms.
The Chinese principles of treatment for the Ophiopogon Formula are to nourish Yin, clear Heat, and promote body fluids.
Ophiopogon Formula is crafted from Mai Men Dong San.
What Are the Ingredients in Ophiopogon Formula?
The main ingredients in Ophiopogon Formula are:
- Bei Sha Shen (Glehnia) – nourishes Yin
- Dan Zhu Ye (Lophatherum) – clears heat
- Ge Gen (Pueraria) – promotes body fluids
- Huang Qin (Scutellaria) – clears heat
- Lu Gen (Phragmites) – clears heat and promote body fluids
- Mai Men Dong (Ophiopogon) – nourishes Yin
- Shan Zha (Crataegus) – resolves food stasis
- Shen Qu (Massa) – resolves food stasis
- Tian Hua Fen (Trichosanthes) – clears heat and promote body fluids
- Wu Mei (Mume) – astringently consolidates the Lung
- Yu Li Ren (Prunus) – moves blood
- Zhi Mu (Anemarrhena) – nourishes yin and clears heat
Ophiopogon powder is one of the most commonly prescribed Eastern herbals for Cushing’s disease.
In addition, other commonly used Eastern herbals are Liver Happy and Rehmannia 11.
Get Ophiopogon Powder at TCVM Pet Supply
Other Powerful Tools for Thriving with Cushing’s Disease
There are many quick and easy changes you can make at home to help you give your dog an edge on easing Cushing’s disease challenges.
- Learn more about Cushing’s Disease.
- Try Home Cooking. Visit our Recipe Page, and scroll down to the recipes for dogs with Cushing’s disease. Often, home-cooking makes a huge difference in helping dogs feel better!
- Supplement with medicinal mushrooms. PET | TAO Complement Immune Mushroom Blend eases inflammatory response and immune system stress caused by Cushing’s.
- Try digestive enzymes and probiotics. PET | TAO Harmonize Gi boosts gut health, which in turn, helps your dog better process all food nutrients. Improved gut health also boosts immunity and calms allergic response.
- Feed Freeze Dried Liver Treats. According to TCVM, when Cushing’s disease is present there is almost always Liver Meridian involvement. Liver treats provide Liver Meridian support like as a glandular supplement (Western theory) and via 5-Element Theory (Eastern theory).
- Learn more about TCVM Herbal Remedies. Chinese medicine offers many amazing natural solutions for Cushing’s disease. A good example is:
- Rehmannia 14
- Rehmannia 11
Get A Phone Consultation with One of Our TCVM Veterinarians
