Pituitary & Adrenal Cushing's
Pituitary tumors are the cause of the majority of Cushing's in dogs and horses.
Adrenal gland tumors are related to the other tumor-related Cushing's in dogs.
Cadmium (& arsenic):
Cadmium damages the body's natural "brake system" for stress, causing cortisol levels to stay permanently high, overworking and enlarging the pituitary gland until a tumor forms.
Cadmium tricks the pituitary gland into growing tumors by mimicking the hormone estrogen, which falsely signals specific cells to multiply uncontrollably.
Cadmium and metals like arsenic are endocrine disruptors. Proper studies have not been done on dogs and horses but there is a direct cause between cadmium & pituitary tumors in rats.
Arsenic elevates cortisol & damages the pituitary gland by disrupting hormone signaling and causing oxidative stress.
Lead, mercury, and nickel also act like cadmium and arsenic by accumulating in the pituitary gland, disrupting cortisol regulation, and altering hormone secretion.
Cadmium and arsenic are proven to damage adrenal tissue and disrupt cortisol regulation, directly causing adrenal gland tumors (adenomas and pheochromocytomas).
Arsenic and nickel have also been proven to induce adrenal tumors in rodents through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disruption of cortisol regulation.
"Dogs and horses suffer high rates of spontaneous Cushing's, these animals are 'ground-zero' for environmental metal accumulation. While standard texts often label these tumors "idiopathic" (unknown cause) or "age-related," toxicological data confirms that cadmium accumulation in the pituitary and adrenal glands is a proven mechanism for inducing the disease state in animal models."
"It is entirely plausible that heavy metals contribute to Cushing’s (PPID) in horses just as they do in dogs and rats, because cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury are proven to accumulate in the equine pituitary gland, disrupt the dopamine signals that normally prevent tumor growth and force cortisol levels to stay chronically high, creating the exact biological environment where pituitary tumors thrive. While veterinary medicine currently blames "age" and "oxidative stress" for equine PPID, these metals are known causes of that very oxidative stress and neuronal damage, making them a highly likely, though under-investigated, environmental trigger for the disease in horses grazing on contaminated pastures or drinking polluted water."
See more at: 'Explore' > 'Healing Lounge' > 'Cancer' > 'Fenbendazole'
Iatrogenic Cushing's
Steroid medications are the cause of Iatrogenic Cushing's*. They flood the body with hormones at very high levels, shutting down pituitary and causing adrenal glands to atrophy while the dog's body experiences all the effects of excess cortisol — pot belly, hair loss, thin skin, muscle wasting, high blood sugar, and frequent urination. Adrenal recovery can take months if not years after stopping and immediate withdrawal can cause life-threatening adrenal crisis.
*Also referred to as Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism, or Exogenous Cushings
Steroids are also called corticosteroids or glucocorticosteroids.
A steroid is an anti-inflammatory.
Steroids, dogs:
Prednisone
Prednisolone (including prednisolone sodium succinate)
Methylprednisolone (including methylprednisolone acetate / Depo-Medrol)
Dexamethasone (including dexamethasone sodium phosphate)
Triamcinolone (including triamcinolone acetonide)
Flumethasone
Betamethasone
Hydrocortisone (cortisol)
Isoflupredone (Predef)
Steroids, cats:
Prednisolone
Methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol)
Triamcinolone
Dexamethasone
Steroids, horses
Dexamethasone
Triamcinolone
Prednisolone
Betamethasone
Methylprednisolone
Cushing's