Of the causes of Cushing's Disease in Dogs, extremely elevated cortisol levels are among the biggest. The presence of excess cortisol in the bloodstream tends to encourage fat growth. You'll especially notice that your pet will develop a puffier face and a pot belly. The pot belly is usually due to an enlargement of the liver. Panting may also occur, and it's often dismissed as a symptom of obesity. If panting occurs in unusual circumstances, when it's not hot and your pet hasn't been active, it should be considered an additional source of concern. 

        If your pet is regularly getting infections, this may be due to elevated cortisol levels. You should be particularly aware of any regular eye and ear infections. Dogs may also develop urinary tract infections, which can become especially unpleasant given the common need to urinate in Cushing's cases. A canine may also begin to develop skin infections or white patches of scale skin. 

        The fur on a dog's head and rear will typically remain intact, but Cushing's disease often causes loss of hairs in the middle of the body. The lost of hair should be relatively symmetrical to indicate Cushing's. 

    If your dog's behavior changes to the point that it seems to display an almost human level of depressiveness, this may be because one of the causes of Cushing's Disease in dogs is a huge swing in hormone levels arising from changes in the pituitary gland, usually from a tumor.

    This can throw your canine's moods completely out of whack, and they may even become more aggressive, especially if they develop high blood pressure levels. Most concerning is that elevated ACTH levels can drive a failure of the adrenal glands. This can ultimately trigger Addison's disease, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, if your dog's condition is spotted and treated early, Cushing's disease can be slowly rolled back. 

        As the disease progresses, you may begin to see signs of neurological trouble. Some are hard to spot, such as circling, which is a fairly normal canine behavior. If your dog circles more than is normal for them before making a bed or when they're clearly not in a spot where they'd normally want to lay down, then that's a problem. In some instances, seizures may also occur. Extreme symptoms are usually indicative of a pituitary-induced version caused by a tumor. 

   Cushing's risks are higher among specific dog breeds. The most common victims of the disorder are beagles, poodles, dachshunds, Boston terriers and boxers. The vast majority of canines who develop the disease are older than age 8. 

    Survival rates for dogs diagnosed with Cushing's Disease are about 10% after four years. Bear in mind, however, that the majority of dogs diagnosed with Cushing's are age 9 or older, and they typically die due to age-related diseases rather than Cushing's itself. When caught early, Cushing's disease is considered treatable.