What’s an endocrine disease?

An endocrine disease is a fancy medical term used to describe a disease caused by a hormonal imbalance. These diseases are pretty common and can unfortunately affect your pet’s quality of life.

Endocrine diseases can even be life threatening if they are not diagnosed and treated correctly (diabetes and Addison’s disease are good examples).

Endocrine diseases can develop because 1) a gland is not functioning properly or 2) the control of the gland is faulty.

When too much hormone is produced, the disease is referred to as a hyper disease. Tumours and abnormal tissue growth commonly cause an overproduction of hormone.

A hypo disease occurs when too little hormone is produced. Endocrine glands that are destroyed, removed, or simply stop working cause these diseases.

The following changes may be an early indication of an endocrine problem:

Changes in appetite and thirst
Changes in weight
Changes in coat and skin
Changes in behaviour
Diagnosis of the cause of the endocrine disease is absolutely essential if treatment is to be successful. Sometimes diagnosis and treatment can be costly and not all endocrine diseases behave as we predict they will, so communication between vet and owner is very important. Management of these disease may involve multiple vet visits and blood tests until the disease is under control.

If you notice any of the mentioned changes above, phone us to arrange a check up for your pet. Endocrine diseases regularly occur in older pets, making a Senior Pet check and blood test often the first step in the diagnostic process. Early intervention is very helpful when it come to the treatment of endocrine disease.