Radagast Has Cushings Disease

Hello again, readers,

As you've probably guessed from the title, today we will be discussing Radagast, who was recently diagnosed with Cushings Disease. Cushings Disease isn't unheard of in hamsters - we had actually already come across it before with another previous resident Syrian hamster - Cedrick. 

The treatment of Cushings can be considered as quite controversial (different professionals have different opinions), and typically the treatment option depends on the individual hamster. We took it upon ourselves to converse with our incredible and knowledgeable vet about the disease - including; what the disease is, and why treatment is so limited. Finally, we will then close this post by talking about Radagast - how he is doing since his diagnosis, and common misdiagnosis'.

We'd like to point out; We will be discussing this disease in basic and easy to understand terms. We are not vets, and although we have conversed with a veterinarian about the topic, this should not substitute from seeking medical advice from your own qualified medical professional.

Firstly, What is Cushings Disease?

Cushings is hyperadrenocorticism or otherwise referred to as (HAC), which means that the adrenal glands produce too much steroid (cortisol). This either happens through the adrenal gland being enlarged, or the pituitary gland being enlarged and sending too much stimulating hormone to the adrenal gland. The enlargement normally occurs due to a tumour being in one of those places. This increase in steroid can lead to an increase in thirst and/or appetite, and/or hair loss - typical symptoms of Cushings Disease.

Cushings can be officially diagnosed by blood tests to confirm an increase in cortisol levels.

Cedrick's fur loss due to Cushing's Disease.

Why is treatment limited?

The two most well known drugs for treatment of Cushings in the UK, paticularly in larger animals, are; 'Vetoryl' and Ketoconazole.

The first thing we wanted to mention, which is something that should be heavily taken into account when deciding treatment - the majority of symptoms that stem from Cushings are not painful.

Vetoryl/Trilostane:

Vetoryl is the more commonly used drug to treat Cushings in smaller animal as it is closely licensed with reversable actions- if we were to medicate Radagast, this would be the drug our vet would use. It is a drug which suppresses cortisol production from the pituitary gland.

The major drawback with using this drug in hamsters, is the dosage is often so low and inaccurate, that you can even send them the complete other way into hypoadrenocorticism or Addison's disease.

Ketoconazole:

Ketoconazole is an antifungal drug which works by stopping cortisol production from the adrenal gland. It is not liscensed to treat Cushings and has side effects on the liver, and in our vets opinion, is not safe. It also has non-reversable actions.

In Radagast's case, we have decided against treatment due to him still having a high quality of life without medicating him.

Pictures demonstrating Radagast's fur loss.

How is Radagast since his diagnosis?

Radagast had his diagnosis based on clinical findings and symptoms. We have not officially had blood tests to check if Radagast has an increase in cortisol levels - though Cushings Disease remains the most likely cause of his symptoms.

Often, animals can be misdiagnosed with Diabetes due to the increase in fluid intake. They can also be misdiagnosed with Cutaneous Lymphoma -  this is diagnosed with a skin biopsy. Often with Cutaneous Lymphoma you will also see changes with the skin such as scaling and/or thickening - none of which Radagast has.

Radagast has a slight blue tinge to his belly (though no pot-like belly like Cedrick had), fur loss, an increase in appetite, and a slight increase in fluid intake too. He is in no pain, and still remains his usual charming self, though admittedly he does appear aesthetically different.

Because of which, we decided not to risk medicating Radagast - particularly at this point in time. If it came to a point in which Radagast needed medicating, bloods and skin biopsys would be taken to completely confirm the diagnosis, and then medication would be prescribed accordingly. 

You can keep up with Radagast on our Instagram.

We would like to thank our fabulous vet, Sarah Bruce, for giving us lots of great information in order to help write this blog post.

We would also like to link/source this fantastic website which also inspired us when writing this blog post: https://supremepetfoods.com/molly-varga-gives-advice-on-cushings-disease-in-hamsters/