Inside Scoop: TCVM Veterinarians Share Holistic Cushing's Disease Protocol

We are so sorry for the challenges you are facing with your dog's Cushing’s disease. Understanding your options can help you feel more confident about supporting your dog’s comfort and quality of life.

In this article, we're sharing the dog Cushing's disease protocol TCVM veterinarians Dr. Marc Smith and Dr. Casey Damron recommend in their Tennessee clinics.

Cushing’s disease often requires ongoing management. The good news is there are many things you can do at home, in coordination with your veterinarian, to help your dog feel better and enjoy a wonderful quality of life.

Key Takeaways

• Recognize the signs: A pot belly, panting, increased thirst and urination, and skin changes are common features.
• Understand the diagnosis: Your veterinarian uses your dog’s clinical picture and appropriate testing to guide care.
• Six-step support: This protocol covers education, melatonin and lignans, low-fat nutrition, glandular treats, liver support, and TCVM herbs.
• Whole-dog approach: TCVM considers your dog’s patterns and overall balance when tailoring food therapy and herbal support.
• Personalized guidance: Discuss diet and supplement changes with your veterinarian. TCVM herbal formulas require veterinary authorization.

What Does Canine Cushing’s Disease Look Like?

One of the tell-tale signs of canine Cushing's disease is the bloated or "pot-bellied" appearance of the affected dog's abdomen.

The pot-bellied appearance happens because of increased fat in the abdominal organs and because the abdominal wall weakens.

Other tell-tale signs are:

• Panting
• Increased thirst and/or urination
• Thin skin
• Chronic skin infections
• Dark-colored spots
• Skin mineralization
• Slow skin healing
• Persistent bladder infections

Veterinary Testing and Diagnosis

You can only obtain a definitive Cushing's diagnosis from your veterinarian and through testing.

The two most common tests to detect Cushing’s disease are the ACTH stimulation test and the low-dose dexamethasone suppression (LDDS) test.

Ultrasound testing is also helpful because it allows your veterinarian to see the adrenal glands and determine their size and/or the presence of a tumor.

During testing, your veterinarian may investigate Cushing's disease or what is sometimes described as atypical Cushing's disease. The original protocol describes dogs with Cushing’s-like symptoms whose standard test results are normal.

The protocol also discusses situations in which holistic veterinarians consider supportive care without standard testing, including normal results despite symptoms and the expense of testing for pet parents. Your veterinarian can help determine the appropriate diagnostic approach for your dog, since similar symptoms can have different causes.

From the TCVM perspective described in this protocol, both typical and atypical presentations may receive a similar supportive approach. Herbal selection focuses on the dog’s underlying patterns and deficiencies, rather than relying solely on a conventional diagnosis or standard test result.

Step 1: Learn More About Cushing’s Disease

If you are new to Cushing's disease and are still learning how it affects your dog, you should get a free copy of our ebook Solutions for Dogs with Cushing's Disease: How to Make Your Best Friend Feel Better.

Holistic veterinarians Dr. Casey Damron and Dr. Marc Smith wrote the manual with the pet parent in mind. It explains what's going on and how your dog feels, and offers information on things you can do at home to help.

Step 2: Supplement With Melatonin and Lignans

One of the first things our vets recommend for dogs with Cushing's is supplementing with melatonin and lignans.

These natural options are part of the supportive protocol and may also be considered while your veterinarian is evaluating your dog. Your veterinarian can confirm suitability and an individualized amount based on your dog’s health and other medications.

Melatonin

In Chinese medicine, melatonin is cooling, nourishes Yin, and clears Heat to help alleviate the symptoms associated with Cushing’s disease.

In Western veterinary care, melatonin is often used for canine alopecia. The protocol also discusses hormone balance and research interest in its effects on tumors as part of the rationale for its use.

Timing guidance: If melatonin makes your dog excessively sleepy, give melatonin only at night, or as directed by your veterinarian.

Get Melatonin

Lignans

You can make further improvements by adding lignans to your dog's protocol. The protocol discusses combining lignans with melatonin to help support hormone balance, including cortisol.

We prefer HMR lignans to flax hull lignans because HMR lignans are more concentrated, easier to dose, and more quickly absorbed in your dog's body.

HMR lignans come from the Norwegian Spruce tree.

When your dog ingests HMR lignans, gastrointestinal bacteria convert them into mammalian lignan metabolites, increasing enterolactone and enterodiol in your dog's body. Their potential effects on cortisol are part of the rationale for using lignans in this Cushing’s support protocol.

Lignans are also powerful antioxidants for supporting your dog's immune system. In addition, HMR lignans:

• Heart health: Support heart health.
• Circulation: Support cardiovascular function.
• Digestion: Promote normal digestion.
• Rest: Support stable sleep patterns.
• Skin and coat: Support skin and coat health.

Get HMR Lignans

Step 3: Feed Your Dog a Low-Fat Diet

Another way you can help your dog at home is by feeding a special low-fat diet.

Dogs with Cushing's can also experience hyperlipidemia, abnormally high levels of fats or lipids in the blood. This is the reason the protocol emphasizes low-fat nutrition.

The original protocol notes that finding a readily available quality low-fat diet can be challenging. The good news is, you can make this diet at home in a slow cooker.

Visit the PET | TAO website and read How to Cook for Your Dog With Cushing's Disease.

If your veterinarian has indicated where your dog fits within the protocol’s early-, mid-, or late-stage framework, PET | TAO has corresponding recipes you can discuss:

• TCVM Dog Food Recipe for Early-Stage Cushing’s Disease
• TCVM Food Recipe for Mid-Stage Dog Cushing’s Disease
• TCVM Dog Food Recipe for Late-Stage Cushing’s Disease

If you are not able to cook at home, the protocol offers a pre-made energetically cooling diet option, PET | TAO Chill, available in canned and freeze-dried. Ask your veterinarian how its nutritional profile fits your dog’s specific needs.

Discuss any diet or supplement changes with your veterinarian.

Step 4: Feed Freeze-Dried Glandular Treats

Dr. Smith and Dr. Damron recommend feeding freeze-dried liver, lung, spleen, and kidney treats.

In TCVM theory, Cushing's disease creates imbalances in the Liver, Lung, Spleen, and Kidney meridians. Feeding the corresponding organs is used to help energetically rebalance the affected meridians.

• Suggested use: The protocol suggests feeding several PET | TAO freeze-dried treats per day, or as directed by your veterinarian.

Get PET | TAO Freeze-Dried Treats

Step 5: Find a Good Liver Support Supplement

Cushing's disease places extra stress on the liver, and dogs with Cushing's are often prone to liver problems.

The protocol recommends a good liver support supplement for ongoing maintenance and support of liver health.

Dr. Smith and Dr. Damron recommend Harmonize Liver.

Harmonize Liver combines milk thistle with other complementary liver support herbs and supplements to help support and detoxify the liver.

Step 6: Try a TCVM Herbal Formula

Most people are unfamiliar with TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine).

TCVM, with its specialized herbal formulas, is a valuable tool for helping pets with chronic conditions like Cushing's disease.

TCVM’s philosophy centers on treating the pet as a whole and addressing the underlying patterns associated with the health condition.

TCVM offers herbal formulas specifically used to support dogs with Cushing's disease. Some examples are:

• Jin Gui Shen Qi San
• Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
• Rehmannia 14
• Ophiopogon Formula

Because there are several different herbal blends for each diagnosis, we recommend a visit or consultation with a TCVM-trained veterinarian to find the formula best suited to your dog's health situation.

TCVM herbal formulas require a veterinarian's authorization because there are several different formulas used to help dogs with Cushing's.

Interested in trying a TCVM herbal formula? Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation

Veterinary Expertise and Personalized TCVM Support

If you ever feel like you need extra help managing your dog's Cushing's disease naturally or with TCVM herbal blends, we can help.

TCVM Pet Supply co-founding veterinarians Dr. Marc Smith and Dr. Casey Damron offer TCVM telemedicine consultations.

If you get a TCVM telemedicine consultation, you'll get personalized TCVM recommendations specific to your pet, including:

• Evaluation: TCVM evaluation.
• Nutrition: Food therapy recommendations.
• Herbal support: TCVM herb recommendations and veterinary authorization.
• Supplements: Supplement recommendations.
• Additional care: Alternative medicine recommendations.

If you reside in the Middle Tennessee area or would like to commute, you may choose an in-clinic appointment instead.

You can learn more about each vet and contact the clinic you prefer directly:

• Marc Smith, DVM, MS - Natchez Trace Veterinary Services
• Casey Damron, DVM, CVA - White Oak Animal Hospital

We hope this information helps you, and wish you the best in helping your dog feel better.

If you have any other questions or if we can help you in any way, just let us know!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the six steps in this holistic Cushing’s disease protocol?

The six steps are learning about Cushing’s disease, discussing melatonin and lignans, feeding an appropriate low-fat diet, offering freeze-dried glandular treats, choosing liver support, and considering a personalized TCVM herbal formula. Work with your veterinarian to tailor these options to your dog.

Why does this protocol combine melatonin and HMR lignans?

The protocol uses these natural options together for hormone support. From a TCVM perspective, melatonin is described as cooling, nourishing Yin, and clearing Heat. HMR lignans provide antioxidant support and are discussed for their potential role in cortisol balance. The protocol prefers HMR lignans for their concentration, dosing convenience, and absorption.

What if I cannot cook a low-fat diet at home?

The protocol includes PET | TAO Chill as a pre-made energetically cooling option in canned and freeze-dried formats. Your veterinarian can help evaluate its nutritional profile for your dog, especially when low-fat intake is a goal. If home cooking is possible, the linked PET | TAO recipes provide options within the protocol’s early-, mid-, and late-stage framework.

How do I choose a TCVM herbal formula for my dog?

A TCVM-trained veterinarian considers your dog’s individual patterns, deficiencies, and overall health. The four formulas listed are examples, not a one-size-fits-all option. An in-person visit or telemedicine consultation helps guide selection, and veterinary authorization is required to purchase TCVM herbal formulas.

The Bottom Line

This holistic Cushing’s disease protocol brings together education, food therapy, melatonin and lignans, glandular treats, liver support, and personalized TCVM herbs. A whole-dog approach helps you focus on comfort, daily well-being, and quality of life. Coordinate changes with your veterinarian so each part of the plan fits your dog’s individual needs.

Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation for personalized guidance on your dog’s food therapy, supplements, and herbal support.