(Reposted with image added)
Hello, I have what I think is a fairly simple question but I need the input of professionals to confirm my thoughts.
A friend of mine has a dog, Bruno, who is nearing 18 years of age, and is apparently diagnosed with Cushing's. Every time the dog is brought to any social functions, the owners are adamant that this dog does not have access to any water. They say, "no, he can't have water, he has Cushing's; he will drink way too much of it and it will make him sick." I honestly didn't even think to question this information as I am not familiar with Cushing's disease, and I figured they must have received these instructions from their vet.
This week, my partner and I were asked to watch Bruno for the week while our friends went on a trip. We were given a list of instructions, one of which was to make sure Bruno did not have regular access to water. We were told to allow him a drink once every hour-ish, but only for ~15 seconds at a time. Bruno was very intent on searching out every possible water source, even licking the snow off my shoes after coming inside! We were told this was part of his "Cushing's diagnosis" and to continue limiting his water consumption.
Seeing him so incredibly thirsty really broke my heart, and I began doing some research into Cushing's diagnosis, epidemiology, symptoms, and treatment, and everything that I could find said that dogs with Cushing's should absolutely NOT ever be restricted from drinking water! That water should ALWAYS be made available to them and the condition should be monitored by yearly blood work and vet checkups, and eventually medication administration to control the extra cortisol production.
Also, from what I've read, the symptoms of Cushing's in dogs include: increased thirst, increased appetite, frequent urination, loss of hair/ hair thinning, and a "pot-bellied" appearance. Bruno does not eat an excessive amount - his owners admit that they just "free-feed" him; he does not have any noticeable signs of hair loss/thinning, and he definitely does not have a pot belly at all. As for increased urination, he has had 2 small accidents in the house since he's been here (4 days now), and we do let him out quite regularly for a pee, but he doesn't wake us up in the middle of the night to go out. He pees as much as I think is to be expected from an 18 year old dog.
I apologize this has become so long and I really appreciate you reading this far; I wanted to include all the necessary details. I'm requesting some professional input on this situation, what are your thoughts? Should water ever be restricted in a dog diagnosed with Cushing's? Is there any harm in how much a dog with Cushing's drinks per day? Is there a possibility that the water restrictions have helped suppress further advancement of this disease? Or is the restriction more likely to cause greater harm? Does it sound like a possible misdiagnosis of Cushing's?
I have not spoken to them about the details of what led to this diagnosis - when he was diagnosed, what symptoms he was having that led to this diagnosis, nothing really. I wanted to have all of my facts in order prior to mentioning anything to them but I'm pretty convinced this needs to be addressed ASAP. Bruno is expected to be returned to his owners tomorrow so I will be speaking to them then. I do not want to possibly offend them in any way as I know they only have the best intentions. Any advice or input is very much appreciated!! Thanks so much!