Cortisol Test for Dogs in Lahore: Cushing's & Addison's
Cortisol is the body's stress hormone, made by the adrenal glands. Vets measure it in dogs to investigate two opposite diseases: Cushing's, where the body makes too much, and Addison's, where it makes too little. A single resting cortisol is mainly useful for ruling Addison's out; diagnosing Cushing's needs timed tests with two or three samples.
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What it costs at the lab
These are the lab's own prices. Most clinics in Pakistan don't run tests in-house — they send the sample to a lab like this one and add their own charges, so the figure your clinic quotes is rarely the lab's.
Includes: Cortisol
In DHA Phase 1 and DHA Phase 2, the lab's team collects the sample at your home. Anywhere else, visit the lab at 170-G, Commercial Area, DHA Phase 1, Lahore, open 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM.
Why vets ask for a cortisol test
- Cushing's signs: drinking and urinating much more, a pot belly, constant panting, a big appetite, thin skin and hair loss on the body
- Addison's signs: on-and-off vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness or collapse — often in younger dogs, and easily mistaken for other illness
- Monitoring a dog already being treated for either
What it measures
| Part | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cortisol | The adrenal stress hormone — too much in Cushing's, too little in Addison's |
Reading the results — good and bad
| Result | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Resting cortisol above about 2 µg/dL (55 nmol/L) | Makes Addison's very unlikely |
| Very low resting cortisol | Addison's is possible — an ACTH stimulation test is needed to confirm it |
| A high single cortisol | Not a diagnosis — stress, illness and the trip itself raise cortisol. Cushing's needs a dynamic test. |
Before the test
- Keep the morning calm; stress raises cortisol.
- Tell your vet about any steroid — tablets, creams, and ear or eye drops included. They change the result.
- For dynamic tests, the day is planned with your vet: samples are taken at set times.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cortisol test cost in Lahore?
VETix Animal Health Laboratories charges Rs 2,700 when booked through MatchVet (Rs 3,000 as a walk-in). If your clinic sends the sample to an outside lab, its price usually includes its own collection and handling charges on top — so ask which lab it uses, and compare like with like.
Can a blood test diagnose Cushing's disease?
Yes, but not from one random sample. Cushing's is diagnosed with a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test or an ACTH stimulation test, read together with your dog's signs and other blood and urine results.
Is Addison's disease an emergency?
It can be. An Addisonian crisis — sudden collapse with vomiting and weakness — needs a vet straight away. Once diagnosed and treated, most dogs with Addison's live normal lives.
Do cats get Cushing's?
Rarely. It is uncommon in cats and often linked to diabetes that is hard to control, so this test is mostly used in dogs.
Kutta bohat paani peeta hai — kya yeh Cushing's hai?
Ho sakta hai, lekin zyada paani peene ki aur wajahen bhi hain, jaise kidney ki bimari ya diabetes. Vet pehle blood aur urine test karta hai, aur Cushing's ka shak ho to cortisol ke khaas tests karwata hai.
Read next
Medically reviewed by Dr. Yahya Nawaz (DVM, RVMP). General guidance, not a diagnosis — the vet who examined your pet reads the result against its history.
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MatchVet · Lahore, Pakistan · +92-312-1488954