ACTH
The ACTH test measures the pituitary hormone that tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol, and it can help vets find where an adrenal problem begins in dogs and cats.
- Sample
- Serum
- Quantity
- 3 mL
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- ACTH level in the blood sample
- Whether ACTH is low, normal or high when read with cortisol
- Whether Cushing's disease may start in the pituitary or in an adrenal gland
- Whether low cortisol may start in the adrenal glands or in the pituitary
Benefits of this test
- Helps the vet find where in the body a cortisol problem begins.
- Adds useful information after Cushing's or Addison's disease is already suspected.
- Helps your vet decide which further tests, such as an ultrasound scan, are needed.
- Can be compared with the cortisol result from the same visit.
- Needs only a small blood sample.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog has already been found to have too much cortisol and the vet wants to know the cause.
- A dog shows signs of Cushing's disease, such as heavy drinking, a pot belly and thin skin, and the vet is planning step-by-step hormone tests.
- A dog or cat has low cortisol and the vet wants to know where the problem starts.
- The vet is deciding whether to scan the adrenal glands or the pituitary gland.
- An animal with a known adrenal or pituitary problem needs follow-up information.
About this test
ACTH stands for adrenocorticotropic hormone. It is made by the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain, and it signals the adrenal glands to make cortisol. The lab measures the amount of ACTH in serum, the clear liquid left after blood clots.
Cortisol and ACTH normally keep each other in balance. In a dog with Cushing's disease, the ACTH level can help the vet learn whether the cause lies in the pituitary gland or in an adrenal gland. In a dog or cat with low cortisol (Addison's disease), it can help show whether the problem starts in the adrenal glands or in the pituitary.
ACTH is usually asked for after a cortisol problem has already been found, not as a first test. It breaks down quickly in a sample, so careful handling matters. Reporting time is confirmed when you book.
How to prepare
Please call or WhatsApp the lab before collecting the sample, because ACTH breaks down quickly and needs special handling and fast delivery. Follow your vet's advice about fasting and the time of day, keep the animal calm, and tell the vet about any steroid medicine given recently. Sample collection is free anywhere in Bhopal, and for samples from outside Bhopal the lab will guide you by phone or WhatsApp on how to send it.
Reading the result
ACTH is read together with cortisol results, scans and the animal's signs. Your registered veterinarian uses it to understand where the problem lies and which step comes next.
Questions about ACTH
What is the difference between the cortisol and ACTH tests?
Why does the lab ask me to call before ACTH sampling?
Is ACTH the first test for Cushing's disease?
Is the ACTH test only for dogs?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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ACTH: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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Cushing's and Addison's Disease: Cortisol and ACTH Tests
Cushing's disease means a dog makes too much of the hormone cortisol, and Addison's disease means it makes too little. Cortisol and ACTH blood tests, with a stimulation or suppression test, help a vet tell them apart from other illnesses.
18 Oct 2026