Cortisol
The cortisol test measures the stress hormone cortisol in the blood to help check for adrenal gland problems, such as Cushing's disease and Addison's disease, in dogs and cats.
- Sample
- Serum
- Quantity
- 3 mL
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Cortisol level in the serum
- Low cortisol, which may point to Addison's disease
- High cortisol, which may point to Cushing's disease
- Cortisol before and after a vet's injection, in timed tests
Benefits of this test
- Helps the vet check the adrenal glands in a dog or cat with unexplained signs.
- Needs only a small blood sample.
- Helps the vet decide whether more hormone tests are needed.
- Can be repeated, so the vet can follow the hormone level over time.
- Gives a measured value that can be kept in the animal's records for later comparison.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog drinks and passes urine much more than normal.
- A dog has a pot belly, thin skin or hair loss on both sides of the body.
- A dog or cat is weak, tired and vomiting, or has collapsed, and low cortisol is a possible cause.
- A diabetic animal's blood sugar is hard to control and the vet suspects a hormone problem.
- An animal with a known adrenal disease needs a follow-up check, as the vet advises.
About this test
Cortisol is a hormone made by the adrenal glands, two small glands near the kidneys. It helps the body cope with stress and illness, and helps control blood sugar and blood pressure. This test measures the amount of cortisol in serum, the clear part of the blood after it clots.
Too much cortisol is linked with Cushing's disease. It is seen mostly in middle-aged and older dogs and may cause heavy drinking, passing more urine, a pot belly and hair loss. Too little cortisol is linked with Addison's disease, which may cause weakness, vomiting and collapse.
One cortisol value is not enough to decide if an animal has either disease, because stress, illness and some medicines can change it. Your vet may ask for timed samples taken before and after a special injection, along with other tests. Reporting time is confirmed when you book.
How to prepare
Follow your vet's advice about fasting and the time of day for the sample, and keep the animal calm, because stress can raise cortisol for a short while. Tell your vet and the lab about any steroid medicine given recently, including tablets, injections, ear or eye drops and skin creams. In Bhopal, sample collection is free; from outside Bhopal, the sample can be sent by courier, bus parcel or through your local vet.
Reading the result
A cortisol value is only meaningful together with the animal's signs, history and other tests. Your registered veterinarian decides whether the value is normal for your animal and whether more testing is needed.
Questions about Cortisol
What is the cortisol test used for in dogs?
Does stress change the cortisol result?
Can steroid medicines change the cortisol result?
Is the cortisol test useful for cats too?
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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Cortisol: 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