Managing Cortisol
Cortisol is often labeled the “stress hormone”—and for good reason. It’s a natural hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help your dog respond to short-term stress. But when cortisol levels stay elevated for too long, the effects can become damaging, not protective.
Unfortunately, in our modern world full of overstimulation, poor nutrition, over-vaccination, chemical exposures, and emotional stress, chronic cortisol elevation is more common than we think. And our dogs are paying the price.
Let’s unpack what this means… and what you can do to help.
What Is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone released by the adrenal glands, part of your dog’s endocrine system. In small, short bursts, it plays an essential role in:
Mobilizing energy during stress
Regulating metabolism and blood sugar
Supporting immune responses
Managing inflammation
But when stress becomes chronic—physical or emotional—cortisol levels can remain too high for too long. That’s when problems start.
Causes of Cortisol Spikes in Dogs
Chronic anxiety or fear-based behaviors
Over-exercise or lack of rest
Pain or undiagnosed medical issues
Poor diet, blood sugar imbalances
Chemical exposure (flea/tick meds, cleaning supplies)
Emotional trauma or lack of safety and connection
What High Cortisol Spikes May Look Like
Here are some key clues that may suggest cortisol spikes or chronically elevated cortisol levels in your dog. These signs are often subtle at first but can progress if the underlying stress isn’t resolved:
Physical Clues
Panting when it’s not hot or after minimal activity – especially during rest or at night.
Muscle wasting – loss of tone despite adequate nutrition or exercise.
Pot-bellied appearance – due to fat redistribution or organ inflammation.
Excessive thirst and urination (PU/PD) – even without kidney issues.
Hair thinning or symmetrical hair loss, especially on the trunk.
Delayed wound healing or chronic skin infections.
Poor coat quality – dry, brittle, or greasy fur.
Weight gain despite normal diet – especially around the belly.
Frequent digestive upset – like soft stools, gurgling, or picky eating.
Behavioral or Emotional Clues
Restlessness, pacing, or hypervigilance
Overreacting to mild triggers (sounds, movement, other dogs)
Sleep disruptions or inability to fully relax
Increased reactivity or “edginess”
Excessive barking or whining without clear reason
Sudden fearfulness in new or familiar environments
Immune & Inflammatory Clues
Recurring infections – ears, skin, or urinary tract
Allergy flare-ups that don’t resolve
Poor vaccine response or adverse vaccine reactions
Autoimmune tendencies or inflammatory disease (e.g. IBD)
Endocrine and Lab Clues (when tested)
Elevated liver enzymes (ALT, ALP) – common in adrenal stress
Low thyroid values – cortisol can suppress T4/T3 conversion
Elevated cholesterol or blood sugar
Changes in electrolyte balance (like low potassium)
Cortisol:Creatinine ratio elevated in urine
Mineral imbalances on HTMA (especially low magnesium, sodium/potassium flip, or depleted zinc)
Many of these signs are mistakenly treated as isolated issues (anxiety, skin problems, GI trouble), when in fact, they may all stem from a dysregulated stress response and elevated cortisol.
What Happens When Cortisol Stays High?
When cortisol is chronically elevated, it throws off the entire endocrine system—especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Here’s how it shows up:
Adrenal fatigue – the glands become overworked and begin to underperform
Thyroid suppression – cortisol inhibits thyroid hormone conversion
Increased inflammation – even though cortisol is anti-inflammatory in short bursts
Weakened immunity – dogs may catch every bug or have chronic skin infections
Muscle wasting or poor body condition
Behavioral changes – reactivity, sleep issues, or depression
Digestive imbalance – due to the gut-brain-hormone connection
Poor wound healing and hair loss
Some dogs may even be misdiagnosed with Cushing’s disease when the real issue is functional cortisol dysregulation.
How to Support Lower Cortisol Naturally
Addressing the root causes is essential. You can’t just “suppress cortisol”—you must reduce the need for it.
Start here:
Feed a species-appropriate, fresh food diet to stabilize blood sugar and reduce inflammation.
Identify stressors in your dog’s life—routine, noise, confinement, fear triggers—and start reducing or counter-conditioning.
Support rest and recovery with appropriate movement, downtime, and safe space.
Use essential oils for emotional regulation, such as Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Frankincense, and the “Immunity” or “Grounding” blends.
Try calming herbs like ashwagandha, valerian root, or skullcap
Incorporate homeopathy such as Ignatia or Aconite (when indicated), especially for trauma-related cortisol spikes.
Raindrop Technique is highly effective for calming the nervous system and rebalancing adrenals through specific essential oil applications and energy alignment.
PEMF and red light therapy can reduce oxidative stress, regulate inflammation, and calm the HPA axis.
Mineral support matters. Dogs with chronic cortisol elevation often lose key minerals like magnesium and zinc—both needed for adrenal health.
Vagus Nerve Dysregulation
When cortisol is elevated due to ongoing stress, the vagus nerve becomes dysregulated, which interferes with your dog’s ability to shift back into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. This keeps them stuck in fight-or-flight mode—fueling more cortisol release.
Supporting vagus nerve health can:
Help calm the nervous system
Reduce excessive cortisol production
Improve digestion, heart rate variability, and emotional resilience
Support immune and endocrine balance
Simple vagus nerve resets and regulation tools—like acupressure, certain essential oils, breathwork (for humans), PEMF, touch therapy, and behavior practices—can make a huge difference when used consistently.
Want to learn how to regulate your dog’s vagus nerve and calm cortisol naturally? There are resources in my forum!
How Chronic Cortisol Affects the Adrenals and Endocrine System
When your dog’s body is in a state of ongoing stress, the adrenal glands respond by pumping out cortisol—over and over again. This is part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a critical feedback loop that governs how the body responds to stress.
But if that stress becomes constant, the system goes out of balance—and things begin to break down.
Here’s what happens:
Adrenal Fatigue or Exhaustion
The adrenals can’t keep up with constant demand. Over time, this may lead to dysregulated or depleted hormone output, leaving your dog with low energy, poor immunity, and heightened sensitivity to stress.Thyroid Suppression
Cortisol interferes with the conversion of T4 to T3—the active thyroid hormone. Dogs under stress may show signs of low thyroid even when the thyroid gland is fine. This often gets misdiagnosed as hypothyroidism and treated with synthetic meds rather than addressing adrenal stress.Estrogen and Testosterone Disruption
Chronic cortisol suppresses the normal rhythm of sex hormones. This is especially concerning in early spay/neuter dogs who already lack these hormones—causing further imbalance, behavioral issues, and endocrine dysfunction.Insulin and Blood Sugar Imbalance
Cortisol raises blood sugar to help the body respond to stress. But chronically high cortisol can contribute to insulin resistance, weight gain, and inflammatory disease.Immune System Confusion
In the beginning, cortisol suppresses inflammation—but over time, the immune system becomes dysregulated. Dogs may swing between immune suppression (getting sick easily) and overactivation (allergies, autoimmunity, or chronic inflammation).Brain–Gut–Adrenal Axis Disruption
Since the endocrine, nervous, and digestive systems are deeply connected, gut issues (like IBD, IBS, or dysbiosis) often show up in dogs with chronic cortisol problems. We discuss the Gut Brain Axis much more in the forum!
Bottom line? The adrenal glands are small—but their influence is huge. And when cortisol is misfiring, it can throw off everything from behavior to digestion to thyroid balance.
This is why supporting the entire endocrine system holistically—not just suppressing symptoms—is critical.
Breed Considerations
Some dogs may be more predisposed to stress-related cortisol issues due to their temperament, breed, or early-life experiences. Examples include:
Working breeds like Border Collies, Aussies, and Belgian Malinois
Sensitive or high-strung dogs like Vizslas, Weimaraners, and Shelties
Rescue dogs with trauma or poor early socialization
These pups may benefit from proactive endocrine and emotional support throughout life.
Dana’s Thoughts
I see far too many dogs who are labeled “anxious,” “reactive,” or “bad”—when what’s really going on is adrenal dysregulation and cortisol imbalance. This isn’t a behavior issue alone… it’s a whole-body, whole-life issue.
And we can do something about it—through food, rest, energy work, and intentional, gentle healing strategies.
Top 5 Things to Start Today
Feed fresh, real food to support stable blood sugar and lower inflammation.
Use calming essential oils in a diffuser or for Raindrop sessions.
Reduce sensory overload: minimize chaos, noise, and over-scheduling.
Introduce PEMF or red light therapy if available.
Work with a coach to explore mineral status, endocrine labs, and emotional trauma resolution.
Want to go deeper with support for your dog through all life stages?
Join the client forum for ongoing support and resources!
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Statements in this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Educational content only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please do your own additional research, consult your vet as needed.
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