1982; Peterson et al. 1986). Currently, the endocrine diagnosis of canine hypercortisolism is commonly based on the results of a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) or an ACTH stimulation test, or on measurement of the urinary corticoid-to-creatinine ratio (UCCR) (Kooistra and Galac 2012; Behrend et al. 2013). Here, POMC is linked to adrenal gland hyperfunction.