[107barney]

Usually alkaline phosphatase shows elevation in the blood. Then there are the vague symptoms which can become increasingly worse (thirst, urination in excess, etc). I had a suspicion in my dog Barney who was peeing a lot and his pee had a strange odor. I had my vet run a Cortisol:Creatinine ratio test before getting into other testing. Based on my research, thiis is a rule out test but not a rule in for Cushings. My dog's mild liver elevation was a benign age-related liver abnormality but at the time I was very concerned about cushings.

As for your husband, tell him that a stitch in time saves nine and that making a mountain out of a molehill is often a good way to save yourself money down the road for untreated or ignored conditions which will cost more to treat and/or cure later. BTW vets aren't always right, they are humans and make mistakes. If your gut tells you something is wrong, pursue it.