Amilou

[lukex5]

Hi I am new to all of you. My name is Lisa and I have a precious 9 year old pomeranian who about 3wks agao was diagnoised with pituitary-dependant hyperadrenocorticism. Like everyone else I was devestated. I learned not to look at stories on line anymore since they all gave Ami a death sentence. I have been encouraged by all your stories and now feel their is hope! Thank you! Ami about a year or so agao had some minor seizures and also was diagnosed with under active thyroid. She also has a trach problem. Three months agao she started to drink more water than usual and peeing more. That is what made me concerned. Had blood done and her liver count was a little high 260 so we did the first cushing test where they took blood gave her a injection and then had to go back for another blood draw. It came back inconclusive. I waited a few more weeks and then she started to break out with sores not to mention she has not been able to grow her coat back for over a year since I shaved her last summer. We just thought it was all a part of a bad thyroid. Back again we went for the low-dose dex test where pre dex it was6.0, post 4 hr dex 1.2, and post 8 hr dex 2.3 where my vet said put her in the pituitary-dependent. I am still not all that understanding of this but I am trying for her sake. We started her on lysodren 1/4 FOR 7DAYS AND THEN DREW MORE blood. Her levels were in range so she is on a maintance 1/4 two times a week for two weeks then back for more blood. I am a little concerned because for over a year now when she sleeps she almost stops breathing. I fear it's the tumor pressing on her nasal. I don't know. Well I already got to long winded It is just great to know there are others out there who are willing to listen and share your pain

[gpgscott]

Hi Lisa,

Please make sure to check your private messages before you log off.

The LDDS results you have posted do indicate Cushings, and most likely pituitary dependant.

Treatment is a balancing act and it requires testing and observation.

Breathing issues while sleeping are not related to Cushing's to my understanding.

I does sound like your little one is stable. Please tell us more.

Scott

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to you and Ami from me and my boy Harley, who is a pomeranian too! He just turned 13 y/o on October 1, and is dx'd with PDH + Atypical Cushings.

Right now we are treating his Atypical cushings only because his cortisol is within the normal ranges.

I agree with Scott on the breathing issues, this does not sound like it's cushing related. Altho my boy does breath heavy he does not ever stop breathing.

Please tell us more about your Ami...was her blood pressure ever checked? What blood tests (CBC, Chemistry panel) were done and could you post the abnormal results here for us with the units. What were her last ACTH stim numbers? How much does she weigh?

I know I have asked alot of questions but the more we know the better we can help you help Ami.

You have definitely come to the right place for answers, these amazing and wonderful people have years of cushings experience and knowledge under their belts.

You are not alone in this cushings journey, we are here for you.

Hugs.
Lori

[lukex5]

Hi Scott & Lori! I am so confused with knowing how to get everyones replies and how to reply back. Please be patient I am a pet groomer and can groom the heck out of your pet but computer smart that I am not. I will try to get Ami's lab work next time I go in for more blood work Oct.26. I am glad to know you do not think her breathing is cush related. Sometimes I give her baby benadryl before bed and it seems to unclog her a little so I can get some sleep. I woke up one night to her coughing so much that she could'nt catch her breath then her trach collapsed!! I freaked and started to breath into her nose and push on her sides until she finally came out of it. I really am obsessed with her!! I don't think I mentioned she has been on chineese herbs for seizures because I did not want to put her on phenobarb. So far it has been 1yr and no seizures. I have a shipment on the way for support of her liver and kidneys while she is on lysodern. Have any of you decided to change diet? If so let me know to what. Again thankyou for your response I hope someday I will be of help to someone. My 34 year old horse just passed away 1 month agao from a heart attack he also was diagnosed with cushings. They say usually a horse that lives that long ends up with it.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Lisa,


I am so confused with knowing how to get everyones replies and how to reply back.Just keep what your doing, you're doing a fine job. :) Just keep posting in your thread. :)

I remembered one of other members has a pup that has breathing difficulties and was dx'd with Laryngeal paralysis. As quoted from the article I pasted a link to below: "Laryngeal paralysis results when the abductor muscles of the larynx cannot work properly. This means no expanding and opening of the larynx for a deep breath; the laryngeal folds simply flop weakly and flaccidly. This means that when one needs a deep breath, one doesn’t get one.

The suggestion has been made that hypothyroidism may be a cause of laryngeal paralysis. This question is also not fully answered."

http://marvistavet.com/html/laryngeal_paralysis.html

Maybe ask your vet about this...just a thought??


I have a shipment on the way for support of her liver and kidneys while she is on lysodern. What supplements are you going to give her for her liver and kidneys?


Have any of you decided to change diet? If so let me know to what.I have decided to get a diet formulated for my boy my Monica Segal, some have their pups diet formulated by a certified veterinary nutritionist, others feed their pups a very high quality dog food that is not found in your local grocery store and some feed their pups whats called a raw diet. It's really what works for your pup that matters...it depends on your pups health needs.

Oh Lisa, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved horse.

Remember we are here for you and you are not alone on this journey...ever.

Hugs.
Lori

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi Lisa,
I would also like to welcome you from one groomer to another. I am so sorry that Ami is experiencing these problems. Keep the faith, cushings is a very treatable disease and Ami should have some years ahead of her with proper dosing and monitoring.

I'm very happy to hear you have her seizure's under control. What does the vet say about the breathing? Maybe she is in such a sound and relaxing sleep? I know when I see some of my pups sleeping, I sometimes have to pause and stare to make sure they are still breathing. I think Leslie call's it our "twitcher"

I think many tend to increase the protein in our pups diet to help counteract the muscle wasting. I have also read here that lyso is better absorbed with a higher fat meal or treat when administering the lyso. I wasn't a Lyso user but many here are and they will be chiming in with their help and support.

Many of us use Sam-e and or Milk thistle for liver support.

Can you tell us what dose of lyso has been Rx'd for Ami and what does she weigh?

Looking forward to seeing her bloodtest and ACTH stim test results posted.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Lisa and welcome to you and Amilou! :)

Yeah, I'm a twitcher for sure! :p Squirt's ears move funny and I'm off to PanicWorld! :o:D

I am so sorry to hear about your horse. :( They are such noble creatures and one of my all time favorite animals. I even love the smell of them! :)

We tend to play "20 Questions" with new-comers so I'll get that ball rolling. ;) (Some may be a repeat, but that is only because they are important.) Does Ami have any other health issues other than those you have already mentioned? Could you tell us the name of the herbs, supplements, meds she is currently on, the dose and how often she takes them? If she has had a chem panel run recently, what was the value for the T4 (thyroid)? Has she ever had the Free T4? How much does she weigh? What is the dose of Lyso she is on? What were the actual results of the test she had after the first 7 days that indicated she was ready for maintenance? What does the vet say about her breathing? Have you had enough questions for the moment? :p

Like the others, I don't feel the breathing issues are Cushing's related but rather a separate issue and I would get that checked out asap if you haven't already...there's that twitcher in action! ;)

I don't see where any one has given you the Lyso link so here it is from our Helpful Resource section:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181

It has some invaluable info on using Lyso as well as some great tips from our members who use it on their pups. Even tho you are through the loading phase, it can still be of great help to you and Ami.

What are you feeding Ami now? Like Lori, Squirt eats a home-cooked diet designed for her by a nutritional consultant, Catherine Lane. Cush pups are prone to pancreatitis so fat is something that really needs to be monitored in cush pups. In general, high protein, low fat is the way to go for these pups. The premium feeds usually come closer to meeting these needs than to the popular brands. Premium brands are not found in grocery stores, WalMart, etc. but only in pet supply stores and some feed stores. We do have a fledgling thread on diet and nutrition which can be found at:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=762

There is some info there already and discussion is permitted so ask away on that thread about diet and nutrition in general.

You and Amilou started this journey by yourselves but you no longer have to walk this path alone now. There will always be a hand to hold yours, a shoulder to lean on when times are tough, and ears to listen if you need to talk. These are some incredibly wonderful folks with much knowledge and experience who are more than willing to share.

I am glad you are here and hope to learn much more about both of you in the time to come,

Keep you chin up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls

[gpgscott]

Lisa,

I see you have found that I moderated your user ID to remove the email reference.

Our site like all are being constantly crawled by computers and when they encounter an email addy it can be bad and you get LOTS of spam. This is why I modified your user and sent you the PM and email.

As far as talking to us, it is easy.

This is your thread, we suggest you keep all of the disscussion about Amilou here. By doing this everyone will know the entire story without having to research multiple threads.

So, we do the discussion thing here, and you have already very succesfully done that. There are other forums for different disscussion and places to upload images.

Glad it is working out so far. Looking forward to hearing more.

Scott

[lukex5]

Ok! So here we go! I am so overwhelmed and excited that all of you have responded. I thought I wrote back to myself last time and thought for sure you guys were going to laugh at me!! Ha Ha but I guess I did it right. Now to all of your questions I will try to ans. as best I can. Almost 2yrs. agao Ami took what I said was mini seizures. My vet told me to put her on phenobarb but I did'nt want to. Two days later I had a follow up visit and did'nt get my vet cause he was at a confrence so Another vet who I know examined her only to tell me that he did'nt think she was having seizures but rather passing out because she already has a history of collapsing trach, only when she gets excited. I did'nt agree but just left with tributaline to open up her airway. From Dec. to May no episodes until one night I woke to her crying and then she began to posture. Well having the mind set that she can't breath I began to breath in her nose and pump her sides while rushing her to ER. From then on the next day back to her reg vet. He said he did not think it was her trach and took another x-ray to show me only a little narrowing. From their to a specialist who did some test and said she had a little elongated soft pallet with minor larengial collaps nothing meds could not control. Thing only got worse and I was so involved that I was not even thinking straight. Ami began to have more episodes so I call them because I was so sure it was seizures but was afaraid maybe she could'nt breath after repeated runs to the ER 5 times we decided to have sugery to laser her soft pallet. One week later the episodes started again. It was seizures. I can't forgive myself for not standing away and looking at the situation calmly. I was so afraid of loosing her. ok I took enough time. I will be back with test results.