Updates on Mila, 12 year old Jack Russell (Mila has passed)

[loshie]

My 12.5 year old jack russell has recently been diagnosed with cushings (all testing including ultrasound confirmed - pituitary) We confirmed this about a a week and half ago, but right after she developed severe pancreatitis and has been at the emergency vet for 5 days (picking her up this afternoon!) Poor thing also had scar tissue blocking her bile duct in January which she had to have emergency surgery. She's a trooper though and recovered from that amazingly well, and is doing well now although this will delay her treatment on Trilostane.
Even though she's almost 13 she's a ball of energy and loves nothing more than running around in the backyard catching her ball. Because of the cushing's however, she's lost a lot of muscle mass in her hind legs which causes her legs to shake - although she doesn't seem in pain as she won't stop playing. We've tried to have this addressed but because of all these other problems, it's not been on the vet's priority list with her and says that it could be the cushings, arthritis or pain (she had a kidney infection as well) but that he wanted to deal with the more urgent matters first.

That being said, does Trilostane improve muscle mass as well?

Before last week, we had started to take her swimming which should help her exercise without the strain on her joints (plus she loves it!) but I just want her to be happy and able to do what she adores most and that's running and playing catch.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and your baby girl from me and my boy Harley! My boy has PDH cushings and pancreatitis too! Getting your girls pancreatitis under control should be the number one priority right now, which I believe your vet is doing. Was a cPL or cPLI test done to confirm the pancreatitis, if so could you post the results of either one of these test? The cPL/cPLI test also gives a range in numbers of how severe the pancreatitis is. Is she on a special diet for her pancreatitis?

I give my boy a supplement called L-Glutamine, it is good for the GI tract and may help with muscle wasting. Here is a link to an article about L-Glutamine:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23752319/Role-of-Glutamine-in-Health-and-Disease

I was wondering if you could tell us more about your girl, what tests were done to confirm her diagnosis of cushing's? You see, non-adrenal illnesses, like pancreatitis, can create false positives on cushing's tests. What symptoms does your girl display? How much does she weigh? What dose of Trilostane is she on? Do you have prednisone on hand? I am so sorry for all the questions, but the more we know about your precious furbaby the better our feedback will be, ok.

Just remember, you are not alone on this journey, we are here to help you in any way we can.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks so much - this is a great forum!

Yes, Mila is still at the emergency vet, they took bloodwork at 4am but I don't have those results yet. He did say that the cPL was 1000 I think on Monday but I don't have any paperwork from them until we go get her in a few hours.

Basically how it all started was over the x-mas holiday, she was not acting her self, stopped eating, we took her to our vet and he said her liver enzymes were so high, they had put her on IV and she was jaundice, we transferred her to the emergency vet hospital where they discovered she had a blocked bile duct - scar tissue - which they operated on her and removed and flushed her duct. She was there about 5 days and when she came home she was on Tramadol and Clavaseptin.

Because of this, we would do follow up blood work etc., and that is when her vet wanted to test for Cushings because her liver enzymes went down but other things were abnormal.

Unfortunately I don't have all the test results but I have what was performed (I'm looking at the invoices):
April 17th
Canine Total Body Function HW
Urine Cortisol : Creatinine
Urinalysis
April 23rd
Canine Thyroid Panel 4
Urine Protein : Creatinine
May 7th
Ultrasound - I have the results from the internal medicine vet and recommendation: Lliver was diffusely and mildly increased in size - parenchyma was isoechoic, adrenal glands were bilaterally mildly increased in size measuring .77 and .85 cm in diameter, both kidneys were hyperechoic with a subtle but significant degree of pelvic dilatation, suggesting pyelonephritis and possibly explaining the mild proteinuria. No masses were found and the remainder of ultrasound was normal - Pancreas at that time was normal.
Recommendation: consider confirming suspicion of pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism via provocative testing. Consider long -term ursodiol, consider urine culture and a long course of antibiotics.
She then had an ACTH Stimulation Test - her results were:
312, 737 & 850

She was prescribed Clavamox for 18 days. Vet wanted to clear a kidney infection before starting Trilostane (so no doses etc, were discussed). On the 18th day of Clavamox, was Saturday where we just took her for the pancreatitis.

Her symptoms are drinking lots of water, increased appetite (we spoke to an animal communicator after the surgery and before cushings was suspected and she told us that Mila says she is so hungry even after she eats her food!) - She's about 20 lbs (although she will have lost weight by the time we pick her up), not really a pot belly but not toned, she does look like she lost muscle mass all over, especially hind legs, hair is fine, but skin seems a bit thinner on her back.

As a side note, we used to give her Sasha's blend for a limp she would have after extended play, that was about 2 years ago and she never had that problem afterwards. Up until December, we were giving her glucosamine and a chondroitin supplement but stopped that once all this started. She also (since she was young) had incontinence due to low estrogen. I did put her on meds for this at one point, but they didn't really help.

For the pancreatitis, would it help to give an oral probiotic?? I work with a Naturopath (not a vet though) and he said it should help ease the burden on the pancreas...


Sorry for the long post, but thank you so much for replying and welcoming me to the forum!

[Harley PoMMom]

I have some of my answers/questions in blue. :)


Thanks so much - this is a great forum!

Yes, Mila is still at the emergency vet, they took bloodwork at 4am but I don't have those results yet. He did say that the cPL was 1000 I think on Monday but I don't have any paperwork from them until we go get her in a few hours.

Basically how it all started was over the x-mas holiday, she was not acting her self, stopped eating, we took her to our vet and he said her liver enzymes were so high, they had put her on IV and she was jaundice, we transferred her to the emergency vet hospital where they discovered she had a blocked bile duct - scar tissue - which they operated on her and removed and flushed her duct. She was there about 5 days and when she came home she was on Tramadol and Clavaseptin.

Because of this, we would do follow up blood work etc., and that is when her vet wanted to test for Cushings because her liver enzymes went down but other things were abnormal.

Usually HIGH liver enzymes is what red flags a vet to test for cushing's, so I am a little concerned here. If you could get a hold of her test results and post the things that are marked abnormal, it would really help us sort things out.

Unfortunately I don't have all the test results but I have what was performed (I'm looking at the invoices):
April 17th
Canine Total Body Function HW
Urine Cortisol : Creatinine
Urinalysis
April 23rd
Canine Thyroid Panel 4
Urine Protein : Creatinine
May 7th
Ultrasound - I have the results from the internal medicine vet and recommendation: Lliver was diffusely and mildly increased in size - parenchyma was isoechoic, adrenal glands were bilaterally mildly increased in size measuring .77 and .85 cm in diameter, both kidneys were hyperechoic with a subtle but significant degree of pelvic dilatation, suggesting pyelonephritis and possibly explaining the mild proteinuria. No masses were found and the remainder of ultrasound was normal - Pancreas at that time was normal.
Recommendation: consider confirming suspicion of pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism via provocative testing. Consider long -term ursodiol, consider urine culture and a long course of antibiotics.
She then had an ACTH Stimulation Test - her results were:
312, 737 & 850

Maybe this was a LDDS test and not an ACTH stim test? Could you check and make sure of this, confusing, huh? The LDDS test has 3 draws, where the ACTH stim usually has 2 draws; a pre and a post.

She was prescribed Clavamox for 18 days. Vet wanted to clear a kidney infection before starting Trilostane (so no doses etc, were discussed). On the 18th day of Clavamox, was Saturday where we just took her for the pancreatitis.

Her symptoms are drinking lots of water, increased appetite (we spoke to an animal communicator after the surgery and before cushings was suspected and she told us that Mila says she is so hungry even after she eats her food!) - She's about 20 lbs (although she will have lost weight by the time we pick her up), not really a pot belly but not toned, she does look like she lost muscle mass all over, especially hind legs, hair is fine, but skin seems a bit thinner on her back.

As a side note, we used to give her Sasha's blend for a limp she would have after extended play, that was about 2 years ago and she never had that problem afterwards. Up until December, we were giving her glucosamine and a chondroitin supplement but stopped that once all this started. She also (since she was young) had incontinence due to low estrogen. I did put her on meds for this at one point, but they didn't really help.

For the pancreatitis, would it help to give an oral probiotic?? I work with a Naturopath (not a vet though) and he said it should help ease the burden on the pancreas...


Sorry for the long post, but thank you so much for replying and welcoming me to the forum!

I am thinking if she showed no signs of pancreatitis before, that maybe the surgery to remove the blocked bile duct may have contributed to her having pancreatitis now. They might have had to handle the pancreas while in surgery and the pancreas is a very fragile organ in that it does not like to be disturbed.

Feeding several very small meals throughout the day is a good idea. Foods high in fat and protein trigger the greatest enzyme secretion, so try to feed her a diet that's very low in fat and try to keep her at her ideal weight.

Hope this helps. You are doing a great job so keep asking questions and we will try to answer them, ok!

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks Lori!!
I'll try to find that all out this week as she has to have follow up bloodwork on Friday.
I had called today and the receptionist said it was an ACTH test and gave me those numbers but I'll follow up with the vet.
Glad she's home now at least, resting up. For now, the emergency vet forwarded all her bloodwork that was done to her regular vet and she's on:
Amoxicillin, Metronidazole, Zenequin, Cerenia, Sulcrate suspension, Tramadol and Fortekor.
He said the Fortekor might be a long term as she has high blood pressure which he said is common with Cushings. He recommends if everything is ok for the next week she should start Trilostane soon so I'll see what her vet says on Friday.
Thanks again - I'll ask about the glutamine as well!

[loshie]

Oh, also because of the bile duct blockage her liver enzymes were super high and they did come down but still not normal is what I meant and other levels were off - that's why he suspected cushings, along with the fact that she started to drink a lots of water.
I'll get those results though and post when I have them.

Thanks again,
Melanie

[Franklin'sMum]

Hi Melanie and Mila,

Just wanted to pop in and welcome to you both to an amazing group of people! I am hoping Mila feels better very soon,

Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx
________
Expert insurance (http://xpertinsurance.com/)

[loshie]

Thank you so much Jane, Franklin & Bailey!

Mila seems to be doing ok for now, she's happy to be home. We spoke to an animal communicator again yesterday, Mila says her tummy still hurts but Mila was telling us all sorts of funny things that I think she's very happy at least and enjoying life otherwise.

Because her cPL level is still around 1000, we were told to wait until Monday to have more bloodwork, that's when I'll get all the results and testing info to post.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

I am glad that Mila is home and surrounded by your love and comfort. With her cPL levels being so elevated, I do want to stress how serious pancreatitis is to our furbabies, actually it can be life threatening in some cases. If Mila would show any signs of pancreatitis again, please have her looked at right away.

My boy Harley has high blood pressure also, he takes amlodipine to keep his under control.

I will be looking for your post for the test results and info. ;):) I also will be sending Mila tons of healing thoughts and well wishes.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

thanks Lori! your healing thoughts definitely helped and she has been doing good all weekend.
we went to get bloodwork done today and her regular vet said she looks really good and has a lot of energy.
as for some results i was able to get from the receptionist:

TSH level .45 ng/ml
Protein/Creatinine Ratio 1.95

and now for the ACTH:

Tube Labeled 0H
Tube Labeled 1H
Tube Labeled 2H
Cortisol Sample 1 ACTH: 312 nmol/L (reference range 28-124)
Cortisol Sample 2 ACTH: 737 nmol/L
Cortisol Sample 3 ACTH: 850 nmol/L

does that make sense?? thanks for your help, when we go get the results - i'll ask the vet for more info and post the bloodwork from today's tests. he did say that he will teach us how to take her blood pressure as he's hesitant to keep her going on the Fortekor (he said that the high blood pressure could have been from being at the emergency vet and doesn't want her to take it unnecessarily)

thanks,
melanie & mila
xox

[Dawn]

please can you tell me whqt the symtoms of pancreatisis are

[loshie]

Hi Dawn,
For Mila, she had vomiting & diarrhea, she was also lethargic, and when she was sleeping, very restless where she couldn't get comfortable at times. That was on a Friday night, by Saturday morning, she woke up, ate, then slept for another 2 hours, when she woke up again, she vomited so we took her in. Once at the vet and on IV, she didn't vomit or have diarrhea again, they started to give her a bit of food after two days. Although, she wouldn't really eat that much except when we'd go and visit her at first. She was there for 5 days. She's been doing well since she's been home. Thanks,

Melanie

[loshie]

Hi Lori,
Just found out some bad news now, Mila's bloodwork done on Monday came back. Her cPL is at around 700 which is good because it's coming down, but not where it should be. HOWEVER, now her kidney enzymes are high! (The vet said this is unrelated to cushings) So we are taking another urine sample to the vet tomorrow, I'll get the exact results and post this new bloodwork. She's eating, drinking and playing like normal which is good. We are just lost though and trying to make sense of it. We truly believe that SHE is no where near ready to leave this earth and we are just working hard on giving her that opportunity to enjoy a few more years. Plus, I'm no where near ready.
Anyway, just wanted to share an update.
Thanks,
Melanie

[Harley PoMMom]

Sometimes if the pancreatitis is severe it can affect the kidneys. Getting it under control is the upmost important thing and yous are doing everything right...you will get her there, it just takes some time.

What was her creatinine and urea nitrogen levels?

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks Lori!
Her Urea level was 16 mmol/L
Her Creatinine level was 138 umol/L

[Harley PoMMom]

Her Urea level was 16 mmol/L
Her Creatinine level was 138 umol/L

Can you post the reference ranges for both of these also, so sorry, I should of asked for that in my post. :o

Thanks :)

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Hi Lori,
Sure,
Her Urea was 16.4 reference is 3.0-10.0 mmol/L
Her Creatinine was 138 reference is 30-140 umol/L

Thanks,
Melanie

[Harley PoMMom]

The Creatinine is a good monitor of kidney function, which I see Mila's is in the normal range but in the "high normal" range.

I've read that a study was done in human patients with kidney disease, and giving supplemental CoQ10 decreases serum urea and creatinine. Maybe ask you vet about giving Mila CoQ10?

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

So Mila has been doing well on the Vetoryl (30mg) but now she is in the hospital again awaiting surgery to have her gallbladder removed!! At first we thought it was pancreatitis again, but her blood work came back and it was her liver enzymes that were almost as high as when she had the bile duct blockage. Our vet recommended we have her redo the ultrasound at the emergency vet that did the first operation, and they said that her gallbladder is diseased (although this was not the case in January) and that they had to remove it right away. - Does anyone know if this could be a result of the Cushings?? Or is this completely unrelated...

[labblab]

Just bumping this question back up.

I wish I knew the answer, but I do not. But hopefully somebody else will know. Regardless, I surely hope that Mila does well with the surgery!! Has it already taken place?

Marianne

[Harley PoMMom]

I sure hope too that Mila's surgery went smoothly and she is now at home on her way to a speedy recovery.

About the gallbladder:
Diseases of the gallbladder are divided into three categories: obstructive disease, nonobstructive disease, and rupture of the gallbladder or extrahepatic biliary ducts.
Obstructive disease may occur when the pancreas is inflamed or scarred and compresses the bile duct. If the inflammation of the pancreas can be reduced, the pressure on the duct is relieved and bile can flow normally again.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2103&aid=291

Although I am no doctor, I believe some gallbladders can become so diseased from a recurrence of pancreatitis. I know with Harley having pancreatitis I am always concerned because I never know what is going to happen next. :eek:

Please let us know how you and Mila are doing, ok?

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks Lori and Marianne!

She's back home now and the surgery went well. She is recovering nicely! When they removed her gallbladder they said that it was hard and mucousy. They took a biopsy of her intestines when they were operating and they said that was fine. They also took a biopsy of her liver which we'll know the results next week. Her pancreas and kidneys looked fine. Such a complicated area that is!!! She'll be taking Ursodiol for life now as well...

That would make sense about it being from Pancreatitis, I never wrote on here, but last month, she had a stay overnight on IV because she found her way into a package of Oreo cookies!! Her bloodwork the next day came back normal so she was ok. Even though her cushings is under control, she is still starving!! I think because of the gastro food she is on as the vet can't explain it. She never would before tear into anything like that - now we have a sign on the door to make sure whenever we leave to do a once over that absolutely nothing is left out!! Plus, when she's on her walks she tries to scavenge.

We are thinking of putting her on a home cooked diet - the internist said to make sure it's balanced and that every meal should have vitamins and calcium. If anyone knows of good recipes, I'd love to try them. She doesn't feel satisfied on that gastro food and I know we have to watch her fat intake. He said the gallbladder issue wouldn't have caused her to be so hungry so we think if it's home cooked, then maybe she'll feel more satisfied.

I'm so glad she's home now, the house just doesn't feel the same without her around!
Hope your little ones are doing well too!!

Melanie

[gpgscott]

Hi Melanie,

I know several people who have had gall bladders removed and if a pup suffers a much as a person I know it is a serious relief for Mila.

We have a number of members who are very into nutrition and some of them into home prepared meals so I can't help you out in that department but I know someone will shortly.

Wishes for a speedy recovery and diminshed appetiete for little Mila:D

Scott

[loshie]

Thanks Scott!

[SavingSimon]

I noticed a moderator bumped this up, but there wasn't an answer (by the way, hi - I also have a 12 year old Jack Russell) my dog has been on Trilostane - starting at a low dose, which has been bumped up once. It doesn't seem to be helping his muscles, and I am seeing shaking hind legs just like you are. I would really like to see if anyone has seen improvement in muscle on anything? I asked the same thing on my thread I think, but it was put in with so much other stress probably no one noticed. :o I hope and pray you see good results in Mila, and am glad she made it through her surgery so well! At the same time, so sorry, for all you are going through.
Love,
Dena and dogs

My 12.5 year old jack russell has recently been diagnosed with cushings (all testing including ultrasound confirmed - pituitary) We confirmed this about a a week and half ago, but right after she developed severe pancreatitis and has been at the emergency vet for 5 days (picking her up this afternoon!) Poor thing also had scar tissue blocking her bile duct in January which she had to have emergency surgery. She's a trooper though and recovered from that amazingly well, and is doing well now although this will delay her treatment on Trilostane.
Even though she's almost 13 she's a ball of energy and loves nothing more than running around in the backyard catching her ball. Because of the cushing's however, she's lost a lot of muscle mass in her hind legs which causes her legs to shake - although she doesn't seem in pain as she won't stop playing. We've tried to have this addressed but because of all these other problems, it's not been on the vet's priority list with her and says that it could be the cushings, arthritis or pain (she had a kidney infection as well) but that he wanted to deal with the more urgent matters first.

That being said, does Trilostane improve muscle mass as well?

Before last week, we had started to take her swimming which should help her exercise without the strain on her joints (plus she loves it!) but I just want her to be happy and able to do what she adores most and that's running and playing catch.

[loshie]

Hi Dena,
Yes, I had asked the Vet a couple of times about the shaking legs, but that hasn't been a priority (considering everything else she's been through) There is a sort of pattern in the sense that it would get worse and then she'd be sick, and then after she was recovered it would get a bit better. The vet seemed to think it could get worse if she was in pain. It doesn't "seem" to bother her as she still runs around and plays with her ball all the time. She likes when I massage her legs while she's lying down and gets a good stretch.

Did your jack russell ever have a limp?? Mine always had since she was a puppy and I was told she had arthritis - She wouldn't limp all the time, just after extremely long and vigorous play sessions with the ball, then she'd go take a nap, and when she woke up, she'd limp a bit until I could get her to stretch her leg, then she wouldn't limp at all. We put her on Sasha's Blend for a year or two and then it went away completely. That was about 2 years ago. Her hind legs have been shaking for about 1.5 years - so we tried glucosamine, but then she got sick with all this other stuff, so we weren't sure if we should give her anything for it in case it would complicate things more.

Once she's recovered from this and then it's something I want to address again as I don't want it to get any worse or cause her any pain because then I think it would make her depressed not to be able to play with her beloved ball. We are going for check up and blood work in the next week or so, so I'll see if the vet can shed anymore light on the subject and will let you know for sure!

[apollo6]

As far as the shaky leg. Apollo's hind legs used to shake. I was told that was due to the muscle wasting. His legs don't shake anymore, but he still has the hind leg weakness and a stiff gait.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

With Harley having pancreatitis with Cushing's I decided to have a diet formulated for him. Home cooking for one's furbaby is a lot of work but it is worth it, especially if one's furbaby has an illness like pancreatitis where the fat % needs to be so low, there just aren't too many top quality dog foods to pick from that are low enough in fat for our pups with pancreatitis.

Monica Segal formulated Harley's diet and he is doing great on it. Monica, however, does have a long waiting list, I believe about 6 weeks. Monica has a certificate in animal health care from University of Guelph and has published two books about feeding one's pet according to the problems and illnesses they are genetically inclined to develop – or have.

Here is a link to her website: http://www.monicasegal.com/

Another person that is excellent is Dr. Rebecca Remillard. She is a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DVM, Diplomate ACVN) and works at the Angell Memorial Vet Hospital in Boston.

Here is a link to her website: http://www.petdiets.com/

Here is a link with some info about her services: http://www.petdiets.com/Consult/default.asp

Hope this helps.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks so much Lori!! I'll speak to my vet about Monica Segal - she's located in Toronto (where I am) and went to the same school as my vet - maybe he's heard of her and worked with her in the past. I noticed on the other site petdiets.com that they work with the vets and do consultation through them so maybe Monica might do that as well.
With her having pancreatitis and being borderline renal disease, I think that it's a tricky diet in regards to protein intake.

You know, my husband and I were asked this week on separate occasions by our friends, with respect to the money we have spent this year - when is enough enough?? that was hard to hear. So it's nice to come on this site, despite the circumstances, and see how much people love their pups and would do everything within their means to help them have the happiest life they can.

[apollo6]

Welcome
I hate when people say that. :mad: For me my little guy is my family and my husband and I will do what we can for him. The way I see it these fur balls have enriched and brought joy and have taught us to live life on lives terms. So you bet we owe to them to do the best we can for them.
Ignore people like that, or just say you don't want to discuss.
I live in San Diego, CA. But was born in Toronto, Ont, lived in Rexdale.
Sometimes I wish I had not left.
Hope Mila is doing better. You will get a lot of help , support and great input.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo.;)

[loshie]

Thanks Sonja! Well put!

Unfortunately we found out some more heartbreaking news. Mila has some sort of super bacteria (they had taken a culture of the gallbladder they removed and of her liver). She has to go back now for 3-7 days to be on IV and antibiotics - apparently this bacteria is resistant to all antibiotics except for this one. And they have to keep her isolated because it's contagious. The risks are that it's not good for her kidneys so they really have to monitor her. I don't know the name of it but has anyone ever heard of this?

I've read people's posts on Dr. Mason at VEC - he's the specialist that Mila is seeing and we've been really happy with him but it's reassuring to know that other people have to.

We are crossing our fingers that this will be the last time she has to stay for an extended period. We are just so worried that because she is feeling better (she is so happy to be home and you wouldn't even guess she had an operation), she will be scared and depressed especially if she has to be isolated. I'll find out more tomorrow about where she'll be and how much interaction/walks they will give her. Hopefully it's just the 3 days and not the whole week.

P.S. Sonja - anytime (especially during the months of Nov-Mar) you are missing Toronto, we can swap houses for a week :)

[lulusmom]

You know, my husband and I were asked this week on separate occasions by our friends, with respect to the money we have spent this year - when is enough enough?? that was hard to hear.

I wish I had a nickel for every time some insensitive boob made that comment to me. I have two cushdogs, who I love like most people love their kids, and believe me I know how expensive Cushing's is. My furbabies bring me incredible joy. None of them have cost me nearly as much as my two sisters, who have caused me nothing but grief over the years and I never once thought about putting them down so....... :D

[loshie]

haha..maybe your sisters know my sisters :)
thanks for that, i got a good laugh!

[addy]

Hi and a belated welcome! Hope your baby comes home and recovers from the super bug. Who knew they could get super bugs?:eek: We learn so much from each other's experiences.:)

I just mentioned the other day about people thinking I was some goofy Mom running to the vet for attention:mad: My friends can also make some shallow comments about Zoe's frequent vet visits.:mad::mad:

Sonja puts it nicely "That is THEIR problem!!!!" Go Sonja, go!!!

Anyway, glad you found us, you will get a TON of support. Means alot!!!!:D

Hugs to Mila,

Addy

[loshie]

Thanks Addy!!

So Mila has Enterococcus bacteria which was found in her liver and gallbladder. They said it's a common bacteria, however, not common to be in those places. It hasn't done any damage yet thankfully. So she'll go tomorrow afternoon and they said they need to give her this antibiotic until her body can't take it anymore :( and they can't test her if she got rid of it or not. So it's all very confusing, but we are just hoping for the best.

Thanks everyone for your support!

[lulusmom]

I've gone my whole life, and that's a really long time, and I've never heard of Enterococcus. Kim, one of our administrators, threw me a curve ball not long ago when she posted that her Annie had helicobacter bacteria. I haven't figured out what that is yet and now your telling me about another nasty bacteria that I can't pronounce. Who in the heck comes up with the names for these conditions? At least I know that Cushing's syndrome was discovered by Harvey Cushing's so that makes sense but I find it hard to believe that there is a Mr. or Ms. Helicobacter or Enterococcus among us. :D

I went back through your thread and noticed that there was some confusion about the ACTH stim test. We are used to seeing only two draws for the acth stim test but I know that there are labs that direct two post stimulation draws, most probably due to a different stimulating agent. Most of us are used to a very expensive stimulating agent called cortrosyn and only one post stimulation draw one hour after injection is required. In any case, both of Mila's post stimulation draws are definitely consistent with cushing's. I did the math and converted the reporting units to ug/dl, which is what we are used to seeing but unfortunately I can't remember the exact numbers now. Doh! I think they were something like 26 ug/dl and 30 ug/dl. You also asked if muscle wasting improves with treatment. The answer is yes; however, it can take several months to regain the muscle tone. Once the treatment kicks in, some pet owners are surprised to see how quickly their dogs regain their energy. It isn't just muscle wasting that contributes to the general inertness and intolerance to exercise so Mila may surprise you by feeling much better rather quickly.

Did Dr. Mason mention anything about deferring cushing's treatment until Mila has completed her antibiotic regimen and is feeling better?

Glynda

[loshie]

Thanks Glynda!!

That's great news that her muscle tone will come back! And yes, Dr. Mason is keeping her on Trilostane while she is there.

So we went to visit her last night - we had to wear gowns, booties and gloves!! She wasn't in a cage and was in a concrete cell with a plexi glass door but it was pretty big, so my husband and I were able to sit in there and hang out with her!! Of course, she tried to make a jail break when we were leaving and that was sad, but at least she was feeling well enough to want to get the heck out of there!

I'm off today and will go down this morning, take a book and keep her company for a bit :)

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend with their little fur babies!!

[addy]

I am sooo glad they allow you to spend time with her!!!!!

I'll be thinking about you and hoping Mila is home soon and feeling better.

Hugs,
Addy

[apollo6]

What a lucky dog Mila is to have you. Hope she feels better.

I may only be 5'2', but I will fight for my friends.

[Roxee's Dad]

Don't know if your vet will allow this, but might be a good idea to bring a shirt (blouse) or something you have worn and leave it in her room with her. Your scent may comfort her while she is alone. Maybe her favorite toy.

[loshie]

thanks john! we did, but then they took it out the next day!

so this weekend was so stressful. friday's visit was great, and i stayed with her for 2 hours, but saturday when we went, we were so disappointed, her IV was leaking and her bedding was soaking wet with urine. the first tech who took us in just said, well the machine's not beeping so it's working (i had noticed that there was about a foot and a half of blood in her iv) and she didn't even suit up to go in and check so when i did, i saw the puddle - so we got another tech to fix it and give us new blankets. mila was shivering and so stressed. by the time we left, she had calmed down and was ok but i just couldn't sleep and was so upset at what i had seen earlier, so i packed up blankets and went back at midnight and spent the night with her!! at least i know that she got a good nights sleep. they tried to give me flack for staying but i told them about what happened earlier and how disturbed i was with that. despite being curled up in a ball for 6 hours and waking up every 20 min - that was the most comforting sleep i've had of late.

we were just told today that they found casts in her urine so her kidney's had enough, and so we are taking her home tomorrow. she's had the antibiotics for 5 days (ideally they wanted her to be on it for 7 days). we are happy she'll be home, but there is no way for them to test if the bacteria is gone unless they operate. so we are hoping for the best. dr. mason said, if they didn't get rid of it, she would probably show symptoms in about a month and we don't even want to think about that.

we hope our prayers are answered and that she'll finally be ok for a long long time.

[apollo6]

What a night mare you have been through. Poor Mila. Being with her was the best thing you could do.
Keep us posted.
I'll be praying for you.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo:o

[frijole]

Oh my... reading about your experience gave me the shivers... and I so applaud you.. like STANDING OVATION.. for going back there with your blankets and comforting your dog. I can't imagine going home and sleeping after that. Mila is very lucky and I am sure that your doing that really made a difference. I am cheering for you. Hang in there. Kim

[Marlene]

I can't imagine the stress you must be enduring, especially after finding Mila wet and her IV unattended!! What a caring, wonderful person Mila has in you to love her. I am hoping this nasty infection is gone and does not return. I send my good thoughts your way and my admiration for your tenacity in staying in there with Mila no matter how much you were being discouraged. You and Mila are overdue for some good breaks and I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you.

[gpgscott]

I am so sorry for the upset and seperation being caused by this treatment for you both.

Best wishes for a good outcome.

Scott

[mytil]

OMG, it really breaks my heart to read your post --- poor little Mila, she did not need that added stress and I too would have done what you did.

Tons of healing prayers are being sent your way.
Terry

[littleone1]

I am so sorry to hear about everything that's been going on with Mila.

Corky and I are keeping everything crossed that Mila will be on the road to recovery very soon. I will be keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

Terri

[Franklin'sMum]

Thoughts and prayers to you both. Hoping Mila feels better soon.

Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

[addy]

Wow, I can't even imagine that, I would have lost it. It has to get better for little Mila and for you.

She will be better at home and the thought of you sleeping there with her brings tears to my eyes.

I am sending you a REALLY, REALLY BIG cyber hug and am hoping you can feel it.

So many hugs,
Addy

[loshie]

thank you so much everyone for all the kind words and prayers!! it's so much appreciated and it really does help!

very happy to say she's home now, and sleeping on our bed at the moment :D dr. mason was happy that she received the full five days of treatment at least. i really do think it's a great hospital except for that one person who probably should be in a different field.....but the other techs were really sweet and dr. mason has been great.

thanks again - i'm so lucky to have found this site!!

luv,
melanie & mila
xoxo

[Harley PoMMom]

So happy to hear that Mila is now home and being surrounded by your loving care. Harley and I are sending big hugs, healing thoughts and prayers, and much love your way.

Love and more hugs,
Lori and Harley

[Franklin'sMum]

Hi Melanie,

I'm so happy for you both that Mila is home and resting :). That has to be so comforting for you and her. Continued prayers for you both,
Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

[loshie]

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to give an update, Mila had us pretty scared the other day, for about a minute, she was staggering, and bumping into things. That was on Tuesday, and it hasn't happened again and she is playing and doing well otherwise. But of course we were scared, so we had a full blood panel done and got the results today..was wondering if anyone could shed some light, the vet said that we need to do a urine sample tomorrow as he wants to check that before drawing any conclusions...

I'll give the levels that were high/low and the ref. range

results ref. range units
Albumin 26(low) 27-44 g/L
ALT 166(high) 12-118 U/L
Alk. Phosphatase 136(high) 5-131 U/L
BUN 22.2(high) 2.1-11.1 mmol/L
Creatinine 154(high) 44-141 umol/L
Phosphorus 2.0(high) .81-1.94 mmol/L
Cholesterol 11.93(high) 2.38-10.0 mmol/L
Triglycerides 7.59(high) .33-3.32 mmol/L
Platelet Count 403(high) 170-400 10e/L

[gpgscott]

Hi Melanie,

I wonder how long the episode lasted.

I don't know why, but it is widely agreed that dogs are not prone to strokes. There is a condition called CVS (canine vestibular syndrome). It is a middle ear issue and causes vertigo so the stumbling. It is usually sudden onset and can occur for short periods and then subside but can also persist. It is difficult to diagnose between active periods, the most notable syptoms outside of the vertigo is called nystagmus a rapid and usually rythmic motion of the eyes.

Please let us know how things progress.

Good luck, Scott

[loshie]

Thanks Scott! The 2 episodes lasted less than a minute and we haven't seen it again. Her eyes did not do that when it happened, she was looking straight at us. I went over to her and held her and then when I let go she started to walk normal. The vet mentioned that condition but my husband took her and I was not there, so I don't know what he said exactly and how they would test for that. So they just did the blood work.
She was sick again last night and vomited, although, it wasn't bile it was food and water. She was ok afterwards and has been fine up to now. We are going back to the vet as soon as they open and we are bringing in a urine sample.
I don't even know what to say at this point. It's breaking our hearts and I don't want her to suffer and to have to be repeatedly traumatized by going to the vet.

[Franklin'sMum]

Hi Melanie,

My IMS has told me that hyperlipidemia (which includes triglycerides), can sometimes cause neurological symptoms. If you take a look at http://s875.photobucket.com/albums/ab315/JaneB2005/March%2018%202010/ you will see my little guy having a staggering, circling episode.
Franklin usually has high lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol, we had a CT scan performed earlier this year, and it showed no lesions or masses.

I have also read of something called 'focal motor behaviour epilepsy' which isn't a seizure like traditional epilepsy, this site goes into more detail about seizures in general http://www.hurricaneanimalhospital.com/forms/info%20handouts/Seizures.pdf.

Would you mind letting me know if this is similar to what Mila experienced? Thank you,
Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

[loshie]

aww...franklin is so cute, poor thing. i'm relieved they didn't find any masses or anything.

no, mila for about a minute just staggered when she walked, walking sideways to her left so she was bumping into the wall and door frame.

we gave her a subcutaneous injection yesterday and she's absorbed it all and wasn't vomiting anymore. she wasn't really eating though but then at night time she seemed to be better and started eating again. we are mixing in the reduced protein food with her low fat food and then completely switch over. the vet also said to start giving her 10mg of pepcid once a day which we did last night.

she's ok this morning and was even playing. the vet is supposed to call us today with her urine analysis results and if we need to do another injection we'll go in.

i did last night find a good link i think to explaining everything on the blood panel - http://www.petplace.com/dogs/understanding-blood-work-the-biochemical-profile-for-dogs-2/page1.aspx - as I have no idea what any of those meant...

luv,
melanie & mila

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

Have they checked Mila's blood pressure lately? And are they doing a UPC test? I see from the last lab results that her Creatinine and Phosphorus are a bit high, which are good indicators of how the kidneys are functioning.

Big hugs to you and Mila from me and my boy Harley.

[Loladog]

Hi Melanie,

I just found your thread and I wanted to say how lucky Mila is to have such a great mom! You have a lot on your plate and you're doing such a wonderful job caring for her.

Our Lola also has chronic Pancreatitis and I have yet to find a diet that completely works for her. We tried a consultation with Monica Segal and at first, the home prepared diet really worked. Unfortunately, the good results didn't last and she stopped tolerating the food completely. Her Spec cPL levels remained high even on low-fat ground turkey and white rice. You can't get any lower in fat than that! Even Monica Segal ran out of suggestions and we ended up switching over to an Rx diet. I've tried a few other options since but keep having to go back to the Royal Canin Digestive LF. I was just wondering what food your vet has Mila on now? You mentioned it's a gastro diet but also she's needing to be on low-protein now as well. Are you switching completely over to the low-protein?

Lola also has shakey hind legs at times due to muscle wasting. We put her into Addison's accidentally with her Lysodren treatment so she actually hasn't had a Lysodren since February. So, I can't say whether or not Cushing's treatment helped with the hind end weakness. I can say that each time we go to the vet, they mention that her hind end looks smaller and her chest bigger so the muscle wasting continues.:( We are giving her Dasuquin, Tramadol and fish oil for the arthritis.

That must have been very scary when Mila had her staggering episodes. That happened to a dog owned by a previous landlord when he was under our care. It really scared me because I thought he was having a stroke. It turned out to be an inner ear infection which was treated by antibiotics and ear drops if I remember correctly.

Well, I'm glad that despite everything, Mila seems to be feeling good. Keep up the great work and I'll be thinking about you guys.

[SavingSimon]

Dear Melanie and Mila,

I am sorry it has been so long since I checked back. Boy have you been through the wringer since then! I hope and pray things are going better for you and your girl. I have learned some things from answers on your thread that I never got on mine. Glynda says that the muscle does come back. I am wondering if she can say how long that takes, as it is possible I am just being impatient? It does seem to me that there are an awful lot of dogs having muscle atrophy that is not resolving in their hind legs - but maybe it is a matter of time? Simon's hamstrings are gone. Literally not there any more my Vet told me, there is an indentation where these muscles used to be in his legs - will they come back?

Another thing I noticed was that someone told you that strokes are very rare or unheard of or something like that in dogs. I have six Jack Russells right now, and one rescue JRT (hoping to find her the right home) and have rescued hundreds of JRTs in the past going on thirteen years. I did have one dog that when he was twelve years old had a stroke. I was not there when he had the stroke, or didn't notice it, but the Vet told me he had definitely survived a stroke, based on the symptoms that he had. The symptoms improved over time, but he would walk into walls, get stuck in corners, and occassionally just do strange things. Sometimes he could hear, and other times either he could not hear, or was acting like he couldn't. His vision and his gate were definitely affected. He improved dramatically over a year - he was quite a tough guy who survived some horrific abuse before I got him in his later years. Walking into walls, or getting stuck in corners are signs of a dog that has had a stroke. But at least in the case of JRTs they seem to recover remarkably quickly.

As to the people who make comments about me spending money on my dogs, I agree with the advice you got here. And I always tell people they are my kids, kids that I don't have to buy cars for, or send to college, or pay hundreds of other bills for and that is my choice, it might not be theirs, but most of the people who have nasty comments have kids - and if you ask me, they are the ones that made the more costly decision.:)

No, Simon doesn't limp, Bandit, the dog I mentioned that had a stroke used to have a skip which usually indicates luxating patella, but did not in his case, he just liked to skip once in a while. I have seen a lot of Jack Russell Terriers with that kind of walk over the years. Sometimes it indicates a joint problem, and sometimes it is just the way they walk.

Simon has never had any arthritis, and does not have arthritis now. The muscle wasting is of great concern to me, he lost his "springs" and can't jump any more, he can barely walk. I really hope that he just hasn't been on Trilostane long enough for me to see the healing of his muscle, he still has a pot belly, which is also a muscle related problem because my understanding is the pot belly is caused by the atrophy of the muscles of the abdominal wall. This is a primary concern for me now, because if he loses much more muscle he won't be walking.

I know that you have had many serious issues to face, and I am so glad that your girl was quick to rebound from everything so far. JRTs are like that! Very determined dogs! I think it is awesome that she is a "ball dog" - I have one "ball dog" out of six JRTs - and they are so much fun! There is only one way to get my "ball dog's attention, and that is with a tennis ball. I could train him to do anything in the world if I had the time, just for the reward of that ball! :cool: Simon has always been more of a "bone" dog. He hides all of the bones for later, and forgets where he put them - I have found bones in plants, and in the laundry, under cushions. He has even tried to hide them in my stomach, scratching my belly, which really cracked me up.

You have an amazing girl, she has really been through a lot and always rallied back to good health, so I hope she continues to do so. You are both in my thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Dena and dogs

Hi Dena,
Yes, I had asked the Vet a couple of times about the shaking legs, but that hasn't been a priority (considering everything else she's been through) There is a sort of pattern in the sense that it would get worse and then she'd be sick, and then after she was recovered it would get a bit better. The vet seemed to think it could get worse if she was in pain. It doesn't "seem" to bother her as she still runs around and plays with her ball all the time. She likes when I massage her legs while she's lying down and gets a good stretch.

Did your jack russell ever have a limp?? Mine always had since she was a puppy and I was told she had arthritis - She wouldn't limp all the time, just after extremely long and vigorous play sessions with the ball, then she'd go take a nap, and when she woke up, she'd limp a bit until I could get her to stretch her leg, then she wouldn't limp at all. We put her on Sasha's Blend for a year or two and then it went away completely. That was about 2 years ago. Her hind legs have been shaking for about 1.5 years - so we tried glucosamine, but then she got sick with all this other stuff, so we weren't sure if we should give her anything for it in case it would complicate things more.

Once she's recovered from this and then it's something I want to address again as I don't want it to get any worse or cause her any pain because then I think it would make her depressed not to be able to play with her beloved ball. We are going for check up and blood work in the next week or so, so I'll see if the vet can shed anymore light on the subject and will let you know for sure!

[Franklin'sMum]

Thanks, Melanie.

Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser. I'm out of thoughts :o, but glad that Mila is doing well otherwise.

Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

[StarDeb55]

Melanie, Terry asked me to look at Mila's labs as she was very concerned about the BUN & creatinine values which are the 2 main measures of kidney function. Let me start off by telling you that I am a medical lab tech with 30+ years of experience, so looking at these numbers is not new for me. The next thing is that in the US, we are used to seeing most lab results in mg/dl for reporting units, so I had to look up some conversion factors to get Mila's numbers where they make sense to me. I think I have made the conversions correctly.

BUN: 22.2 mmol/L = 62 mg/dl
normal range: 6-25 mg/dl

Creatinine: 154 umol/L = 1.7 mg/dl
normal range: 0.5-1.6 mg/dl

BUN/Creatinine ratio: 36.5
Normal range: 4-27

I have calculated the ratio for you as it is really the most important of the 3 values. An elevated BUN is non-specific as the elevation may be caused by something as simple as dehydration or a recent high protein meal. The creatinine is the most important of the 2 values as it is a directed measure of kidney function & is normally not affected by these types of variables like the BUN. Mila's value is just a tick above normal, but when you look at the ratio, this is where the real problem becomes apparent. This is a significant elevation which may be an indication of some type of kidney problem including renal failure. If your vet has not mentioned this, I would strongly encourage you to ask especially in light of the episode that Mila had a few days back.

Debbie

[loshie]

Sorry, I'm not that good at forums (this is my first one) and not sure how to do the quote thing properly...

Hi Debbie,
Thank you so much for taking a look at the numbers. Our vet called us yesterday and we are so sad to say that Mila is having kidney failure. He received the results from her urine test (I'll get a copy tomorrow). He said he would have another test done on the sample they have to rule out any type of error. We are just devastated. He recommended another stay with IV but we are opting for the subcutaneous injections as now we think it's a quality of life issue. She's just been through so much and her last stay at the ER vet was just too much on her. He said that her kidney's were operating at 25% - everything has been a blur, so I didn't ask how he would know that - is that based on the blood panel?? He said we can give her medications and change her diet but that it can't be reversed. The IMS who operated on her and put her on the IV antibiotics will also take a look at her results and I'm supposed to call him tomorrow.
I've read that diet change, fluids and medication can help but at 25% of her kidneys working, in your opinion, what do you think? Should we also keep her on the Trilostane?


Hi Lori,
We sadly don't know how to check her blood pressure but from the last visit the vet is going to put her on medication for it. She had been on Fortikor when she had pancreatitis but then our vet thought because she is so anxious when she's hospitalized that it was due to that but now he said we'll put her on it. So on Tuesday we are going to pick it up.

Hi Dena,
Funny enough, I actually never wanted a dog. A boyfriend in college said he was just looking and he came home with the cutest little thing I ever saw and changed my life completely! Little did I know what a JRT is capable of. Especially during the early years!! My husband had a JRT that my Mila met once when we first started dating. We are huge fans of them :)
You have 7 right now?? That's amazing! It's sad that there are so many that are let go because they are just too smart. I think Mila's "craziness" is what made me fall in love with her. She's been my biggest teacher in life. Especially PATIENCE! The stories I could share make me smile so much (although maybe not when they were happening..ha!)

Hi Aimee,
Yes - she's starting to eat the reduced-protein food, we are mixing it with the low fat for now, but then we'll switch over completely. We might try to home cook as well but I tried some low-fat recipes last week (before this last blood test) and she vomited once so I'm a bit scared to do it again. We were mixing a product called "Hilary's Blend" into the food. The vet said we'll talk more about diet and supplements this week.

Thank you Jane, Franklin & Bailey and everyone for their support!!

Mila has vomited twice today and would have restless bouts where her back hackles stick up (I tried to google this but couldn't find anything on the hackles only near her tail). And yet at the same time, on her walks we can't keep up and she was playing a lot today. That's how it's been for a year and I think we are slowly going crazy but this forum has been a huge help and I sincerely appreciate it.

Thankfully as well, I start a new job Nov. 1st and so I'm taking the next 3 weeks off to be with her - hopefully we'll be spending that time playing :) I'm trying to be positive because I don't want her to see me cry.

[loshie]

Oh Dena,
My husband's JRT named Tiny was 17.5 when they said good-bye to her. When she met Mila, she barked at her and Mila never barked back which was rare - we like to think that Tiny was telling Mila "ok, now it's your turn to take care of my daddy" :) Mila's been doing a good job!

[StarDeb55]

The 3 values I posted are the ones that they are looking at to make the diagnosis of kidney failure. I definitely would be interested in seeing that urine result, exactly what test they did along with the actual numbers. Everything they have suggested about treatment will help, & should maintain Mila's quality of life. I will be honest, though, at only 25% kidney function, the damage is not reversible. I can't comment on the trilostane as I have never used it. I am so very sorry.

Debbie

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

I am so sorry to hear of Mila's recent issue, my boy Harley was just recently dx'd with kidney disease and his vet had me stop giving him the Vetoryl.

According to Dechra's Product Insert one should not use VETORYL Capsules in animals with primary hepatic disease or renal insufficiency.

Some of the things I am doing for Harley are: getting a diet formulated for his kidney disease with keeping his pancreatitis in mind; started him on CoQ10; and he has started taking benazepril along with his amlodipine. I also joined this K9Kidney forum http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/K9KIDNEYS/ Jane, (Franklin's Mom), recommended the K9Kidney forum to me and it has a wealth of information on our pups with kidney problems.

Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thank you Debbie, I know it's a rough time for you so I do appreciate you taking the time to help. When I get the urine results I'll post them.

Hi Lori, I never even thought of that and the vet didn't mention on the phone. I gave her dose today already but I'll stop that going forward and let him know. She is now on medi-cal reduced protein but he did say there are home cooked diets we can try. He mentioned fish oil as well...I'll join that forum and start reading.

Thank you so much!

Luv,
Melanie & Mila

[littleone1]

Hi Melanie,

I'm so sorry to hear about Mila's kidney issues. I hope that a change in diet and the additional support group will be able to help you and Mila. Corky and I are keeping everything crossed that Mila will stabilize.

[SavingSimon]

Just thought I'd let you know Simon's Mom's name was Tiny too - and his Dad was named "Tex". I never got his papers from the breeders, though they promised them to me, they moved out of town days after I bought Simon because their little girl needed heart surgery that could only be done in CA. I talked to them a few years later, and Tex and Tiny were getting up in age but doing well, Tex was just a bit of a grump sometimes, which apparently was a genetic trait he passed to his son, who acts just like his daddy sometimes. Last I heard, Simons parents were doing well, and well into their upper teens. Those "Tiny" girls are something else! I am praying that you have many years of joy ahead of you with the girl your Tiny passed the torch to. JRTs have big hearts, sometimes literally, according to my Vet, and my experience. May God bless and watch over you and Mila and bring healing and hope to you.
Love,
Dena and dogs

Oh Dena,
My husband's JRT named Tiny was 17.5 when they said good-bye to her. When she met Mila, she barked at her and Mila never barked back which was rare - we like to think that Tiny was telling Mila "ok, now it's your turn to take care of my daddy" :) Mila's been doing a good job!

[loshie]

thanks everyone!

mila has been doing great this past week. she is still on the trilostane, i asked my vet and he spoke with the ims and they both agreed that she should still be on the treatment. they said that the cushings might exasperate things if we take her off of it. i'm a bit confused on this as lori was told NOT to give harley the vetoryl.

she's kept all her food down (the reduced protein) and has a great appetite. her energy level has been great too! she's been playing and running around - on her walks, she's been running and someone even commented that our "puppy" had amazing energy - when we told her that she was almost 13 they were shocked.

one set back though - she did have a staggering spell today, which of course we were so disappointed. she was on her way to the kitchen for some food. it didn't seem to bother her and her eyes were focused. i picked her up to try to help her and brought her to a different room, she started to walk again to the kitchen but staggering to her left and looking at us like "c'mon what are you guys looking at?" so at least we think it didn't bother her. i got her to sit down and then when she stood up again she was fine...and then again, continued on to the kitchen :)

she goes in for blood work on thursday (i'll get a copy of the urine test they did). she is due for a stim test too, but that will be postponed until we get the blood work results again and see where she's at.

i've also started doing energy work on her - not really sure if i'm doing it right or if it helps but seeing as she's been doing better, i'm going to keep at it. basically i was told to wet my hand and shake the excess water off and then place my hand an inch away from her and scan her body, when i feel a hot spot on my palm, without touching her, i imagine and try to pull it away (the negative energy) and then shake it off away from her body. i try to have a clear head with healing thoughts as i do it and work on the spot until i don't feel that it's hot anymore (i wet my hand again if it's dry)...anyway, maybe that could help some of the pups on here.

luv,
melanie & mila
xox

[loshie]

oh, i've also emailed the CDN company to ask them about if she should be taking Vetoryl considering her kidneys and if they can send me any literature - i'll post what they say.

also, i noticed that there is reference to Dechra but the company that distributes here is different. my vet told me to watch the video's on this site if anyone is interested (they are actually intended for vet's to watch)

http://vetoryl.ca/

i've watched them and they are extremely helpful in understanding cushings!

[loshie]

Hi Debbie,
I don't have the urine test results from 2 weeks ago, but yesterday they did another blood panel and urine test. The urine culture from before did end up showing some sort of bacteria so the vet said, this could be why her numbers were off so I'm waiting for the urine culture of this sample and we'll get that on Monday.

For now, her blood work seemed to have improved and her results are:

Bun 14.7 mmol/L
Creatinine 127 umol/L

I looked at your calculations and went online to do the conversions and the Bun/Creatine ratio would now be 28.58 which is a little above the normal range you posted.

The urinalysis results were:
Specific Gravity 1.013 ref range 1.015-1.050
pH 7.5 ref range 5.5-7.0
Protein 2+
Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio 9.87 ref. range says </=.05

I had just gone in to pay some of my never ending bill down :) so I never actually discussed the results with my vet at all (just asked the reception to give me a print out), so I'm waiting for him to call to go over it with me and I think he wants to wait for that urine culture.

Also, we think that her staggering spells might be the pituitary tumour growing. We don't want to have to put her through an MRI. I watched a video on that site vetoryl.ca that talks of Nelson's Phenomena, about how when the cortisol level drops from the cushings therapy that the tumour could grow and cause some neurological problems but that they will adapt to the size? Has anyone heard of this? Then I read about Pituitary Macrotumours but I'm not sure if it's the same or not...

Thanks,
Melanie & Mila
xox

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

I was wondering what Mila's calcium and phosphorus levels were.


The calcium/phosphorus balance becomes deranged in kidney failure due to hormone changes that ensue as well as the inability of the failing kidney to excrete phosphorus. If calcium and phosphorus levels become too high, the soft tissues of the animal's body will develop mineralized deposits which are inflammatory and uncomfortable. The bones will weaken as well.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_chronic_renal_failure.html


Acute renal failure: Decreased glomerular filtration rate in acute renal failure may result in severe hyperphosphatemia. The increased serum phosphorus concentration may lead to hypocalcemia with clinical signs (2), but many animals with acute renal failure are normocalcemic.

Chronic renal failure: Dogs or cats with chronic renal failure may be hyperphosphatemic but are most commonly normocalcemic. As mentioned earlier, if the patient has a protein-losing nephropathy it may have a decreased serum total calcium concentration due to the loss of albumin-bound calcium, but have normal ionized calcium concentrations (2). However, since vitamin D is converted to the active form (1,25-dicholecalciferol) in the kidney, chronic renal failure may render the kidney unable to produce activated vitamin D and lead to hypocalcemia. Concurrent hyperphosphatemia may be present due to decreased glomerular filtration rate associated with renal failure.


Common clinical signs of hypocalcemia

Seizures, Tetany, Paresis, Ataxia, Bradycardia, ECG changes, Panting, Posterior lenticular cataracts

http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/CLERK/mcfarland/index.php

Sending positive and healing energy your way and keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks Lori! How is Harley? Hope you are both well!

On Oct. 8th
Phosphorus 2.00 (High) Ref range .81-1.94 mmol/L
Calcium 2.4 Ref range 2.23-2.85 mmol/L

On Oct. 21st
Phosphorus 1.61 Ref range .81-1.94 mmol/L
Calcium 2.6 Ref range 2.23-2.85 mmol/L

The only thing that has changed in that time period was her food. We were feeding her Medi-cal Low Fat and switched to Medi-cal Reduced Protein.
Surprisingly, her Amylase and Lipase went down a bit from Oct. 8th as we were concerned about the diet change and the pancreatitis. They are currently: Amylase 746 U/L and Lipase 497 U/L..

Big hugs to you both!
Melanie & Mila

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Melanie,

Thanks for asking about Harley, all of his kidney values have come back into the normal ranges since being off the Vetoryl but his Phosphorus is in the high normal range.

His vet, IMS and I have decided to put him a Phosphorus binder as soon as we get his BP under control. His BP was 180 but his last BP reading checked on 10/16 was 120! :D I am taking him in tomorrow to have it rechecked again and hopefully it is still 120.

Looking at Harley's Phosphorus levels on his chemistry panels I see that they have always run a little bit on the higher side of normal, not alot just a little but on one of his ultrasounds it did show that he does have mineralization in both kidneys. :(

Looks like you're doing a great job with Mila and I am wishing you and Mila all the best.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[loshie]

Thanks Lori!
I have some good news about Mila, we figured her dizzy spells were the Trilostane because she had lost 4 lbs and it was too high, she's now put the weight back on and is doing well. She goes to the vet twice a week now for sub-q shots and it's helping. We'll take her next week to have blood/urine work and see how her kidneys are. The diet change is helping though.

We do have some really good news about what Mila's been up to. I can't really say much but Mila will be on tv in May!! My little starlet has been prancing around in front of the cameras, showing off and making new friends! I'm so excited and can't wait to see it. They even said they would give us the raw footage of her :)

When I know the exact air date I'll post on here. I'm so proud of her!!

Hugs to all of you!
Melanie & Mila

[lulusmom]

I'll be waiting with my popcorn for Mila's debut. How exciting....we have a star in our midst. You go, Mila!!!

[horsemum2]

Hi! We have a JRT that will be 12 in Feb. This past Oct., she was diagnosed with Cushings. I'm glad to hear that yours is doing better now.

[jrepac]

So nice to hear some good news about Mila :)

She sounds like a real princess...:)

gotta love those terriers! :)

Jeff & Angel Mandy

[loshie]

My husband and I would just like to thank you all for being so kind to us with your prayers and well wishes through Mila's battles.

Our little Mila has passed on today. She was our world and our little baby girl and we couldn't watch her suffer anymore. She had another severe pancreatitis attack and with her kidneys, she was not recovering. We are so grateful that we had this last year to spend with her and she got to enjoy her 13th birthday in December. I don't know how we are going to make it through the days without her.

I'll keep saying my prayers for all your puppies, give them all big hugs and kisses.

Luv,
Melanie

[littleone1]

I'm so sorry to hear about Mila. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Rest in Peace Mila.

Thank you for keeping all of us in your prayers.

(((HUGS)))

Terri

[BestBuddy]

Dear Melanie,

So sorry to hear about Mila. Loving means letting go and time does take the sharp edge off the hurt. But for now try to remember the good times.
Another angel has their wings.

Jenny

[bgdavis]

I'm so sorry to here of Mila's passing. I know that she will be greatly missed, just as she was greatly loved.

Bonnie and Angel Criss Ann

[Squirt's Mom]

Dear Melanie,

You have fought so hard for Mila and she matched you battle for battle. I am so sorry this last fight was more than she could overcome.

It has been apparent from your first post how very loved Mila is and just how devoted her family was to her. I know the pain you and your husband feel right now is almost unbearable and it is my prayer that in the days ahead you both will be able to find and hold to the memories of the happy days and that these memories will ease your pain.

Mila's name has been added to the In Loving Memory list for 2011 where she will always be remembered and honored as a member of our family. When you feel up to it, we would be honored to share in the memories of your lives together. You can share your memories at:

http://k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8.

Candles are being lit for Mila by her family here at:

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=K9C

You can return to this candle site anytime you wish to light a candle in rememberance of your sweet girl.

Please know we are here for you and your husband any time you need to talk.

Our deepest sympathies,
Leslie, Squirt, Trinket and our Angels, Ruby and Crystal






Look not where I was
For I am not there
My spirit is free
I am everywhere

In the air that you breathe
In the sounds that you hear
Don't cry for me Mom
My spirit is near

I'll watch for you
From the other side
I'll be the one running
New friends by my side

Smile at my memory
Remember in your heart
This isn't the end
It's a brand new start

By: Carol Kufner

[Roxee's Dad]

Dear Melanie,

I am so very sorry for your loss of Mila. My heart hurts for you and your family. Mila knows she was very loved.

Rest in peace sweet girl. You our our newest and brightest star in the sky.

[clydetheboosmom]

Oh Melanie - I am so very, very sorry. Hugs to you and yours.

Lynne, Clyde & Bailey

[Bichonluver3]

Melanie,
I haven't posted before but have been following your thread. My heart is breaking as we all grieve when one of our family members is hurting. What a brave little girl Mila was and what a wonderful, loving Mom and Dad she had to be right by her side. She knows how much you love her, just as she loves you. She is not really gone - she lives in your heart and is there whenever you need her. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Please stay with us and, when you are ready, we would love to hear about the wonderful times you shared.
To Mila: Run free, sweet angel, with a healthy body and renewed strength. Run through the green fields of heaven with the sunshine in your face and many new friends beside you. I will watch the desert sky tonight to find your brightly twinkling star and know that you are watching over us all. Godspeed and God bless, precious girl.
Love,
Carrol & Chloe

[addy]

Dear Melanie,

I am so sorry the last fight was not to be won. You gave your little girl so much and she knows that.

May the coming days ease the horrible pain so that her memory can bring you joy.

Love,
Addy

[Casey's Mom]

Dear Melanie, I am so very sorry to hear about Mila. Your hearts are breaking I know but you took her pain and made it yours. You did not let her suffer. Godspeed sweet Mila, your parents loved you very,very much.

Love and many hugs,

[loshie]

Thank you so much everyone for your kind words and thoughts, it helps a lot. I know that my little Mila is watching over all your little ones too.

[k9diabetes]

I am so sorry to learn of Mila's passing...

Natalie