Depressed Jake, 9 yr old springer spaniel, Vetoryl

[Jakes Mum]

Hi Guys

My baby jake was diagnosed with Pituitory Cushings in december and is being treated with 60mg Vetoryl daily. It has cured the excessive drinking and his hair is starting to grow back although thin and course. However he is just not himself he's what id describe as depressed. He doesnt want to play the only thing that perks him up is food.

Is this normal? Is this his quailty of life from now on? :(

Thanks

[Harley PoMMom]

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Lori

[littleone1]

Corky and I want to say hi and welcome you and Jake to a wonderful group of very caring, supportive, and knowledgeable people.

Corky is being treated for adrenal Cushings. His treatment was started about 7 1/2 months ago. His clinical signs have gone away, and he is back to his normal self. He doesn't play as much as he use to, but that's because he's older now. He loves his long walks in the morning. He walks almost 3 miles every morning, and at a very fast pace. His quality of life is so much better now that he's being treated.

There's a possibility that Jake might have some other issues. When was the last time you had Jake's cortisol level checked, and what were the test results? Also, have you had his electolytes checked? It's important that these are monitored in our cushpups.

Others will be along that have more knowledge than me. We always like to know what tests have been done, along with the tests results. If you would post these it would help our members to better answer your questions.

Terri

[Jakes Mum]

Thanks for the replies.

Terri - Apologies im not very good on the cushings subject im pretty much guided by the vet.

His last tests showed his levels were "perfect" in the vets words. I was happy with that so didnt really ask more.

What are electrolytes?

Before he had the cushings tests he had full sets of blood work and urinalyisis done to rule everything else out, so as far as the vet was concerned cushings was his only problem.

Thanks

[Nathalie]

Welcome from me as well! :)

It could be that Jakes cortisol is a bit too low for him and that why he appears to be depressed. You said as per vet the cortisol level is ‘perfect’ but every dog is different and some do better at a bit higher levels of circulating cortisol while other are quite happy in the middle or lower half of the desired range.

Without seeing the actual test results and finding out a bit more about Jake it would be a guessing game.

Most of us keep copies of all test results. This can be especially helpful in an emergency where you have to take your dog to a different vet.

Could you perhaps ask your vet for copies of all the tests that have been done and post the results including the normal range.

What type of dog is Jake and what is his weight.
Age?

The more information we have the better we can assist you in sort things out.

Cheers,
Nathalie

[Jakes Mum]

Hi,

I will ask the vet for his results when i next go. Jake is a 9 yr old springer spaniel. The suggested dose for jakes weight was the 90mg capsule but the vet said the 60mg was enough to raise his levels to "normal" so you may be right about the cortisol levels being low. Should i take him back?

[littleone1]

Hi,

There's no need to apologize. We've all been through this. When Corky was diagnosed with Cushings, I had never heard of it. I started doing alot of research on the web, and it was through a vet on line, from Mar Vista Medical Center, that I was in contact with before because of another medical issue Corky had, that I was able to find alot of info. It was through her that I was directed to the Mar Vista library which led me to this group. I keep learning more and more every day.

There are also resources on this site that have alot of good information. You'll find some very helpful information under helpful resources for owners.

The most common electrolytes that are tested are sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorous and calcium. Everytime Corky has a stim test done, he always gets a complete senior blood work-up done, which includes testing his electrolytes.

Your vet did start Jake on a lower dose. Corky started on 20mg of trilo, at which time he weighed just about 20 pounds. This was also at the lower end.

When you contact your vet about getting copies of Jake's test results, I would definitely mention what you are seeing with Jake. Your vet might want to do another stim. As Nathalie said, without knowing the actual test results, it is difficult to give good advice. When was Jake's last stim test done? When is Jake due for his next stim?

Terri

[Jakes Mum]

He's not due back for 3 months, she's doing the stim tests at monthly intervals now, as she was happy with his last results. He weighs 23kg. (think someone asked that). Is an electrolytes test not something they do anyway?

I will ask my vets for the test results,will they just give me a print out.

[littleone1]

If you just get a CBC done, that doesn't include checking the electrolytes. If you ask for the test results, you should get a copy of the report that the lab sent to your vet.

[SavingSimon]

Hi Jakes Mum from Simon and I,
This disease takes a lot out of our dogs, and from what I'm reading so far the treatment can too - but no, it shouldn't always be that way from now on. Are you okay? If this is getting you down, then Jake is going to feel down too. Simon is so sensitive to me, and yet he spends every moment of the day and night by my side, and so it is important for me to keep my feelings in check around him. That is where this forum comes in so helpful for me. Simon's thread has turned into kind of a journal of our journey, with a lot of venting from me - but I'm so grateful for a place I can express and let my feelings out. Sometimes I type and cry, sometimes I read and cry, but that is not disturbing to Simon in the way it would be if I just held him and cried like I feel like doing sometimes.
I believe that when you get Jake on the right dosage and as long as you have a treatment plan with your Vet that you both agree is best for him and follow through with every test available to make sure all things are working as they should, that Jake should get to that wonderful state of remission where all things are so much better than they were. I thnk where you and he are now are just part of the process. These are just my thoughts on reading your thread so far. I am fairly new here but the moderators and the others going through what you and Jake are are so supportive, comforting, encouraging, and helpful it is good to consider all of the advice you get and really think about whether it will help you and Jake or not. If not, dismiss it, but if it is worth pondering, take the time to do it - for both of your sakes.

Simon has been panting a lot tonight, and I am wondering, is he hot? Should I try to cool him down? What is he feeling? Is he anxious? And then I start to get anxious and he pants more. Then I came here, started typing, and he stopped panting. I feel better and he must too. It is so hard not to focus on it too much and not to focus on it too little. But always remember, if Jake is your boy, he is so in tune with you. When I used to show Simon, in his younger days, they used to say how the handler's emotional state travelled down the leash, sort of like it is an umbellical cord, or maybe a better analogy is a nerve that ties the emotions of dog and the handler together - people said that it ran both up and down the lead, and it was true, I could feel it. Simon always had confidence in the ring and I did not. His confidence travelled right through the leash and into me and he would win a blue ribbon. With another dog, her anxiety and mine was what I felt travelling through that lead every time I showed her, and she did not do well when I was the handler until I finally became confident in what I was doing, and then her blue ribbons came too.
This disease can get YOU down, I know it took me to a pretty dark place for at least 8 or 9 months - time I could have been spending with Simon, but instead I made sure he was hanging out with the rest of the dogs more than me, because I knew how I would affect him. I was just completely devastated, at the thought of losing him at a fairly young age for a Jack Russell Terrier. Coming here has given me a lot more hope, researching more has done so as well. Doing everything that I can do for him to be his advocate for the best and nothing but the best treatment plan is helping and getting the thought out of my head that I am losing him - but believing that I am finding how to save him is how I am finding is the best way to cope. Simon is not the same dog as before he got sick, but we will get him back there, and I know that this group is a huge part of that process. So welcome to you and Jake. We will keep you in our prayers and others that know much more about the tests and numbers will help you along the way. You will learn yourself how to read it all, and soon your and Jake's thread will be an inspiration to someone else new that is afraid. That is what I have observed seems to be the way things go here. So give Jake a bellly rub and treat him as though all is well in your world, even if he is your worldl like Simon is mine and so you have to do some literal acting, and make sure that your vet is on top of things, ask questions and if the vet you go to doesn't know the answers go on the quest for one that does and just keep fighting for what is best for him, because that is what is best for you too. Take care, you both are in our prayers.
Love,
Dena, Simon and pack