Radar German Shepherd 10 yrs. old

[Carol Baldwin]

Hi I am new, Radar started with a urine accident in his bed overnight. Radar and I walk approx. 3 miles 4 times a week. One day he got tired and I almost didn' make it home with him. I had to go slow and coax him to come. He weighs 100 pounds. Loves to walk and has me almost running, plus we have 3 1/2 acres completely fenced so he makes the rounds.

I noticed Radar drinking lots of water but was not concerned because we walk a lot and he needs to drink I thought? Well he starts by licking himself then chewing like he has fleas in his UT? He has no fleas. He had urine wetting accident in his bed over night, he never had before.

So I know I need to take him to the Vet. The Vet new right away he had Cushings. I brought a urine sample in it was diluted and they took a blood test. The Vet gave him an antibiotic shot, put him on 2 weeks of Ciprofloxacin 250mg twice a day and gave him a blood test he said the blood test was normal but the urine was diluted and I was told really bad. After the 1st round of antibiotics I had his urine redone and all was good but his Specific Gravity was low. So he gave him 10 days of the antibiotic trimethoprimsulfa 960mg. We thought he was better then 2 days after the last antibiotic he started spinning seemed to be acting out by pulling his bed out, licking himself and whimpering. Never did any of that before. So I call the Vet he said no more antibiotics we can do the blood test for Cushings.

I started searching the internet and noticed that the treatment can have serious side affects and would not cure him. I decided to treat Radar myself. He is taking acidolphilus, (probiotics) melatonin, (for anxiety) cranberry extraxt, (good for UT) cats claw, (good for immune system) milk thistle (good for liver metabolism) twice a day. Remember he drinks a lot and cannot hold his nutrients. He is also 100 pounds and not fat. No pot belly. We do not walk since his illness. He sleeps a lot and I only give the pills with cheese and just before he eats his 2 meals a day. Remember he is a large dog. He is acting normal and happy not sick.

Radar is doing very well right now. Much better since I am using my remedy. The research on the Cushing pills sounded like they may do more harm. I met a lady at the post office and her dog lived three more years on a herbal method. I will find out what she used. She works there and I have seen her for years. I saw pictures of her doggies there and I said my dog has Cushings, so she asked me what I was doing. She told me she did her own method, I will find out what she used. Her dog lived 3 more years. I have read some of the posts here, plus a lot of research on the internet. I am only giving my opinion method but do not want to say use my method, do what so many of you have and I don't want anyone to believe or think I have the answers for your situation. We all love our dogs and want the best comfortable time they have left with us.

[StarDeb55]

Carol, I would like to welcome you & Radar! Now, I seriously hate to discourage the treatment route you would like to pursue with Radar, but there really is little beneficial effect with any type of homeopathic or herbal treatments when it comes to addressing the major issue of Cushing's which is the overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands. These type of supplements may alleviate some of the symptoms, but that is all. There is no doubt that the 2 meds used to treat are very serious meds, but in the hands of a vet experienced in treating this disease, they are life-saving meds for our companions. Where folks run into trouble with either med is a vet who has little experience treating Cushing's, does not follow standard protocols for the drugs or both. I successfully treated by 1st Cushpup, Barkley, for nearly 8 years with lysodren. My 15 year old Shih Tzu, Harley, has been on lysodren for a little over 2 years & is doing well. We have a number of members who use trilostane, & are having a lot of success with this drug. We have a lot of success stories with pups doing well for 4, 5, 6 years & longer.

I will warn you that we tend to ask a lot of questions of new members, but that just helps us to give you the best feedback we can from the group's collective experience. You have given us a good start by telling us about Radar's symptoms. Can you tell us what type of diagnostic tests were done to determine Cushing's? Some of these may include a low dose dex test, ACTH, or even an abdominal ultrasound. Did Radar have any general blood work done such as a Senior wellness panel or super chemistry panel? There are common abnormalities on the liver function testing in this bloodwork that may tip a vet off to look for Cushing's. We would like to see the actual results posted, if you have copies. When you post, please post only the abnormal results from the general labwork, & always include the normal ranges, & reporting units when posting labs. If you don't have copies of your boy's labs, your vet should be happy to provide them. Most of us do keep files on our pups at home as you never know when you might need them, especially if you end up at a strange vet. Did your vet rule out diabetes & thyroid problems? I ask about these 2 issues as their symptoms can overlap with Cushing's.

We are here to help in any way we can. We will support you in whatever treatment path you choose to take for Radar. Looking forward to hearing more.

Debbie

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Carol,

Welcome to you and Radar! :p

The supplements you are using are all fine, tho I don't know much about Cat's Claw right off the top of my head. However, none of them will address the problem with the hormone(s). There are herbs and supplements that some have used that are supposed to address the organs, pathways and hormones involved in Cushing's. If this is the path you wish to follow for Radar, I would strongly suggest you find a Holistic vet to oversee Radar's care. BTW, Holistic does not mean TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine - tho in can incorporate it as well as Western medicine. A Holistic vet will use a variety of approaches and not be limited to pharmaceuticals only.

I also want to caution you about products such as Cushex, Supraglan, ect. These products will not help with Cushing's in any way, tho you might see some improvement in signs at first. In fact, some of the ingredients are counter-indicated for Cushing's such as Licorice and Dandelion. Products that contain the segment "glan" mean there are animal glands in the product. These glands are usually not regulated tissue so they could come from diseased animals or be contaminated by contact. So, don't waste your money or risk Radar's health on what you read on the web as "sure cures"...there is no such thing. If there were, forums like this wouldn't exist as there would be no need if Cushing's were that simple and easy to treat. ;)

Look forward to seeing the test results and learning what your friend's method for treating was.;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

[zoesmom]

Hi and welcome -

I've always been a firm believer in taking the most natural approach, and have followed that path for myself and my pets as much as possible. But the situation demands something more. I'd urge you to read the following link in our 'helpful resources section' - on the effects that untreated cushings can have on a dog:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=195

The resource section has many other helpful articles and links and is well worth checking out. After my Zoe was dx'd with cushings, I also did a lot of reading and was initially concerned about the standard treatment. But in truth, the cushings drugs - lysodren and trilostane (or vetoryl) - have been used in umpteen thousands of dogs with great success. As some of our members like to say, aspirin can be dangerous too if not used properly. Beyond that, the most crucial elements are having a vet who's experienced with cushings and an educated owner - and with that, the chances are very good that your dog can live out its normal lifespan on either lysodren or trilostane. My Zoe took trilostane for four years and lived until she was 13 - which was pretty darn good for a dog her size (80 lbs.) We all felt the way you are feeling when we first heard our dogs' diagnosis, but please do keep on reading and please don't rule out treating with either of these two medicines out of fear. They could give you your old 'Radar' back. ;) Sue

[addy]

Hi and welcome.

My dog was diagnosed in June and I had to fix her chronic diahrrea before considering treatment. As I look at my options now I am concerned that my dog has only hair /skin issues and her other symptoms are mild. So I worry should I wait to begin lysodren until she is moe symptomatic? What worries me even more, however, is the possibility of what will happen to her if I don't begin lysodren.

If you read through the link Zoe's mom gave you, to me it is scarier than the lysodren.

Keep reading, learning and listening. How you feel today regarding treatment may change. New symptoms may also make you rethink things.

Cushings is a puzzling journey with many twists and turns along the way. Does not seem to have a "direct route" with no bypasses or detours.:)

Addy

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Carol,

Just popping in to see how you and Radar are doing.

I have been reading in one of my texts on natural medicine and there are several things recommended to use for Cushing's. None of which I am familiar with but never-the-less am more than willing to share with you if you are interested. This text is by Drs. Susan Wynne and Steve Marsden, both Holistic vets. I still strongly recommend you take Radar to see a Holistic vet in person, tho. ;)

The melatonin you are using has the ability to lower cortisol, but only a little in most cases. In true Cushing's, cortisol is the enemy. There is another form of Cushing's in which the cortisol is normal but other hormones are elevated, causing the same signs and damages as true Cushing's. This form is treated differently; melatonin is part of that treatment.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always