Chuey -9y/o-diabetic-Vetoryl (Chuey has passed)

[4thepets]

I am new here, Hi everyone..

Forgive me I have been through a horrific last five days and still going through it. My dog was diagnosed with diabetes in Feb this year. I have used most of my saving trying to get him regulated. This one vet put him on vetsulin which did not control it and he went blind, could have been a fluke. Well, anyway, he started losing weight a few months later and another vet put him on human insulin "n" I thought it was working, wrong..sigh. I found a vet who really cares and chuey's glucose levels were in the 600's. The new vet Dr. Crain suggested a ACTH(is that right?) test, after I spent $450.00 at petsmart on iv's and meds trying to get his glucose levels down, he had all signs of cushings, losing hair, lil pot belly, glucose levels not stabilizing. Dr. Crain got his levels down to 200 and we did the test, it came back positive for chushings..sigh. I have not slept in 4 days now..he put him on 30mg of vetoryl and we changed his insulin to humulin 70/30. He was on clavamax form petsmart also he seems to be brusing easy now from needle pricks. I took him home have him the new insulin and Vetoryl the first night went fine, then on the second day all heck broke loose a few hours later after I gave him his meds, he vomited, not much maybe 8 med size pebbles of food and was walking around like he had a ten pound weight on him and then laying around with his paws under his chin. I started freaking out, I called the vet rushed him up there, he then seemed okay, they told me to stop all meds except his old insulin, so we can weed out what is going on. I buy Roayl canine diabetic dog food and he will not eat as much now and I have to put broccoli in it and a little boiled chicken. Now I have to find food again. My vet is not 24hrs, I called them they told me to bring him in first thing Monday and keep a watch on him, he is doing okay now, but still laying around sad. He ate this morning not as much as he use to, he use to try and steal food out of my hands and my other dogs food even after he ate his full meal before, oh and he use to peepee alot, that has slowed down which I was told is a good thing, oh and also he had keytoids in his urine when I first took him in. I want to get him on the right track, the vet ordered me an alpha track gulcose meter(150.00):( to help me regulate at home and told me it is going to be expensive the first few months getting all of this under control, I have been downsized from my job and only working part time. I spent my car not, car tag money and electric bill money in the past five days on my pup, I will do anything to save him, I love him so much. Am I fighting a losing battle?:confused: I have to do another ACTH in two weeks..($200.00):eek: I am going to have to start selling stuff to pay for all of this. I lost my dad a few years ago, I do not want to lose chuey..sorry so long..I am so glad I found this site..It is just me and my dogs, I am so confused, but I do trust this new vet, they are concerned and honest..

[4thepets]

I forgot to tell you how old he is ..sorry

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Chuey from me and my boy Harley! I am so sorry for the circumstances that brought you here but very glad you found this forum.

We have a sister forum which deals with canine diabetes and I strongly urge you to join there also. Here is the link: http://k9diabetes.com/forum/index.php? They will be able to help immensely with Chuey's diabetes. Most likely the reason the vetsulin did not regulate him was because it may have varying amounts of crystalline zinc insulin in the formulation. The FDA did put out a notice about this alerting veterinarians: http://vetsulin.com/vet/Vet_ProductAlert.aspx

Cushing's and Diabetes do share some of the same symptoms so getting a proper diagnosis is vital but it can be very hard to do so...but not impossible.

If you could get copies of all tests done on Chuey and post the results here with the reference ranges and the units of measurements, that would help us alot to help you. Also how much does Chuey weigh? What dose of Vetoryl is Chuey on? Is his dose once or twice a day? Do you have prednisone on hand?

We are here to help you and Chuey in any way we can, so ask all the questions you want and we will answer them the best we can, ok?

Here are some links from our Resource Thread that might interest you:

Trilostane/Vetoryl Information and Resources
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185

Links to Cushings Websites (especially helpful for new members!)
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

Love and hugs,
Lori

[labblab]

Hello and welcome to you and Chuey!

I am so sorry that you two have been having such a rough time, but I am really glad that you have found us. I know we can't change your worry about Chuey, but we can walk alongside you and offer you our support and additional information -- and I hope that will feel like a help to you! In that vein, I also want to tell you about our "sister" forum that deals with diabetic dogs. I hope you will consider joining there, as well. We share several members in common -- folks who are dealing with both Cushing's and diabetes. But you will also be able to get specialized help with diabetic issues over there: k9diabetes.com/forum (http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/)

I know that others will soon be by to welcome you as well. But I have one quick question to start off with: can you tell us how much Chuey weighs? From our experiences here, we are discovering that many Cushpups do best when they are started off on lower doses of trilostane and then gradually "worked up" to a higher level over time. This is because a sudden decrease in previously high levels of cortisol can result in the "blahs" -- lethargy, loss of appetite, etc. And even though published Vetoryl (trilostane) dosing charts may give a fairly wide range for initial dosing decisions, the manufacturers of Vetoryl are currently verbally advising vets and pet owners to start at a dose that is no greater than 1 mg. per pound.

Also, if you can find out the actual numbers for Chuey's diagnostic ACTH testing results, that will give us a frame of reference for his future monitoring tests. Thanks so much in advance for your answers to both these questions, and once again -- welcome!

Marianne

P.S. I see that Lori and I were typing at the same time, and I apologize for duplicating much of what she has already said so well! But I still want to welcome you and Chuey, nevertheless...:)

[4thepets]

Hi everyone!

I want to thank you both for responding so fast. Chuey just lost a pound, so he is now 9lbs. The vetoryl he was on was 30mg. According to some info I found out on the web he should be on no more then 10mg. He is at the vet now and staying all day just to get another glucose reading and to watch over him since he had a little episode with the 30mg Vetoryl. He seemed to be trying to clear his throat and threw up once, just about ten med size kibbles still in tact 24hr after he took his second dose of Vetoryl..I am on my way to pick him up now. I will let you know what happened when I get back in and get him settled.. sigh. Thanks so much again for your support and info, I will try and get those test results.. talk to you later..


Nikole, Chuey's mom:)

[4thepets]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome, please forgive me, I have not slept in days...:(

[addy]

Hi and Welcome,

You will get alot of good advice here and moral support. I am so sorry you are having such a hard time right now but things will get better.

The important thing to do is to slow down, take a deep breath and will can start to sift through all the information you are going to post.:)

Addy

[apollo6]

Dear Nikola
Welcome, I am Apollo's Mom, hold off on the Vetoryl for now. Please read my thread if you can. It sounds like your poor little one is being overloaded with medications. My Apollo is 11.5 years old weighs 9.8-10lbs and I fought to only start him on 10mg of Vetoryl, but that was only after I read up on cushing. There are three kinds, Pituitary, Adrenal and Atypical. You need to know which one first, if it is that. Treatment should not even be started before you know.
Apollo has Pituitary(an ultrasound was done on his adominal to find out both his adrenal glands were enlarged similarly) I waited a good month or more before I would even start him on anything. Losing weight , throwing up, being lethargic, can all be side effects of Vetoryl, It sounds like the Vet overdosed your little one on Vetoryl. If Chuey also has diabetes, that needs to be addressed. Hang in there. Between the tests and medications it sounds like way to much. My Apollo's symptoms were: hair lose both sides of body, hair lose on his ears, tail, urinating allot, bruising easy,skin lesions on his body, pot belly, extreme thirst. But cushing is a tricky disease, like the other's said it can mask other issues.
Apollo has been on 10mg. of Trilostane/vetoryl since June 23,2010. He is improving, but it took me from Sept 2009 til June 2010 to decide on what needed to be done. We can help, also can find you websites that have cheaper prices on medications, find you a Internal specialist in your area who has expertise in treating cushing's. http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3
WE are here for you. Take a breath. I have cried many nights over Apollo.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo

[labblab]

Hi again Nikole,

I surely hope that Chuey is doing better today. The information about trilostane dosing that you have found on the web does indeed correspond with the current verbal recommendations coming from the U.S. office of Dechra (manufacturers of brandname Vetoryl). Given Chuey's weight, a beginning dose of 10 mg. would be more in line with Dechra's most recent guideline.

Just in case your vet wants to talk personally with a Dechra technical representative, here's the contact info for their office in Overland Park, Kansas:

http://www.dechra-us.com/Default.aspx?ID=365

I've spoken personally with their technical rep, Dr. Tim Allen (who is also a vet), and I know he will be more than happy to discuss dosing recommendations with you or your own vet. I'm hoping that perhaps Chuey will respond better to a lower dose of trilostane, at least to begin with.

Marianne

[4thepets]

Hi everyone and thank you so much for the link to my thread:). I went to pick up Chuey and he was doing good. They did more glucose curves..sigh. His insulin was 369 better than the other day thanks to the new dose. Well I spoke with my vet and told him I did some research and Chuey now weighs 9lbs. He did weigh ten a week ago but he has lost a pund and I want to go down to the 10mg Vetoryl. He did not want to do that he said stick to the 30mg. If he throws up food again we will stop and go low. I do trust my vet I had to go through a ton of them to find someone that has compassion and will work with me. But I question this dosage in the back of my mind, even though Chuey only threw up a little on his second day, should I work to start this again? Or is this a good way to really rule this out, because he has .. keytones in his urine, my vet said that could be causing him to throw up that one time and not the Vetoryl. We need to nip this in the bud to get him under control all the way around. I was going to start in the morning on the Vetoryl and give it one more try, he is peeing less and still has a heck of an appetite, he is resting peacefully now in my bedroom. I am so tired I want to thank you all for your support through all of this. I thank you for the link to the diabetic site as well it means alot. I feel like I have really close friends to help me get through this on k9cushings, I felt all alone last week. I will keep you updated and check back with you later. I did not get the blood work results yet, I am working on it..

[4thepets]

I forgot to tell everyone, my Vet said he did do an ultrasound..

[mytil]

Hi again Nikole,

Hi and welcome from me too. How is your little guy doing?

I would talk with my vet, but a lot here use Pepcid AC to settle the doggie's upset tummy - usually given about 1/2 hour before the dose of Vetoryl.

Terry

[apollo6]

dear Nikola,
All I can say is that Apollo is 10lbs and started on 10mg, after disagreeing with my vet, on starting at 30mg., and he never throw up after taking Vetoryl.
Please question your vet.:mad:

[k9diabetes]

Hi Nikole,

I administer the k9diabetes forum and have approved your membership there.

It would be very helpful to see the results of Chuey's blood glucose curves and his ACTH test results.

And we have video or picture tutorials on various places to test your dog's blood sugar with the AlphaTrak

www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html (http://www.k9diabetes.com/bgtestvideos.html)

and some hints on how to save money on that.

Are you getting the insulin and syringes at Walmart?

Natalie

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Nicole,

Welcome to you and Chuey! :)

Oh honey, can I relate to your state of mind right now! When my Squirt was first diagnosed, I was a complete basket-case! Nothing anyone said, nothing I read, nothing about this condition made any sense at all. Fear, confusion, frustration, anger, guilt....I was consumed. :eek: A friend here later told me she could just see me with my hair standing on end as if I'd stuck my finger in a light socket! She kindly left out the parts about bulging eyes and flying slobber. :p

But these kind folks took my hand and gently led me along until I could breath again and began to understand a little bit about what was going on with my Sweet Bebe. The more I learned, the more comfortable and confident I became. I am sure the same will hold true for you as well.

Knowledge truly is power when dealing with Cushing's and we will help you learn as much as we can. The combined experience found here is astounding and we are happy to share. Also, you will find the very best hand-holders in the world right here. You and Chuey are not alone, we will be here with you all the way. We have several members here who deal with both Cushing's and Diabetes. I am very glad to know you have joined our sister site - you will get the best of both worlds now! :)

Now, you have to take care of yourself, too, sweetie. I know you are not going to be able to really relax for a few weeks yet BUT I want you to take a few minutes every day just for yourself. A few minutes when you don't think about Cushing's or Diabetes; a few minutes in which your mind can revamp; a few minutes doing something that brings you happiness. My personal prescription is a hot bubble bath, a good book, and a glass of wine. ;)

I am glad you found us and look forward to learning more about you both as time passes.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

[4thepets]

Chuey has been doing good for the last two days. He seems to be adjusting to the increased does of insulin and the Vetroyl. I am keeping a close eye on him, it has been two days now.:)

[Harley PoMMom]

So happy to hear this good news about Chuey!! It is so frightening when our furbabies aren't feeling well and especially when they can't tell us exactly what is wrong. :(

Keep up the good work, you're doing a wonderful job and keep us updated! Please!! :D

Love and hugs,
Lori

[4thepets]

Hi,

it has been awhile, just wanted to give an update if anybody is out there. Chuey will not eat hardly anything now. I have to cook a chicken breast and put it in his royal canine just to get him to pick through it and maybe get something in his stomach. He is on vetoryl 30mg. I cannot take this anymore. I am getting ready to just cook him chicken all the time. what is happening, does anyone know?

thanks:confused:

[Harley PoMMom]

It sounds like the 30mg of Vetoryl for Chuey's weight of 9lb might be to much. Do you have any prednisone on hand that you could give to him? He is having any other adverse reactions like diarrhea, vomiting or is he acting lethargic?

Have you had an ACTH stim test done recently? If so could you post these results for us, please.

Hoping Chuey feels better real soon.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[zoesmom]

Hi -

From your first post, it looks like it's been almost two weeks since you started Chuey back on the 30 mg of vetoryl. Is that right?

And since then, has his blood glucose been under better control or no? I know that makes everything trickier with a dog like Chuey. But like Lori, I feel that his 30 mg dose of vetoryl is too high. I think it was too high originally - regardless of his diabetes. One of the signs that a dose is too high is inappetance. He doesn't have to be out and out vomiting, but since he's not wanted to eat for so many days, that's what I suspect - the dose. Hopefully, the diabetes people will also be along to comment on how that might be playing into things. So please do update on his latest BG readings for that.

If it were my dog, I'd stop the vetoryl, and if you have any prednisone on hand, give him that and he should perk up. I'd stop the vetoryl regardless.

This is Sat. so could you take him in for an ACTH on Monday? It's time for that, based on how long he's been taking the vetoryl (he restarted on 30 mg around the end of August, it sounds like??? After taking it only 2 days before that????) The acth will tell you if it is the vetoryl (causing his cortisol to go low and make him like this.) They should also check his electrolytes at the same time (potassium and sodium). The ACTH is best done 4 - 6 hours post pill and when the pill is given with food. But if he's feeling this lousy, that becomes less important. You just need to know where his cortisol is at.

Until the acth is done, I feel it's risky to continue him on that high of a dose, given his size. If you do have and do give him a pred, then you'd want to wait 24 - 48 hours before doing the ACTH. But if nothing else, stop the vetoryl and get him in at the earliest possible time for an ACTH. Sue

PS - If your vet's office has Sat and/or Sunday hours, then taking him in today or tomorrow would be the ideal. The sooner, the better. You could hold off on the pred. in that case, and get a really accuraate read of where his cortisol is. Also, if he's not quite 10 lbs., he's way over the recommended dosing ranges. There are two currently recommended. One calls for 1 mg/lb. of dog's weight. For Chuey, that's 10 mg of vetoryl. The other formula suggests 1 - 3 mg/kg. To convert Chuey's weight to kg, you'd divide by 2.2 and you'd get something in the low 4 kgs. So using the high end (3mg/kg) x 4, you get 12 mg of vetoryl. That would require dosing at 10 mg anyway (unless you're getting the capsules compounded), so.........

[labblab]

I totally agree with Lori and Sue that Chuey's dose of Vetoryl may be too high. The only thought I have to add, though, is that I don't know what effect it will have on Chuey's glucose level and insulin response if you totally stop the Vetoryl cold-turkey PLUS give prednisone. So until you've had the chance to get some input from the "diabetes folks" about the insulin dosing, maybe you'd want to just cut back a bit on the Vetoryl dose (unless you only have it in 30 mg. capsules, in which case you can't open and split them). Or at least not give any prednisone as long as Chuey's only big issue is a picky appetite.

Hopefully you can get some additional feedback ASAP from the members with diabetes experience!

Marianne

[BestBuddy]

I'm going to throw my two cents worth in.

I would first stop the Vetoryl and check BG levels. It is possible that the Vetoryl dose is too high and also that the insulin needs have decreased with the lowering of the cortisol. Stopping the Vetoryl will not cause problems and you may see a big improvement straight away.

You can give pred if really necessary but it can do really weird things to BG levels so unless it is really needed then I would hold off on that for the moment.

Do you home BG test?

Jenny

[k9diabetes]

Hi,

I wanted to second the advice to check Chuey's blood sugar.

Cortisol levels have a direct effect on blood glucose and the need for insulin. Too little cortisol and even a nondiabetic person or dog can suffer from low blood sugar. Too much cortisol from Cushing's the the blood sugar goes higher.

So if Chuey's on too much Vetoryl, he may also need less insulin.

If it turns out he seems to need the prednisone because his cortisol is low, then you would be filling a need for cortisol and it shouldn't affect his blood sugar too much.

Seems like it would be reasonable to first stop the Vetoryl and see what improvement that brings. And then give the pred if he still seems to need it.

And if you can check blood sugar, please do as he could need significantly less insulin if his cortisol is low... I haven't read the thread - am just responding to a note to look here... could be he's got somewhat low cortisol and low blood sugar and the combined effect is making him wobbly or weak or shaky.

Natalie

[4thepets]

Hi,

it has been a while I do not even know if anyone will read this. Chuey is losing weight and no longer wants to eat his royal canine. He will eat boiled chicken. But he lays around alot, he is still on the Vetoryl 30mg and he weighs 9 lbs . I am going to my vet tomorrow and tell him I want him on 10mg..PERIOD. He is not himself, but he is hanging in there otherwise, now he is on insulin, so that is another issue. I need him to eat, I cannot get any rest at this point. I keep going back to the vet getting blood glucose test and he wants another ACHT, I cannot afford to keep this up. The vet did order a glucose meter for me, but that IS $150.00. It is the best one and he is letting me be on payment Arrangements and alot of vets will not do that. I hope to hear from someone on here soon

[frijole]

Hi! Sorry to hear that Chuey isn't eating. Is it all the time or just some of the time? I've been going thru that myself and I totally understand it is very stressful. I haven't dealt with the diabetes/cushings combo so I may not be the best to offer advice but I agree with your vet - if Chuey isn't eating I would do the acth test to determine if the cortisol is too low and THAT would be the reason to lower the dosage amount.

How long have you been giving the 30 mg? When did the eating issues start? (after how long on the trilo?) 10 mg is a major decrease so you want to make sure it is justified or you'll be back where you started with high cortisol.

I'm glad you came back and posted and am sure others will chime in as well. Hang in there! You aren't alone!!! Hugs, Kim

[k9diabetes]

Hi,

Of course we will read what you wrote! :) I have been concerned about Chuey and anxiously checking back to see how he is doing.

Right now, an ACTH and glucose check are vitally important.

The folks at the canine diabetes forum can help you find ways to manage Chuey's diabetes as inexpensively as possible. For example, it sounds like the vet has ordered you an AlphaTrak meter. You can buy one yourself online for around $100 - not sure if the vet is also buying a bottle of test strips:

http://www.entirelypets.com/alphamonitor.html

Plus you don't have to use the animal-adjusted AlphaTrak to check his blood sugar. We used a OneTouch Ultra for nearly all of Chris' five years as a diabetic and got very good readings with that - more than accurate enough to monitor his blood sugar.

The diabetes forum is at www.k9diabetes.com/forum (http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum).

For small dogs, a Freestyle meter usually works well and takes a very tiny drop of blood.

It is dangerous for Chuey to have low cortisol and/or low blood sugar, so it is good that you are getting him checked out. Once you find out how he's doing, come back here and/or to the canine diabetes forum and we will help you as much as we can to understand what's going on with him and how to save some money.

Will check back in tomorrow for news,

Natalie

[4thepets]

Hi,

where do I begin? I started this fight almost a year ago when my chuey was diagnosed with diabetes, then he got cushings. My chuey went from 30mg vetoryl, he was only 12lbs, I got on vet forum and convinced my vet to go to 10mg. He was doing fine but we were having a hard time getting his insulin regulated for some reason. I had been laid off and working from home part time. My vet really worked with me on making payments. I did not have the money to get him to the university of Ga, they wanted 2500.00 this past time with 1200.00 down.. what is with people this is a school? I even wrote Ellen Degenres to help me at least I thought I was writing her..My chuey died last night.. I am crying as I write this email, I hurt so bad, he got Pancreatitus, he got weak, stopped eating, my vet tried fluids, antibiotics, I had got a new job and was not around him like I use to be all day, it seemed like he started getting sick because I was away. I blame myself...I hurt so bad.. I would take him everyday in the mornign to the vet and pick him up after work at night. wraped in blankets, praying, I asked GOD, please just give me 4 more, years with him, anything, please..he had started boobooing diareah and vomitng weaker, no answers, no one knew what was going on. His BUN was high but his Kreatin was normal. The univ doc told my vet start him on boost and prilosec and the put an NG tube in him to get him to eat. I brought him home. I could hear gurgling each time he took a breath, I told my vet this, they said it was not in his chest, but there was a foul smell.. he was holding on, they told me to give him a half tab of prylosec that night, I should not have done it. I desolved it in a med size sryinge , think desolving would be better, I use a smaller syringe then usual, I open his mouth and gave some to him and he started choking and coughing, I gave him ore water, doc said she was worried about amonia setting in. I feel like I killed him, if I had not given him that dang pill, he would still be hanging on, what did I do?! He seemed to be alright and the phone rang I went to answer it got destracted came back in to check on him and he was gone..my baby was gone. It was my fault, I cant sop crying.. people say it was not my fault, he died after I gave him that d-- pill.. What did I do, I rushed him to the ER, she told me his skin was yellow, but my vet said his kidneys were fine earlier that week. they said something about apesia or infection setting in from treatment maybe.. or is it asperating, what did I do to chuey?

[littleone1]

I'm so sorry to hear about Chuey. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I know this is a very difficult time for you.

Please don't blame yourself. You did everything you could possibly do for Chuey. It was his time to fly free. He is no longer in any pain and is no longer suffering.

Hugs

Terri

[labblab]

Oh Nikole, my heart is breaking for you. I am terribly sorry that you have lost your precious Chuey. You worked so very hard to keep him healthy and happy. We know it is true, and Chuey always knew it, too.

In the midst of your grief, there is no way that we can keep you from doubting what you did in those final moments. But Chuey was terribly sick, and I honestly do not believe that he was going to survive whether or not he had problems swallowing that medication you gave him. If it had not been one thing, it would have been another. His little body was shutting down, and his spirit was ready to be released. You were doing your very best to help him, so for the rest of us and for Chuey -- there can never be any blame in that. What you did for Chuey, you did out of your love for him. But I do understand how much you wish that things could be changed, and that he was still with you this morning.

Nikole, please stay here with us and continue to talk to us about the things that you are thinking and feeling. For all who have lost pups, we feel the pain of this first morning and this first day without your baby. And the pain of each day after. Stay with us, and we will help you to honor and remember your precious Chuey. Nikole, I am so sorry.

Many, many hugs being sent to you this day.
Marianne

[4thepets]

I have created a memorial for Chuey at , www.faithfulfriends.com/chuey. Please sign the guestbook, for all our furry friends who are fighting some sort of disease and trying to make it just to be with us.. all my love to k9 cushings.com for your support. Rest in piece Chuey.. I loved you so much.

[Casey's Mom]

Oh Nikole, I am so sorry to hear about Chuey and what you are going through. Please, please try not to blame yourself. Chuey was very sick and his body was worn out but his spirit is still with you.

Please stay with us.

Love and many hugs,

[addy]

Dear Nikole,

It was not your fault. It was not your fault about the pill, there was nothing that happened to your sweet pup that was your fault. My heart breaks for you but please Nikole try not to blame yourself. You were the best mom Chuey could have had and he knew that and he loved you just as much as you loved him and he would not want you to blame yourself. It was just his time.

Love,
Addy

[labblab]

Nikole, I will definitely visit your memorial site for Chuey. Thank you so much for giving us the link! Also, we want to help you honor and remember Chuey here, too. Here is a link to special candle-lighting site that is dedicated to our babies:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=517

Chuey has also been added to our special memorial thread of honor:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1588

It would be our privilege to add a photo link of Chuey to his memorial line. We will talk about that with you a little later. Also, at any time now or in the future, you are always invited to add a new thread about Chuey on our "In Loving Memory" forum. You and Chuey will always be a part of our family.

Continuing hugs,
Marianne

[bernie47]

Hi Nikole ..my heart goes out to you ...may god bless your little one ... Catherine..

[Roxee's Dad]

Dear Nikole,

I am so very sorry for your loss of precious Chuey. Please do not blame yourself. It is obvious you did all you could to give Chuey a happy life.

Nothing I can say will help ease the pain of losing a loved. Chuey was was well loved and well cared for.

Rest in peace Sweet boy.

[bkdice]

Nicole - I am so very sorry for your loss. It is so common to beat yourself up when you lose your baby after fighting so hard for them. I know these feelings are difficult and I do hope with some time you realize what you DID do for him and remember that your choices for him were all out of love. Be gentle with yourself.

My sincere condolences....

[Squirt's Mom]

Dear Nicole,

Oh honey, it is not your fault at all. It sounds like Chuey's little body was simply worn out and shutting down in spite of all your tender loving care. You are a wonderful mom and did all you could to make Chuey's life as long and as comfortable as possible - and I know he loves you so much for all you did on his behalf. If love could have saved Chuey, he would have lived to be 100. You gave him your all, sweetie, and no one could ask more.

Please know we are here for you any time you want to talk.

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

[jrepac]

Nicole,

I am sure it was not your fault; I know, it is hard not to feel guilt...I have been there. But, your Chuey was struggling, and you did your very best.

My first Aussie Terrier had diabetes and eventually developed pancreatis, which did her in. It is a very tough disease to manage....not to mention having it compounded by Cushings.

Jeff & Angel Mandy

[4thepets]

Oh Nikole, my heart is breaking for you. I am terribly sorry that you have lost your precious Chuey. You worked so very hard to keep him healthy and happy. We know it is true, and Chuey always knew it, too.

In the midst of your grief, there is no way that we can keep you from doubting what you did in those final moments. But Chuey was terribly sick, and I honestly do not believe that he was going to survive whether or not he had problems swallowing that medication you gave him. If it had not been one thing, it would have been another. His little body was shutting down, and his spirit was ready to be released. You were doing your very best to help him, so for the rest of us and for Chuey -- there can never be any blame in that. What you did for Chuey, you did out of your love for him. But I do understand how much you wish that things could be changed, and that he was still with you this morning.

Nikole, please stay here with us and continue to talk to us about the things that you are thinking and feeling. For all who have lost pups, we feel the pain of this first morning and this first day without your baby. And the pain of each day after. Stay with us, and we will help you to honor and remember your precious Chuey. Nikole, I am so sorry.

Many, many hugs being sent to you this day.
Marianne

Thank you so much Marianne. It means the world to me your kind words...


Nikole

[k9diabetes]

Nikole... I'm so very very sorry to learn of Chuey's passing... he obviously was a gravely ill boy. After you have fought for so long to make them better, it is almost unimaginable to lose the battle and even more traumatic when it is so sudden.

You loved Chuey deeply and did everything that you could for him - that's all any one of us asks for in life.

With deepest sympathy,

Natalie

[mypuppy]

My thoughts and prayers go out to you Nikole and your beloved Chuey. May he rest in peace and may you find comfort in believing you did everything possible to take care of your Chuey in a very loving way. Do not be so hard on yourself Nikole please. There are just some random acts in life which we have no control over. You must believe that. God bless you both. Jeanette and Princess

[4thepets]

Hi everyone,

it has been a long day,

I would cry just standing somewhere or driving. I screamed at the top of my lungs last night just filled with grief. I have been on the internet trying to find out what happened, I cant let it go. I am trying. I see stuff around the house that reminds me of him. My other little dog 'lil Bit" comes running when I start crying in bed at night. I had put him in a pallet of blankets to rest at night and he could hardly keep his head up. I went into the living room and I looked up and somehow chuey was beside my feet, how he made it in there from my bedroom, I don't know, but he did. I want to thank you all for your support and love and sympathy, Marianne, Roxee's dad, Natalie, Jeanette and princess, Jeff and angel and Mandy, Addie, Catherine, Squirt's mom, trinket and leslie and lil angels ruby and Crystal, BKDICE, and thank you to those who lit a candle. I am so sorry for talking so much, the pain of losing him is so bad, I can't stand it. Thank you for listening. I guess it will take a while for me to accept this..I feel like I should have done more....luv u all

[4thepets]

It just hurts..............

[Roxee's Dad]

Dear Nikole,

Please do not apologize for your grief. We are here for you and deeply share in the pain and grief you are feeling. Know that you gave him a good and happy life. I hope you will tell us more about Chuey's wonderful life with you.

[Carol G]

I am so sorry for your loss and I understand the pain. I know you did everything possible.
My thoughts are with you.
Carol

[4thepets]

Hi everyone,

It has been so rough the last few days, replaying everything over and over in my mind. What I should have done, what could I have done, did my vet do enough, how I should have got a loan on my car sooner and got him to the University of Ga. I just feel so hurt. I know some may not understand, but I am so glad I have my k9 Cushings family, I do not know what I would have done without you. I feel like I have been hugged from all over the world. It means so much, thank you so much, I felt like I could not go on these past few days and did not want to. I loved Chuey so much. I will try to be strong in all this it is so very hard. I just want to scream when it comes to treatment for our pets and how it should be more affordable and how there should be more research done on their behalf about these chronic diseases that effect them and how to truly make them better.Where is the cure? Why all this guessing? I am going to take all of your advice and try to not blame myself. My vets office was in tears.. one of chueys vets was off the day I went in and told them he had passed they had expected him to come in the next day for more treatment..and she drove in just to see me and comfort me(Dr. G) when she heard I was there crying and what had happened to chuey, they called her, they did try. I needed a specialist, but I am glad he was home with me when it did happen that was the best place for him to be.. ok, I must stop this. I am so sorry everyone, I just needed to say everything that I am still feeling.I guess I just need time to heal..alot of it.this is so hard for me...I thank you again everyone from the bottom of my heart. I really thank you listening when I had no one else to turn to....love always Nikole

[John II]

Dear Nikole,

Please don't second guess your actions. You've done more for Chuey than most of our species would even consider doing. You've cared more. You've loved more. We all do our best in the face of incredible odds against us. And in the end that's all we can do. Please find some comfort in that.

[Harley PoMMom]

Dearest Nikole,

We will always be here for you, please know that. We do understand your pain, the hole you feel in your heart. Talk to us, Nikole, and let us help comfort you.

Love and (((hugs)))
Lori

[labblab]

Dear Nikole,

I just want to make sure you understand that there is never a word limit here as to how much you are allowed to write about missing Chuey, or a time limit as to how long you have to say it...:o

I lost my own Cushpup over six years ago, but my family here still supports me every single day. And especially on those days when I still need to write about him and about how much I miss him. So we'll be here for you, too. Whenever you feel like writing, we'll be here!

And in addition to your own thread here, you can also drop in at any time on a thread that we've started on our "In Loving Memory" forum. I think the holidays are especially rough, both for new wounds and old ones. And so here's another special place where you can come and talk whenever you may wish to:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?p=43988#post43988

Many hugs,
Marianne

[Squirt's Mom]

Ah, Nicole,

Honey, you come talk to us any time. We understand your pain and want to help if we can. Sometimes talking about things can help, just putting the words down can somehow help take the edge away.

Share your pain and it will become less; share your happy memories and they will become greater; it is an honor for us to be able to participate in yours and Chuey's story.

We have a candle site that may bring you some comfort, too. It helps me to light a candle for those I have loved and lost at times. You can find it here:

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

Continuing to send hugs, prayers, and strength,
Leslie and the girls - always