Shelby confirmed to have Cushing's

[Bernies4u]

Sorry if not doing things just right yet, not used to forums format just emails.

Yesterday after being tested for Cushings the results came in positive for my girl Shelby a mini dachshund just turned 8 a week ago.

She had been having frequent urinating and drinking water, they were testing and treating with Clavamox, for urinary track infections most year then finally did full test on Monday.

So far those are the main signs and starting of larger belly. My vet at the times I asked about it, said she is getting older and bit heaver but not to worry yet. :rolleyes:

Do need all the help possible like so many others here before me, when start treating her with the meds.

Bernadette

[lulusmom]

Hi Bernadette and welcome to the forum.

I only have a minute but wanted to get you started in the right direction. It would be very helpful if you would please round up all of the testing that was done to diagnose Shelby. Cushing's is the most difficult canine disease to diagnose so it stands to reason that it is probably the number one most misdiagnosed canine condition. We aren't vets here but most of us have been dealing with the disease long enough to know how to read labwork and look over our vets' shoulders to make sure we ask the right questions and understand what is going on.

If you don't have copies of Shelby's medical records, your vet should be happy to give them to you. We recommend that members keep their cushdogs' medical records in a file. They come in very handy if you ever have to take Shelby to an after hours clinic. Vets on call are thrilled to have their patient's medical history at his/her fingertips. Those records also come in handy when members are relentless in asking you to post results. :D

I'm sorry for the reasons that brought you here but I'm really glad that you found us. If you're looking for people who can relate, people with lots of first hand experience, people to help educate you, people who offer their support with the utmost compassion and understanding, you've landed in the right place. We're here to help you and Shelby in any way we can. I'm sure others will be by shortly to offer their own warm welcome and ask their own questions.

Glynda

[Bernies4u]

thank you so much Glynda, as is for all of us very scary when dealing with a new medical problem. I have delt with her brother with seizures, and other medical things in past. We have 8 dachshunds in all most are ok. They Toby and Shelby have main medical problems it seems coming from my breeders first time breeding out side her own line of dogs. Male was shown to have produced several other dogs in different litters seizures or other medical problems before being neutered. They both have eye problems as well

So far Shelby is only one to show Cushing's. Funny I had just got off the phone asking my clinic to have her records starting this year when they were treating her for unirary track infections and using clavamox for it. That is exactly why I wanted her records in case have to go to another vet or ER clinic in town. I will show info and ask for full medical records.

My main vet is partly retired comes only on Mondays and he is very good at showing me and explaining reports, tho sometimes still get confused so will be helpful for advice help here. If have to will go to another place that is more up on Cushing's want the best for our girl, that we can do for her.
PS posted pics of her in new album here

Bernadette

[lulusmom]

Eight Dachshunds? That is amazing. I do hope that Roger, Myrna and Sonja will drop by soon. They are Dachshund lovers dealing with cushing's too.

Good for you for staying a step ahead of things. I'll be staying tuned for those test results. I just saw Shelby's pics and the first one really got to me. All three pics are great but the first one is awesome. She is a cute little stubby tubby. :D

[Cyn719]

OMG Shelby is so adorable!!!!:):) Good for you 8 of them!!! You are doing a great job mom!!! Thinking of you - will look for more of your post

[Bernies4u]

Thank you on Shelby's picture she is our little Queen of the house, we have 4 smooth and 4 long hair dachshunds.

Had 9 but lost my husbands buddy and my love Wheaton in April with short bout with pneumonia. He had allergies all life and on and off meds so another medical problem from birth. He was sorta rescue, but loved each and every day of the 5 years we were blessed to have him.

I was breeding English Cream Long Hair Dachshunds till my female had to be spayed after second litter and two C sections. Said she was more important to me than puppies, told them if any problems seen when doing C spay and they did.

Do not take medical problems lightly so do as much research as can for what ever the newest thing is, glad I found this site. I thought I saw a member with dachshunds when I was exploring the site

Bernie

[Skye]

Hello! My little girl is still in process of trying to figure out what is happening. However, she too has had the recurring uti and meds. Same symptons included.
what test did your vet do that confirmed cushings? i just had many more tests ran today and will have couple more next week. Has your vet started the meds yet? or are they waiting till more syptoms appear?
the support here is amazing, i have been sobbing and snotting all over the place and losing sleep, and these kind people have been holding my hand whole way through.
sending you many upon thousands of hugs.....

[Cyn719]

Bernie - Welcome to the forum -- I believe you are talking about Sonja and her dog Apollo her member name is Apollo6 if you want to speak to her -- she is really a wonderful person just like all the rest of the cush angels on this forum - you have questions you will get answers - they have been here for me through thick and thin!!! Looking forward to your posts about Shelby:)

[Bernies4u]

Hope doing this right, Skye, they did blood test last Friday first, it had two elevated levels that were red flags and Monday had the all day fasting test not sure name of it but it is the one the take blood give injection and repeat during the 8 hours. It came back yesterday that she had Cushings. I will be headed there tonight to get my records and have more information. All new at this thing so cant be of much help yet like the others can.

the vet said to wait till more show up of the other signs, so far just peeing and drinking bit of pot belly. Otherwise happy and doing as was normal for her.

I too was a nervous wreck going into these test, and waiting for results. Will be here for you too glad found this place
Bernadette

[Bernies4u]

Cindy and Penny will be in and out from now on to read and see what others have done and are doing for our fur kids. Happy found here Bernie

[Cyn719]

Bernadette - did you get my post at 3:45 about the other member with the dashshund you were asking about??

[Bernies4u]

yes been hour with Shelby's brother with cluster seizures hoping to find here here soon

[Bernies4u]

Ok have a question on Shelby again. On Tues they told me she is confirmed to have Cushing's, should see or talk to my own vet at the clinic on Monday. So far both have mentioned she is showing small amount of problems that go with it mostly peeing and the drinking sometimes missing her pee pads. Not craving food any more than any other time with 7 other dogs as expected in house. They all go for food if available lol. Just start of bigger belly but then before we just thought was over weight even vet when I first asked about it earlier this year. She and her brother Toby, both have taken to the top of sofa and let the other 5 chase after most things in yard except for someone at our gate, Daddy come home or cat, then they also will run out and do their bit.

They said at this point can wait unless it is ANNOYING to us, to start meds. Well it isn't but am in a confused state how do you know it is time then? I want the best care for her and at that see saw thing do we wait for further signs or not. She is happy not having any other problems visable to our eyes. Just dont want to wait too long and not help her stay on top of things so ok for several years to come.
:confused:
I have asked for but not gotten her medical records yet, so cannot give her levels on the test yet so you might be able to tell me more will go there maybe today and see if can get them.

Bernie

Moderator's Note: I have merged your latests post into Shelby's original thread. Normally, we like to keep all posts on a pup in a single thread as it makes it easier for other members to refer back to the pup's history, if needed.

[Bernies4u]

That is fine as said not sure yet how the forum thing work, never used it before anywhere. Always open to correction or help here didnt know if had to stay with first message or do a new link since asking something different.
Bernie

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Bernie,

The signs are a big part of treatment as well as diagnosis. Parents and vets use the signs during treatment to gauge the pups response to the med. So having strong signs is preferable when starting treatment - and, trust me, you will notice a difference when they kick in! :eek::p A cush pup's appetite is unreal - they will beg for more food and treats, fight others to get their food, get in the trash, eat non-food items, counter surf (if tall enough), snatch your food from you hand...they truly feel as if they are starving 24/7 and act as if it were a fact. They will wake you up over and over and over during the nite to go out, or fill a peepee pad up twice over; accidents in the house are very common. Water consumption will soar; you will find yourself refilling the bowl repeatedly and notice your baby either staying at the bowl and drinking for a long time, or coming back to it very often. Some pups are lethargic, especially during the day, and restless at night. Many will withdraw from family and things that used to interest them - they just don't participate in anything anymore. Their faces will start to look bony, almost skeletal. They pant a LOT for no reason. They cannot tolerate heat so they seek cool places to lay - un-carpeted floors, in front of fans or on the air vents. They start to look like they are pregnant with a pot-belly that does not shrink. They will lose hair from the tail, back legs, abdomen and lower back; cush pups are said to get a "rat tail" from the hair loss.

Of these common signs, appetite and water consumption are most often used to gauge effectiveness of treatment - if the dose is too low, or too high - backed by the ACTH.

The signs are critical so your vet is on the right track to tell you to wait. Treatment is less risky the clearer and stronger the signs are. Cushing's is a very slowly progressing condition and takes years to do any damage so waiting to treat isn't the gamble it feels like. ;) There is no cure for PDH so we treat to manage the signs. There are parents who cannot tolerate the excess peeing so they start treatment for their convenience - which is fine as long as they watch the pup very closely once on treatment. If the parents can wait, it is best to do so in order for those signs to become strong...and then treatment starts. ;)

Keep reminding yourself that Cushing's moves very, very slowly - at "a snail's pace", as one of our admins says. You are NOT doing Shelby a disservice by waiting to start treatment.

While you are waiting, there are some tricks you can use to help you recognize changes in her. Take pictures of her, both face and side views so you can see subtle changes from month to month. I used to measure Squirt's belly once a month and keep a record so I could tell if she was getting a pot belly. The changes in the body happen so slowly and we are so used to seeing our babies that we sometimes miss the changes until they are pointed out to us by someone who hasn't seen them in a while. My niece was the one who noticed Squirt had changed. :o:rolleyes: Immediately after, her signs went bonkers and I knew it was time for a change in meds!

Another trick is to keep a diary on Shelby. Note things like her sleep pattern how fast she eats her meals, if she begs for more food or steals, etc; how often you see her at the water bowl and how long she stays there; how many times she peed that day; her mood; any changes in behavior. If she uses a peepee pad, note the color of the urine; a cush pup cannot concentrate their urine so it is just about colorless. If she goes outside, you can use a white paper towel to check the color. Yippee, huh? You can now add peepee patrol to poop patrol! :p:D:p:D

You are doing a fine job for Shelby!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

PS. You're doing fine on the forum, too! Don't be afraid to play around - click on things and see where it takes you. If you can't go there, it will tell you. If you need help, please ask. This forum is a bit different from many others but it is so easy to navigate once you catch on. I played with buttons for months! LOL

[apollo6]

Dear Bernadine
Welcome to the forum. We are here to help and support you. Try to learn about cushing first. It is a complicated disease. First get the appropriate tests, then find out which one Selby has. Then research and decide which is the right treatment for her. See below.
If you can afford it try to get an internal medicine specialist:
Bernadette
http://www.acvim.org/websites/acvim/index.php?p=3

some sights to learn about cushing:
http://www.lbah.com/canine/cushings.htm
http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-cushings-disease.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-cushings-disease.html
MY Apollo will be 13 , Oct 12th. He was diagnosed two years ago.
Hope this is a starting point for you. You don't have to make any decisions right away.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo

[Cyn719]

Hi Bernadine - We were told Penny had Cushings when she was 8 and we did not start the meds till she was 11 when she had the symptoms that Leslise described - so as Leslie and Sonja said there is not rush to put Shelby on the meds - Shelby is not showing the signs so no meds - Keep up the good work!! Its alot to consume but you are doing great!!

[Bernies4u]

Sonja thank you for repying, you all have been very helpful so far and will be in here at least once a day to read more as well. I have gone to a lot of the sits here as well on internet printing out things to keep handy Bernie

[Bernies4u]

Leslie and Cindy lot of help as well since Shelby's brother Toby is a epi dog have been used to doing journal or at least keeping a calendar on his episodes for past 7 years. Have been watching Shelby since end of last year when they started to check for uinary track infections and medication for that, then the finally did the cushings test this week.

Hard to judge how many times fill dog water dishes since have 4 not counting what is in their crates (kennels) when we are gone for few hours. We have 8 that drink as said before being a multi dog household. BUT have been watching how many times I SEE her go to dish and amount she drinks. So far not much over min drinking almost normal just more frequent right now. Eating is about the same as well, she wants food when ever we have stuff busides their dinner and breakfast, kibble in between------- but not agressive on eating it. She eats slowly and is protective of plate if someone comes over to her will growl.

Her begging is same as usual not more yet than the others or herself when it is food time around here.

Good to know am ok on not starting meds at this time that she is more or less starting with the signs. I am putting a folder together so can keep things in one place. They finally got her medical info together for me on her tests and things since last year. Will get later today.

Also started to check who and where can get her med when need to start since it is an out of vet item is that correct? at least it is here in our area. I checked at Costco and they have a pet program can registar in their name and get a discount on meds same as us if use them. I think also AAA has a dog meds at drug stores like Walgreens so checking that as well what ever might help

Again thank you for info --- Leslie printed out your info to keep handy Bernie

[Bernies4u]

Forgot she is a lover yet of the sun outside loves to lay in sun and on sidewalk, sad our weather in WA state has turned to usual rain now so she will be hugging the heat on top of sofa now.

[Cyn719]

Bernie - Penny used Vetoryl and I order it from Vet Depot on line - but you have time for that Shelby doesnt sound ready for the meds right now

[Bernies4u]

I finally got the medical records on Shelby's Cushing test and results have few things to do today but will post the info for you folks to see where we are, I do not know how to read myself yet, just what my one vet explained.

Bernadette

[Cyn719]

Sounds good will check back:)

[Bernies4u]

How do you want the information? Several pages

[Cyn719]

Usually they ask you to post the name of the test - the result - and the range -

[Harley PoMMom]

For Cushing tests such as an ACTH stimulation please post the pre and post blood draws; for a LDDS test there should be a baseline or resting number, a 4 hour draw, and a 8 hour draw.

For the Chemistry/CBC post any abnormalities listed (highs/lows) with the reference ranges and units of measurements; as an example, ALT 240 (5-107 U/L)...Thanks!!

[Bernies4u]

Hopefully will make sence?


BLOOD RESULTS t.p 7.8
ca 12.1 Adjusted CA-ALB+3.5
12.1-4.2+3.5=11.4
SAP 364
NRB (12)
Advised CDDST



10/3/11 LD DST weight 11.9oz

all day test

10/4/11 Results Pre- 10.3
4 hrs 0.7
8 hr Post 3.9


Cortiaol Serial 2 DEX

1 9 am
2 1 pm
3 5 pm

results above


if not right way will try to do after we get home tonight Bernie

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Bernie,

Thanks for the info so far. Is there a test that list quite a few values? Things like BUN, ALT, ALK, GGT, creatinine, etc? If you have that test, please list just the abnormal values - too high or too low. Be sure to include the little letters after the numbers (ug/dl, nmol/l, ect) and the normal ranges for each value.


BLOOD RESULTS
t.p 7.8
ca 12.1
Adjusted CA-ALB+3.5
12.1-4.2+3.5=11.4
SAP 364
NRB (12)

Could you give the normal ranges for the above. Different labs use different norms (and different units of measurement - ug/dl, nmol/l, and so on) so it really helps to see those numbers with the results. ;) Also, what is the 4.2 referencing in the calculation above?

After the results on the all day test, there is usually some comments about how to read the results. This test was more than likely the LDDS, but the HDDS is also an all day test. Does the paper say low dose or high dose dexamethasone?

You are doing a fine job so keep it up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang