Adrenalectomy Surgery Questions (Reggie) 11 y/o Shih Tzu

[Barton]

Hi my 11 year old Shih Tzu Reggie has been diagnosed with Cushing’s. He is scheduled for surgery on 2/2/2012. He will be in the hospital for a few days and then home where I am the sole care giver. I am hoping to get information from other owners whose dogs have had this surgery on what I should expect in terms of after care. Specifically:
• Mobility: He likes to jump up on couches stools etc. I am assuming I should not let him do this. Can he use the step to go outside?
• Medication: What sort of medication might he be on and how will it affect his diet/mood
• Diet: Any restrictions? He is on a low fat diet right now just due to age and Cushings
• Health issues: What signs should I look for to know if he is getting better or worse
• Time: About how long before he is back to normal
• After Care at the vet. Will he need a lot of follow up appointments and medicine?
• Advice: Any tips you can provide on taking care of my dog after surgery.
I am asking some of these questions of the specialist who is taking care of Reggie but it would also be nice to know what others have experienced with this surgery and care.

Thanks so much
Reggie’s mom

[Cyn719]

Hi Reggies Mom

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry Reggie has to go through surgery but many members furbabies have gone through this with wonderful results. These members will be by soon to answer your questions. Could you tell us alittle more about Reggies health, when was he diagnosed and is he was on any medications?

Reggie will be in my thoughts and prayers and all of us Cush Angels (thats what we call the members here) will be here for you each and everyday.

Sending you lots of support, strength, prayers and hugsssssss xo

[frijole]

Hi Reggies mom. You probably are well aware that this is a major surgery and one of the most difficult a vet can do. For this reason it should be done by a surgeon that is seasoned at this particular surgery. It is invasive but if successful your dog is cured of cushings and the symptoms. Are you working with a teaching hospital? specialist?

I would recommend you meet with the surgeon and get a feel for his/her experience level with this specific type of surgery. TYpically prior to the surgery your dog will be on specific meds to prepare for the surgery - I can't recall if it is for purposes of sedation or blood pressure or what but it is important.

The main issue after the surgery is to make sure no infection occurs. They will probably keep Reggie in the hospital for several days post op to make sure all is well. They will no doubt give you explicit instructions for care post op.

Hopefully one of our members that has experienced the surgery will chime in. We have had dogs live perfectly normal lives after this surgery. I repeat, the main thing is to make sure the vet is very very experienced. This is not something that should be done by a regular vet or a general surgeon.

Hope this helps and do keep us posted.

[Skye]

Hello
My girl had her adrenalectomy November 28th 2011
left adrenal was removed.
If you would like to call me i will let you know what helped us, and try my best to answer any questions you have. let me know and i will get you my number, and i will tell you the angels on this forum are AMAZING and helped me so very much, the love, care and support is amazing. You are now surrounded by fluttery wings of these wonderful incredible people and you will not walk one step of this journey alone.

[Skye]

Mobility: He likes to jump up on couches stools etc.
No jumping for at least TWO WEEKS, take all cushions off furniture and put on floor, that way they can step on cushions and then onto furniture if they need to. If you are on furniture and have cushion, if they need up where you are, carefully lift, but remember....NO jumping UP or DOWN
His diet should remain same unless the stomach gets bothered then you might want to have on hand for just in case, white boneless skinless chicken breast NO RIB MEAT, simmer in pan or boil, only add water...NOTHING else use water that chicken is in for broth, canned broth even low sodium has salt.....so try to NOT use that. also have white long grain minute rice.
follow up and such.......well it depends.......we went back couple days later....dirreaha happened, she got checked, gave meds, after a surgery like that, guess that can happen, but you dont want that to continue...hers started that morning, by late afternoon it had not subsided so we went in. About 10-14 days after surgery, doctor will probably want to see him, and do a check on him, likely be on prednisone for couple of weeks give or take couple. low dose, slowly reduced giving other adrenal time to respond. would recommed if he sleeps with you...take mattress off frame and put on floor. lol matter of fact we just put ours back on.......lol, i dont think we needed to wait that long, just now got to it. lol, but for 2 weeks very strict on that, and no running playing type stuff either. they may want to but cant. they start to feel better fairly soon, but they have just gone through something huge and need to take it easy. incision is long, but remember they heal side to side not up down. i would recommed blood work to be redone 6-8 weeks after unless of course depending on details that i dont know....needs are different.
is this tumor bi-lateral or lateral?
is it a active tumor?
what are symptons now?
what tests have you have done?
how was tumor found?
what meds is he currently taking?
have you found a SEASONED specialist? this is a MUST i can not stress this enough
is it attached to the vena cava?
how large is the tumor?
is it right or left adrenal?
does this surgeron do flank or abdominal incisons?
is it vascular?
this may answer some of your questions, if not i am here if you need and several others as well.
will be thinking of you and Reggie, i hoped this helped. (((((((((((hugs)))))))

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Reggie! :)

As Kim said, this is one of the most difficult surgeries a pup can face simply because of the anatomy around the adrenal glands. So it is imperative that you have a board certified surgeon who has a successful track record with adrenalectomies under their belt. Once you are sure of this, the rest will fall into place.

It isn't generally recommended that we make changes at times like this in order to keep the picture as consistent and clear as possible. Example - you change her feed just before the surgery then when she gets home, she vomits or has diarrhea. Is it because of the surgery, or the change in feed? The less confusion, the better. ;) So don't make any changes right now UNLESS your surgeon tells you to. This person will be your "god" for the next little bit - what they tell you, you follow to the very best of your ability.

After-care will seem scary at first, I won't lie. My Squirt has not had an adrenal gland out but she has had a tumor and half her spleen removed so I have an idea of what you are going to face. As Skye said the incision will be long and nasty looking when you first see it. Then you realize that's not bad all things considered. ;):) Reggie does not need to jump up or down from anything for several weeks - your surgeon will tell you how long. He does not need to climb steps at all for a while. Ask the surgeon or staff to show you how to pick him up so that the incision isn't damaged in order to take him in and out, up and down steps/stairs. The surgeon will tell you how to clean and care for the incision, if that is needed, and what to watch for that would indicate an infection. Follow the directions you are given, call them if you are worried, keep in touch with us, and I am sure things will be just fine during recovery.

Others who have had this surgery will be along to chat with you soon I hope. I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more about the both of you.

Keep your chin up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Rebelsmom]

My boy has a pituitary tumor so I can't comment on what you will face, but we are all here for you regardless. Even if you just need love and support. :)

[Barton]

Hi Reggies Mom

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry Reggie has to go through surgery but many members furbabies have gone through this with wonderful results. These members will be by soon to answer your questions. Could you tell us alittle more about Reggies health, when was he diagnosed and is he was on any medications?

Reggie will be in my thoughts and prayers and all of us Cush Angels (thats what we call the members here) will be here for you each and everyday.

Sending you lots of support, strength, prayers and hugsssssss xo
Hello all and thank you for your responses. Lots of great information. I am at work now but I will post more information later this afternoon when I get home and have access to his information. Quickly I do have a board certified surgeon and have met with him twice. Reggie is also seeing a internal medcine specialist (Dr. Hoffman in Scottsdale AZ) who has guided me every step of the way she is great!. I also have the assistance of a wonderful friend whose dog had cushing's (recently passed). She is the one who told me about this site.

More later and thanks again.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and a belated welcome to you both!

I have no experience with Adrenalectomy Surgery but here is a link to a member's Thread whose furbaby has gone through this surgery: http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3676&highlight=Adrenalectomy&page=9

Love and hugs,
Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Barton,

You certainly do have a wonderful friend, and we all love her dearly.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Barton]

Thank you all for your responses I will spend some more time reviewing and replying.:)

However several have asked for more information so here is some addtional tidbits about my dog Reggie. I will also post a corner photo of Reggie if/when I figure out how to do that. :confused:

REGGIE’S RECENT MEDICAL HISOTRY

Reggie is an 11 Year old Shih Tzu who has been relatively healthy. No major problems. He had infrequent seizures when he was younger (3 yrs) with a possible diagnosis of epilepsy. However he was not put on medication at that time preferring the wait and see method. Over time the seizures have stopped. Reggie is currently on 25 MG of cyclosporine every other day. He was put on cyclosporine to counter the effects of the steroids he was on put on due to an auto immune illness that is no longer present. (See purple font below for more information). He continues on the cyclosporine as more of a preventative measure until he has the surgery. His blood work for liver enzymes is normal now after several months of elevated enzymes due to the steroids.

Reggie is on a low fat diet consisting mainly of chicken/turkey brest, white rice and green beans. I have also been giving him ham which has higher sodium content so that may have to stop. I put him on this low fat diet about 2 years ago just because of age/weight gain no other medical reason. Reggie's weight is now good, about 20lbs which is with 1 pound of where his Vet thinks he should be given his size.

In March of 2011 Reggie had an upset stomach that lasted several days. The vet diagnosed pancreatitis. He was put on medication and then re-tested a few weeks later. The later test revealed that while the pancreatitis has cleared up he had a urinary tract infection. For several months (April – July, 2011) he kept getting infections but the cultures came back showing different organisms (E. Coli, Klebsiella etc). I was referred to an internal medicine specialist. Other than the infections no other overt Cushing’s signs were present (excessive water intake, increased appetite etc). I know some of the signs of Cushing’s as my friend’s dog was a Cushing’s dog.

The specialist did an ultra sound on the initial visit and found: The following:



ADRENALS: LEFT ADRENAL - 2.2 cm x 1.9 cm cranial pole containing 0.7 cm x 0.6 cm well defined hyperechoic nodule and second hypoechoic area, 1.1 cm x 1.2 cm caudal pole containing smaller well defined hyperechoic nodule, no evidence of vascular invasion
RIGHT ADRENAL - normal appearance, 0.35 cm width caudal pole
GI TRACT/PANCREAS: WNL's
LYMPH NODES/URINARY BLADDER: URINARY BLADDER WNL's
REPRODUCTIVE: Prostate: WNL
ASSESSMENT: Very large left adrenal gland with numerous nodules: neoplasia (adrenocortical adenoma, adrenocortical adenoCA,pheochromocytoma), granuloma, other


A low dose dexamethasone suppression test was conducted and based on that test and the ultra sound Reggie was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. Both surgical adrenalectomy and medication were discussed as options. I decided surgery was a good option for Reggie.

Surgery was scheduled for August 5, 2011. The Friday before surgery during the pre op exam on Reggie a further complication was discovered. Reggie had a form of an auto immune disease where the immune system was hyper defensive attacking the platelets. The specialist explained that in many animals this is temporary situation and it is a matter of “resetting” the immune system. She successfully treated Reggie for this setback and we are now once again on the road to surgery.

In terms of the surgical team: Dr. Dixon surgeon: He is board certified and has done several successful adrenalectomies on small dogs. Perhaps large dogs as well but I did not ask that question. I met with Dr Dixon and I am comfortable with his knowledge and the approach he is taking for the surgery. Dr Dixon was recommended by the specialist and Dr Dixon will do the surgery in the specialist’s office with the specilist present as well. This means that Reggie’s after care will be provided by both the surgeon and the specialist and her staff who have been treating Reggie for the past 7 months. Both Reggie and I are very comfortable with the staff there.

The aftercare option and Dr Dixon’s experience were keys in my selection. In addition to Dr. Dixon and the specialist, there will be an anesthesiologist tending to Reggie during the surgery. Having the anesthesiologist there will allow Dr. Dixon to concentration 100% on the adrenalectomy.

[StarDeb55]

I have not posted to you before but Have been following Reggie's story. I wanted ask, if you don't mind, is Dr. Dixon one of the surgeons at the surgery clinic at Az. Vet Specialists in Gilbert? If he is the Dr. Dixon, I can tell you he is absolutely terrific. He did the cruciate repair on my Lhasa about 18 months ago, & everything went great. If you are dealing with any of the clinics affiliated with Vet Specialists, you absolutely can't beat them. Your Reggie is definitely in good hands.

Debbie

[Barton]

Yes he is. :) I went to the website to make sure and saw his picture. I met him at the Scottsdale clinic so was not sure where else he worked. I know the Scottsdale clinic is not his usual practice site. I am so glad you responded makes me that much more confident.

[Barton]

Mobility: He likes to jump up on couches stools etc.
No jumping for at least TWO WEEKS, take all cushions off furniture and put on floor, that way they can step on cushions and then onto furniture if they need to. If you are on furniture and have cushion, if they need up where you are, carefully lift, but remember....NO jumping UP or DOWN
His diet should remain same unless the stomach gets bothered then you might want to have on hand for just in case, white boneless skinless chicken breast NO RIB MEAT, simmer in pan or boil, only add water...NOTHING else use water that chicken is in for broth, canned broth even low sodium has salt.....so try to NOT use that. also have white long grain minute rice.
follow up and such.......well it depends.......we went back couple days later....dirreaha happened, she got checked, gave meds, after a surgery like that, guess that can happen, but you dont want that to continue...hers started that morning, by late afternoon it had not subsided so we went in. About 10-14 days after surgery, doctor will probably want to see him, and do a check on him, likely be on prednisone for couple of weeks give or take couple. low dose, slowly reduced giving other adrenal time to respond. would recommed if he sleeps with you...take mattress off frame and put on floor. lol matter of fact we just put ours back on.......lol, i dont think we needed to wait that long, just now got to it. lol, but for 2 weeks very strict on that, and no running playing type stuff either. they may want to but cant. they start to feel better fairly soon, but they have just gone through something huge and need to take it easy. incision is long, but remember they heal side to side not up down. i would recommed blood work to be redone 6-8 weeks after unless of course depending on details that i dont know....needs are different.
is this tumor bi-lateral or lateral?
is it a active tumor?
what are symptons now?
what tests have you have done?
how was tumor found?
what meds is he currently taking?
have you found a SEASONED specialist? this is a MUST i can not stress this enough
is it attached to the vena cava?
how large is the tumor?
is it right or left adrenal?
does this surgeron do flank or abdominal incisons?
is it vascular?
this may answer some of your questions, if not i am here if you need and several others as well.
will be thinking of you and Reggie, i hoped this helped. (((((((((((hugs)))))))

Hi Skye;

I not sure of all the answers but here are some.

Reggie's normal diet is what you recommended if he gets an upset stomach so that is good. No need to change.

With the exception of the UI infections Reggie has very few symptons of cushings. He is still eating/drinking normaly has not gained weight same energy level etc. In fact he just came in from running along the fence in the back yard he was chasing dogs that are on the other side of the fence.

The tumor was found via ultra sound and then the LDST confirmed the cushings. It is not attached to the vena cava and both the surgeon and internal specialist feel that the size and location of the tumor is such that surgery is a good option for Reggie. The tumor is on left adrenal gland and approx 2cm. I have a board certified surgeon and an anesthesiologist on board.

Waht I am not sure of is does this surgeron do flank or abdominal incisons?
is it vascular?

I am meeting with the specialist and suregon again on Monday afternoon to take another ultra sound and do preop workup. I will be asking these questions. Thanks !

[Cyn719]

OMG Reggie is so cute!!! Look at that face!! :):)

xo

[Altira]

Hi Barton,

I'm just saying hello mostly...........

My Kira (siberain husky) had this surgery too a year ago. There is a rather active thread on the whole thing here. Mostly entered by me, all the useless stuff posted by me... But there you go. Anyway, my memory isn't the best so I'm not going comment too much but from what I can tell there haven't been any complications from the surgery mentioned here. I think todays specailist have a pretty good handle on that now. Risky of course but maybe not like it was at one time. My Kira handled it great. It was when we stopped the prednizone that it turned bad for her. A lot of lameness showed up. She is currently having therapy sessions that include a water treadmill. I don't know that it helps with the regaining strength but it sure boosts her spirits!

Anyway, I know this is a scary time. And that date is not so far away. But trust me you are in good hands here. The Cush Angels float around almost around the clock. I'll be thinking of you and wishing you well.

[Barton]

Thanks Janis;

I hope Kira does get better with the therapy. What a beautiful dog. When Reggie was on steroids he developed muscle weakness and I started nightly massages. Not sure it really helps but it makes me feel better. Since he has been off the steriods he no longer shows the muscle weakness but I still do the rub downs because he loves it.

[Altira]

Lucky well loved dogs... LOL

[Buffaloe]

My Shiloh had her adrenalectomy in 2006 at the age of 12. She had a very large adrenal tumor removed from her left adrenal gland. We had a highly skilled and experienced board certified surgeon, also in Scottsdale, perform her adrenalectomy. He was assisted by another wonderful bcs. Shiloh lived for another 3 1/2 years with a wonderful quality of life. Prior to her surgery, she was just hanging on.

I will try to answer some of your questions from our experience. There will be so much serious healing going on, you do not want to let Reggie run or jump, at all, for ten days or so. I think you should have him on his leash anytime he goes outside for the first several days he is home. My surgeon just had Shi take prednisone, a baby aspirin and vitamin A for two weeks after her surgery. No pain meds or anything else. After I got Shi home, she just kept getting better and better every day. A month post surgery, she was doing great, just a very healthy and happy dog...long walks, frequent trips to the park, surf trips, etc.

As you know, this is a very major surgery. My surgeon told me they have an 85% long term success rate with surgeries similar to Shiloh's. February 2 will probably be a very emotional day for you. You and Reggie are already in my thoughts and prayers. Hang tough.

Ken

[gpgscott]

God bless.

Scott

[Cyn719]

Hi just checking in to see how Reggie is-

thinking of you both!:)

[Barton]

Truly appreciate all the responses and great input. I am already making a list of what I need to change in the house to make Reggie's recovery more comfortable.

Reg is going in again on Monday for an ultra sound and pre-op blood workup. I should know on Tuesday what the results are and if we are a go for the surgery. I will keep you all posted.

Several members have shared their threads of the progress from their dog's surgery. This has been a great resource for me. I too will keep all in the loop so that in the future hopefully Reggie's experience can help someone else.

Thanks again and God Bless :)

Holly

[Skye]

your a beautiful mom to Reggie, way to go and my girls are giving paw high fives to you!!! whootwhoot get it girl, you will be ready to care for that baby when returned to your arms. AND you got all the angels on here to help keep you fully lifted in prayer, positive thoughts and energy, and Reggie too of course!!!! You will not walk this journey alone!!!

[Barton]

Reggie is cleared for surgery. I got the call today that blood work looks great I don't have copies yet) and his US showed very little has changed since last July. Also it does appear the tumors are not intruding on blood vessels so should be a smooth surgery.

Given some of the input on this site I did inquire about Reggie's diet as he has had stomach issues in the past. So I am actually bringing food for Reggie to have while he is at the clinic recovering.

I will post again once I know the outcome of Reggie's surgery.

[Harley PoMMom]

Wishing the best of luck on Reggie's surgery. All of us cush angels will be fluttering around you and sweet Reggie on Feb 2nd. Please do keep us posted, ok?

Sending tons of positive energy, hugs, and love...Lori

[Cyn719]

Ditto to what Lori said:) We will all be with you!!!

Sending lots of love support strength prayers and hugssssssss xo

[littleone1]

I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers that Reggie's surgery goes well, and that he has a speedy recovery. Not only are your cush family angels here for you and Reggie, but (Angel)Corky is also watching over his best friend.

[labblab]

I'm here, too!!! I know today will be rough, just counting the minutes until surgery tomorrow. But I'm hoping that tomorrow will be kind of a new "birthday" for Reggie -- he'll be turning the page and starting out again with a new lease on life!

We'll be so anxious for any and all updates. I am sending you and Reggie my very best wishes.

Marianne

[addy]

Sending love and prayers for a speedy recovery.

Holding you and Reggie tight with lots of love.

addy

[jmac]

Hi-
Just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and hoping for the best for Reggie. Keep us updated!

Julie & Hannah

[Squirt's Mom]

Add us to the cheering section for Reggie, too! :) It sounds like he is in good shape for this surgery...but I know you're not. :p Know we are here anytime you want to talk. You can vent your fears and concerns and joys and love anytime you wish. Sometimes just talking helps to make things easier. ;)

Your cush family will be with you. Just tell all those folks sitting in the waiting room tomorrow to move over - you have a whole crowd of folks with you and Reggie!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Barton]

SUCCESS!
Reggie's surgery went very well. The surgeon said this was the smoothest adrenalectomy he has ever done. There was only minor blood vessel intrusion there were no surprises and everything went extremely well.

Reggie is resting comfortably and came out of anesthesia without a problem. Thanks to all for the hugs thoughts and sharing the waiting room with me.

A special thanks to Reggie's best friend and now his guardian angel Corky. I just knew he would be watching over Reggie today.

[lulusmom]

YIPPEE! Go, Reggie, Go!

[jmac]

Yay! I am so glad to hear everything went so well!!!!:D

It must be such a relief for you. Glad Reggie is awake and doing well. He sure is a cutie!:)

Julie & Hannah

[Cyn719]

Omg!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!!

Way to go Reggie!! Way to go!!!!

You must be so happy and relieved this is over!!

Praying for a smooth recovery!!

Hugs. Love. Prayers. Support. Strength. Hugsssss.
Xo

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh!! So very happy to hear this great news about sweet Reggie!

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Holly,

What wonderful news to see first thing this morning! :) I am so happy things went well for Reggie. I don't doubt one second that our sweet Corkster was in that operating room the whole time, whispering in Reggie's ear that all would be well.

I hope he is home soon and has a swift, uneventful recovery.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[littleone1]

Holly wanted me to let everyone know that Reggie came home Friday afternoon, and that he is doing well. :):):)

She's going to try to get on the forum a little later today. I know that she wants to change the title of Reggie's thread. She will get in contact with someone to do this.

[Harley PoMMom]

Thank so much for this update, Terri! So happy Reggie is home and doing so well.

[Cyn719]

Welcome home Reggie:D

Hope the recovery is quick and smooth!!

love and hugs xo

[Barton]

Update on Reggie

Hi all;
Reggie did very well during surgery and afterwards as well. By 6 hours after surgery he was up and so active the removed one of his lines so he would not tear it out.

I ended up taking him home about 30hrs after surgery. He did great for the first 24 hours but yesterday was bad. I ended up taking him back to the clinic. After they examined Reggie they assured me all his vital signs are good. The Ultra sound showed no internal liquid/bleeding and the incision looks really good.

So the conclusion and I agree he was not getting enough pain medicine. They gave him a pain shot while he was there. I took him home and he slept for the next 12 hours which was a blessing for him. Hoping for a better day today.

Reggie is on 25MG of tramodal twice a day. I am waiting to hear from the vet this morning if we can increase that by 5 mg. The emergency Vet said we could given his weight.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Holly,

I hope Reggie is much better this morning and that pain was his problem.

I don't want to scare you but do want to share what happened with Squirt so you are aware of possibilities. ;) Squirt had a tumor removed from her spleen. During the surgery, they had to move the pancreas out of the way. One day after coming home, she had to go back to the hospital because of an acute pancreatitic attack. The surgeon told me that the pancreas is a very touchy organ and does not like to be disturbed. Since they had to move hers for the surgery, it had rebelled and gotten inflamed.

Squirt threw up, had diarrhea, then wouldn't eat or drink, was in obvious pain, and very listless - these are the things I saw that prompted a call back to the hospital. All this seemed to happen over just a few hours time.

I don't know that Reggie's pancreas was disturbed during his surgery but I did want you to be aware that this can happen as a result if the organ was touched or moved.

Please let us know how Reggie is today. I hope the meds do the trick!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[jmac]

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know I am thinking of Reggie and hoping he is feeling better now. Keep us updated.

Julie & Hannah

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Holly,

How is Reggie today?

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Barton]

Hi all;

First thank you all for the thoughts, hugs and well wishes. Second sorry for not posting for awhile. After care for Reggie has been a bit rough. He has been sitting up and shaking for days. Not wanting to lay down, not eating very much and very little water. Then last night he finally started to drink water. I put water in his little water bottle we take on walks and that worked for some reason. I have spent almost all my time sitting with him on the floor just hiolding him and the shaking stops or at least subsides. The tech from the surgeon's office told me the shaking could be anxiety which makes sense. Today he is better. Sitting and not shaking so I thought I would jump on and give you an update. Every day is a bit better. I was told to expect him to be in quite a bit of pain for 7-10 days after surgery. We are on day 6 and he is a bit better.

[Harley PoMMom]

So glad to hear that Reggie is feeling better and sending tons of healing white light, hugs, and love...Lori

[Cyn719]

So glad you gave an update -

Give Reggie a hug and kiss from me and Penny:)

xoxoxoxoxoxo

[Barton]

Reggie doing very well! :):D

Hi all Reggie got his stitches removed today. It is now 2 weeks since his surgery and he is definitely on the mend. As you know recovery was a bit rock for the first 10 days. However on post-op day 10 he finally started to come around and every day since then has shown amazing progress.

The vet did blood tests today which should be back by Monday. However all signs are great. For now he is still on prednisone everyday pending blood results. He still will be taking his cyclosporine and he could be on that for a long time but that is not related to his tumor/surgery.

Thanks for all the help, information and fantastic support. I have a journal I kept while Reggie was recovering so if there are others out there whose dog have this surgery it might provide some information. Not sure how much as every dog is different. Still be happy to share (once I clean up all the spelling errors):).

[Skye]

hello my friend!!!!!!!! checking in on you!!!!!!!

[jmac]

Just wanted to stop by to say I am so glad Reggie is doing so well! Yay!

Julie & Hannah

[Harley PoMMom]

So very happy to hear that Reggie is doing so well!! Please do keep us updated!

Love and hugs,
Lori

[Skye]

checking in on you and seeing how the recovery process is going.

[Skye]

checking in..........how is recovery? things going okay? any issues holding bladder for very long? have you had blood work rechecked? hope all is okay. and call or text anytime.

[Barton]

Hi all;

Thanks for checking in on Reggie. I took so much time off to be home with Reggie while he recovered that now I have a lot of work time to catchup on. Thus my lack of board activity.
Reggie is doing very well after surgery. His staples are gone. The blood work came back with rave reviews. His other adrenal gland has kicked in as well. He took the last of his prednizone today. Reggie is basically acting like he did about two years ago. It has been a blessing to see him recover. The surgery was no joke and for a few days there I really questioned whether I made the right decision. Thanks again to all of you for your guidance and advice.

[lulusmom]

Thank you so much for the awesome uptight. I am thrilled to hear that Reggie is doing so incredibly well. You have my heartfelt sympathies for the work that piled up while you were at home. I know how that goes and it's not fun trying to catch up. Just try to squeeze in some quality time with your sweet Reggie. If I was your neighbor, I'd sub for you. :D

Please keep us updated. We care and want to hear how both of you are doing.

Hugs,
Glynda

[Harley PoMMom]

I am so happy to hear that Reggie is doing so well!!! Thanks so much for updating us and please keep us posted.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[jmac]

So happy to hear Reggie is doing so well! I bet it is so rewarding to see him acting like he did a couple of years ago. It sounds like you couldn't ask for anything better at this point! Awesome news!

Julie & Hannah

[Squirt's Mom]

WONDERFUL news! :) I am so glad you are seeing your old boy coming back! YAY!

I bet if you just took that handsome fellow to work with you, no one would complain - how could they complain about such a sweet little guy??!!?? :p I hope things calm down with your job soon so that you and Reggie can get back to your normal routine.

Thanks for letting us know how he is and do stay in touch when you can!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang