2 year old just diagnosed

[criverarivas]

My baby, Cissy, has been limping, thirsty, and had some panting. On those symptoms and observation of her lack of muscle tone and rounded belly our vet decided to check for cushings. He did a suppressant test, Dexamethasone, which came back positive. He has not been able to get with me beyond this information. I am shocked! Where should I go from here? What other test should I expect? What is the life expectancy for a young dogs with not too many symptoms? Any advice on what to do, how to keep her healthy and how to save money, would be much appreciated. :)

[addy]

Hi and Welcome to you and Cissy,

No one test for Cushings is perfect and other illnesses can give false positives. Cushings is very hard to diagnose. Has any blood work been done? Any other tests?

I can only imagine how shocked you must be at this potential diagnosis but others will be along soon to comment.

I am glad you found us so we can help sort things out. Don't panic.

hugs,
addy

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Firstly two years old is a bit rare for Cushing's. When you get the chance please post the exact results of the any of the testing and any blood panels and any ultrasounds.

There are several types of Cushing's as well.

Take a look at these links that will describe Cushing's and the testing. http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

Please do not be discouraged - many, many live out their normal life.

Keep us posted.
Terry

PS - are there any medications your girl is currently on?

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Cissy!

Addy is correct in that Cushing's is one of the most difficult endocrine diseases to get a confirmed diagnosis for. Many other non-adrenal illnesses, such as diabetes and thyroid issues, share some of the same symptoms as Cushing's.

Cushing's moves at a snails pace, so one does have time to get a confirmed diagnose. Strong symptoms are a huge part of making the diagnosis, and a Cushing's savvy vet will not initiate any treatment without strong symptoms and a confirmed diagnoses. Some of these symptoms include but not limited to: ravenous appetite, excessive drinking and urinating, thin skin and usually symmetrical hair loss along the trunk.

Does Cissy have any other health issues? How much does she weigh? Is she taking any other herbs/supplements/medicines?

Cushing's disease is not a death sentence, and when properly treated, dogs can live out their normal life spans.

Please know we are here for you and Cissy, so ask all the questions you want as we will help in any way we can.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[lulusmom]

He and welcome to the forum.

I'm sure sorry for the reasons that brought you here but I'm glad you found us. Limping, thirsty and panting are symptoms that are shared by many conditions so without additional testing, I wouldn't automatically assume that a two year old has cushing's. However, I am one of very few with a cushdog who was diagnosed at a very young age. My Lulu was diagnosed at three years old and she was showing overt cushing's symptoms, and I mean almost all of them, for at least a year prior to being diagnosed. She turned 10 years old on November 15th.

Now let the grilling begin. :D What breed is Cissy? Did your vet check for knee or hip injury when Cissy started limping? Dogs that limp are usually in pain and dogs in pain pant a lot. Dogs in pain, as well as those who have a non adrenal illness can test positive on the low dose dex test as any kind of stress can cause transient elevations in cortisol. False positives are common, which is why additional testing such as the acth stimulation test and/or abdominal ultrasound should be done to validate the LDDS. The LDDS doesn't always tell you if the disease is adrenal or pituitary based so the abdominal ultrasound is usually done to make this differentiation, as well as take good look around at the surrounding organs for typical abnormalities found in cushing's as well as unrelated abnormalities that might be causing problems.

You mentioned that Cissy is thirsty. Is she also peeing a lot? Does she have a voracious appetite, pot bellied appearance, coat and/or skin issues? Has she become less active?

Can you please round up all bloodwork, including the low dose dexamethasone suppression test, and any urinalyses that was done and post the results here? Cushing's is a very graded disease so if Cissy does have cushing's, there is plenty of time to make absolutely certain she has it. As you have probably already figured out, cushing's is very difficult to diagnose, which makes it the number one misdiagnosed canine condition. When you have a dog as young as Cissy, it is even more important to dot all the i's and cross the t's.

The more information you can give us, the better able we will be able to provide you with more meaningful feedback and appropriate reference material that relates to Cissy's specific circumstances.

I have two cushdogs and was a nervous wreck when both were first diagnosed so I totally understand the frustrations, the anxiety and the fear that comes with a diagnosis. I found a tremendous amount of comfort and acquired quite an education from the members of this forum. Like many other members, I am here paying it forward. Plus, we've walked in your shoes and we care about you and Cissy. You are not alone anymore and we are here to help in any way we can.

Glynda

[criverarivas]

I thank you all for the comforting words. I have the vet. Consultation tomorrow. I will get back to the forum with test results and information. In response to a few comments. Cissy is not on any daily meds. I was giving her melatonin at night at the vets urging to see if her night time panting and excessive water drinking would subside. She mostly drinks more water at night and I thought it was related to her night panting. Cissy has not needed blood work in quite a while. I will see what the vet says. I feel much better after hearing from all of you.

[lulusmom]

FYI, a full blood chemistry and CBC are the first screening tests that should have been done before doing the LDDS. I am hoping your vet did those as well as a urinalysis.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Cissy! :)

I think the others have covered all the questions we usually throw at folks so I will just drive a few important points home.

Cushing's is a very slowly moving condition which means there is usually plenty of time to be thorough in the testing before any treatment is started...usually plenty of time to save pennies if needed for the testing. Which means mom has time to take a deep breath and relax just a bit. ;)

It is very important to rule out all other possibilites; in fact, diagnosing Cushing's is very much a process of ruling things out. Things like the diabetes and thyroid problems mentioned but also other causes, like in my Squirt's case. An abdominal ultrasound showed a tumor on her spleen. Once the tumor was removed, her cortisol returned to normal and has remained within range since - over three years now. ;) So this is one test I cannot recommend strongly enough. It will let the docs see many organs.

The most important thing I can tell you is that you and Cissy are not alone. We will walk with you every step of the way. Never hesitate to ask questions and we will do our best to help.

Keep your chin up!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[marie adams]

Welcome to you and Cissy,

As Leslie said you are not alone on this journey. We are all here to help you in any way we can.

By posting Cissy's test results it will give the others a better understanding of what is going on. They are the most wonderful experts around and they will give you answers to all or any of your questions. They are great in researching also.

You are definitely in good hands; so hang in there. You are part of the family....:)