Hi Guys New to this forum and cushings 4 dogs need some info

[feral07]

I've had a hell of a fight with my old guy Ben he's 18 and cushing, with my vets. My own vet screw up the blood test saying there was to much fat on the sample of blood and couldn't do nothing with it but still charge me for it. ANYWAY I went for a second opinion at another vet where I live and since the old guy is on prednisolone for a skin complaint which he always had since I got him from the rescue centre, anyway the same blood test was ran and apparently he's a health old guy for his age but his liver is all to pot, reading off the scale, the cushing test came back negitive, but the vet thinks he has low level cushings thanks to the prednisolone so put him back on it for his skin along with antibotics for his feet, hes a foot eater. My concern is putting him back on prednisolone again, the last dose was 2 x 2 a day, now 1 x 2 a day, I really don't want to put him on it again but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place with him, take him off them he chews hell out himself. Put him on them he goes down hill very fast with cushings

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Ben!

So sorry for the reasons you are here but glad you found us as we will help in any way we can.

The more information you can tell us about Ben and his treatment plan the better our feedback can be so here comes the questions! :eek:

If you could get copies of all tests that were done on Ben and post any abnormalities listed, that would help a lot. What Cushing's medication is Ben on and what is the dosage? How much does Ben weigh? Besides the prednisolone, is Ben taking any other herbs/supplements/medicines?

Prednisolone is a synthetic corticosteroid and is closely related to cortisol. Since they are so similar a dog's system reacts to prednisolone like it would with cortisol, so any Cushing's test will do the same, meaning prednisolone registers as cortisol on the Cushing's tests. If Ben's ACTH stimulation test results were not elevated with the prednisolone, I am quite concerned.

Please know you are not alone on this journey as we are here to help you help Ben.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from me too.

I will start off by saying what a testament to your care over the years that your boy is 18. What breed is he?

I am confused that the ACTH test came back negative for Cushing's especially since he has been taking prednisolone for many years and it should register a higher cortisol level. (FYI Iatrogenic Cushing's is caused by long term use of such meds. But once these are stopped, the symptoms go away.) It seems you are not in a position right now to stop the prednisolone because of his skin issues.

I echo what Lori mentioned, please post the exact numbers of the ACTH test and any others.

Has your vet mentioned anything to support his liver function?

Keep us posted
Terry

[lulusmom]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Wow, 18 years old is quite amazing for any dog so congratulation on being a great advocate and loving caretaker for Ben. What breed is your precious guy?

At the ripe old age of 18, I personally believe giving Ben the best quality of life for whatever time he has left should guide your decision. As Terry and Lori have already mentioned, Prednisolone is a synthetic steroid which over time will cause identical symptoms and blood abnormalities seen with naturally occurring cushing's. When Prednisolone is taken long term, the adrenal glands pretty much shut down and forget how to work. This is why it is so important to wean the dog off the drug, so as to give the adrenal glands a chance to jump start.

Was Ben taking Prednisolone when you had the acth stimulation test done? If not, how long had he been off of it? Most dogs with cushing's have a little tumor on the pituitary gland which causes it to malfunction. As the disease progresses, this malfunction causes the the adrenal glands to pump out hormones and steroids like crazy. As a result, the glands become very thickened and fatty. This is called adrenal mass and it is this adrenal mass that you are testing when you do the acth stimulation test. Dogs with adrenal mass will have an exaggerated response to the stimulating agent. Normal dogs will respond to a much lesser degree and dogs with iatrogenic cushing's, caused by Prednisolone, have a flat response, showing little to no stimulation. This is because the adrenal glands are barely working so there no adrenal mass.

Does Ben have any cushing-like symptoms like panting, excessive drinking and peeing and/or voracious appetite? At Ben's advanced age, arthritis is usually present. Whenever you have taken Ben off of the Prednisolone in the past, did he ever appear to have more difficulty getting around and look to be in pain?

Cushing's is pretty hard to wrap your head around so I apologize up front if I have completely confused you with all of this. Just know that we are all here to help you and Ben. I'll be looking forward to seeing the test results as well as a picture of your amazing boy. :D

Glynda

[jmac]

Hi there,

I just want to welcome you and Ben to the forum. 18 years old?! That is amazing!!! You have taken good care of your dog!

I see that many others have already stopped by to help you, and I just want to tell you that you will find wonderful, caring, kind, informative people here. We will help you as best we can to make the right decisions for you and your dog.

We'll look forward to hearing more about Ben.

Julie & Hannah