Zoe'sMom
06-03-2012, 11:21 AM
Zoe is a female (spayed) BT who just turned 8 years old in March. After many trips to the vet, many tests, and about $2500.00 in the past few months, we just got this diagnosis yesterday.
It began with taking her to the vet because she was itchy all the time, licking her paws like crazy and got this buildup of excess skin on the insides of her ears and on her nose.
Vet recommended switching her to a different dog food. She had been on Iams all of her life and did fine on it, but we switched her over to Blue Buffalo Turkey & Potato.
After about 2 months on this food, she was even worse. The vet recommended allergen testing. The results of that testing were that she is highly allergic to potatoes (it figures, right?) along with a lot of other foods. We then switched her to Avoderm Revolving Diet food – she has been on that food since 3/13/12.
At some point during all of this, she began displaying some weird symptoms…..she would sit all the time and never wanted to lay down. She would get so sleepy sitting up, that she would fall asleep and “catch herself” before she almost fell over. Another trip to the vet – because I thought she might have an inner ear infection. Her ears tested fine, no infection. Vet did an X-ray and said that it appeared her liver was enlarged. She prescribed Ursadiol once a day. Also found out that Zoe had a bladder infection, so 10 days of antibiotics for that. Vet felt that the symptom of not wanting to lay down might be pain relating to the enlarged liver, so Tramadol 2x a day for pain relief.
2 weeks later, at her checkup, bladder infection is gone, liver enzyme tests show no change, but vet recommends leaving her on the liver medicine. Zoe lays down and actually sleeps comfortably when she is on the pain medication. Her appetite has improved and she is once again eating all of her food.
Vet sends us to a veterinary hospital where they can run an abdominal ultrasound. Results of the ultrasound show liver is normal, but one of her adrenal glands is enarged. They send us back to my normal vet to have a Cushing’s test done. And, as I said, we found out yesterday that this test was positive.
We have an appointment to talk to our vet on Monday regarding treatment plan, meds, etc.
I have read everything I can find on Cushing’s Disease in dogs……and I’m terrified of these drugs…..and wondering if the treatment is worse than the disease???
I’d rather leave Zoe on pain meds for the rest of her life than have her taking meds that have such bad side effects.
I do not know what to do. Zoe is my baby…..my child…..the love of my life (after hubby, of course!) I just want her to be happy and comfortable. :(
It began with taking her to the vet because she was itchy all the time, licking her paws like crazy and got this buildup of excess skin on the insides of her ears and on her nose.
Vet recommended switching her to a different dog food. She had been on Iams all of her life and did fine on it, but we switched her over to Blue Buffalo Turkey & Potato.
After about 2 months on this food, she was even worse. The vet recommended allergen testing. The results of that testing were that she is highly allergic to potatoes (it figures, right?) along with a lot of other foods. We then switched her to Avoderm Revolving Diet food – she has been on that food since 3/13/12.
At some point during all of this, she began displaying some weird symptoms…..she would sit all the time and never wanted to lay down. She would get so sleepy sitting up, that she would fall asleep and “catch herself” before she almost fell over. Another trip to the vet – because I thought she might have an inner ear infection. Her ears tested fine, no infection. Vet did an X-ray and said that it appeared her liver was enlarged. She prescribed Ursadiol once a day. Also found out that Zoe had a bladder infection, so 10 days of antibiotics for that. Vet felt that the symptom of not wanting to lay down might be pain relating to the enlarged liver, so Tramadol 2x a day for pain relief.
2 weeks later, at her checkup, bladder infection is gone, liver enzyme tests show no change, but vet recommends leaving her on the liver medicine. Zoe lays down and actually sleeps comfortably when she is on the pain medication. Her appetite has improved and she is once again eating all of her food.
Vet sends us to a veterinary hospital where they can run an abdominal ultrasound. Results of the ultrasound show liver is normal, but one of her adrenal glands is enarged. They send us back to my normal vet to have a Cushing’s test done. And, as I said, we found out yesterday that this test was positive.
We have an appointment to talk to our vet on Monday regarding treatment plan, meds, etc.
I have read everything I can find on Cushing’s Disease in dogs……and I’m terrified of these drugs…..and wondering if the treatment is worse than the disease???
I’d rather leave Zoe on pain meds for the rest of her life than have her taking meds that have such bad side effects.
I do not know what to do. Zoe is my baby…..my child…..the love of my life (after hubby, of course!) I just want her to be happy and comfortable. :(