Christy - 16 y/o, rickety silky terrier princess

[WhisperPntr]

I wanted to report that my fluffy sister is now in heaven. We finally found a good vet in asia and did an ultrasound. We found out she had a tumor, rampant infection and when we put her in the icu to save her, her body gave out and she passed away the next morning.

I don't remember ever crying so hard nor being so depressed.

But if it's any comfort, for those of you who have an ailing and dying dog, when we went to receive her ashes it never feels like all you're getting in return is a pot of ashes. You receive your pup.

Story is, we were all severely upset, but EVERYONE in my family (religious and non) felt she was really with us again as soon as we fetched her urn. That night I heard her barking and shuffling around the house and her young happy pants. Mom heard her going to the potty. While I have cried off and on since then the gift is, I feel she's with us. I feel she's come home. I feel even happy sometimes though I miss her as I cannot see her.

As for the diagnosis, I would have otherwise left my posts up here but honestly while one can self diagnose with mild medication it's just so much better to go with a vet you trust. It was very hard for me to find one here in Asia, I could self diagnose, and did and it probably gave my dog one more month, but when I finally found a good vet and my family agreed upon it, it was too late for Christy.

Also, an ounce of prevention is worth so much more than a pound of cure. If we had proactive vets all along I think it would have made a difference for her, though I'm not sure if we could have saved her. She had a chest tumor and it could have bursted anytime.

Regardless she was and is the best dog I could ever have hoped for. Going to stop typing or else I'll cry buckets again.

Thanks everyone for your kind and excellent guidance.

I will likely be back again as we will have another rescue dog but not to replace the void she filled. But because we've grown to love how smart and sweet rescue dogs are. I just wish their previous owners took better care of them.

[WhisperPntr]

merging with first post

[lulusmom]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm sorry for the circumstances that brought you here but we're glad that you found us. I hate to answer your questions with a whole lot more questions but the more information you can provide, the better able we'll be able to give you some meaningful feedback. So let me start the questions and believe me, if I haven't asked all the right questions, you'll be getting more from members.

What prompted the vet to test for cushing's four years ago? What symptoms did Christy have and have those symptoms worsened over the years? Do you recall what tests were done to confirm the diagnosis? Would you happen to have copies of those tests and if so, can you post the results? If you don't have those, can you post the results of her most recent blood chemistry, urine tests and any imaging findings?

Diagnosing emphysema in a dog is not so easy. What tests were done and how long ago was she diagnosed? Dogs with emphysema definitely experience difficulty breathing. Aside from the cough, is Christy experiencing any respiratory problems? If not, you could be right about a collapsing trachea but that too is not always easy to diagnose. I have a Maltese with a collapsing trachea and he will definitely cough if I put the slightest pressure on his trachea. Have you noticed this with Christy?

Hypothyroidism and cushing's share some of the same blood abnormalities and physical symptoms. I realize you are having a difficult time finding a vet that you like in Hong Kong but did any of the ones you've seen do additional thyroid testing to determine if low thyroid is secondary to the cushing's? With your last post mentioning that Christy seems to be cold, forcing you to turn off the air conditioning, I am curious because this is not normal for a cushdog but it is normal for a dog with hypothyroidism. Cushdogs are very sensitive to heat and you can't give them enough air conditioning; whereas with low thyroid, the dog is very sensitive to cold.

I apologize for being very little to no help at this point but we'll try to figure things out together once we have more information on your silky terrier princess.

Glynda

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Christy! :)

My very first thought in reading the signs was hypothyroidism. The thyroid controls many vital functions in the body and when it is out of whack the whole system can get wonky. This would definitely be my first test - be sure that thyroid is working properly. ;)

My Squirt has been wheezing for over a year now and while she hasn't been tested, the thoughts of her vets are that she has emphysema - I smoke. :( Once last year it got pretty scary but she had bronchitis and when that was cleared up, she was much better tho still wheezy. As long as she isn't having any respiratory crisis, they don't want to start her on any meds, inhalers, etc. She has a harder time in the summer humidity, as I do, and seems to pant more in the evenings/nites. But at 14, she is doing well over all so I am most grateful.

I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more as time passes.
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Mandy,

The med for hypothyroidism is inexpensive and easy to give - once a day. The dose doesn't have to be adjusted often once the level is right so testing/vet visits would be much less than for a cush pup. Also, the thyroid meds are not hard on the system and can bring about some almost miraculous results. I completely understand not wanting to tackle Cushing's, if Christy does have it, but treating the thyroid is easy. ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[lulusmom]

Hi Mandy,

Thanks for the wealth of information you posted. Dogs with untreated cushing's do not have symptoms resolve. They continue to worsen. I looked at the bloodwork and the abnormalities are consistent with both hypothyroidism and cushing's; however, the current symptoms are screaming hypothyroidism. Her T-4 was definitely low in 2010 and I suspect it is worse now, which is why you are seeing just about every symptom associated with hypothyroidism.

Cushing's is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose, which makes it the most misdiagnosed canine disease. In my layperson's opinion, I seriously doubt that Christy has cushing's but I do believe she has primary hypothyroidism and should be on treatment. As Leslie mentioned, this is one of the easiest and cheapest condition to treat. If Christy were my dog, I wouldn't put her through the nightmare of any more blood draws to confirm a diagnosis but I would ask the vet to prescribe the usual synthetic replacement hormones called L-thyroxine (T4). The initial recommended dose is 0.1mg/10lb (4.5kg) body weight twice daily. I have a tiny Pomeranian (4.5lb) and she takes 1/2 of .1mg twice a day.

I think you will see an amazing improvement with treatment. It is recommended that bloodwork be done a month after treatment to see if the current dose is effective. I probably shouldn't say this but if it were my 16 year old rickety dog with a huge fear of needles and vets, I'd play it by ear. If the dose is too high, she'll start drinking and peeing buckets. Hypothyroidism is the number one most common canine endocrine disorder so no matter how bad a vet is, I would have to think they know how to treat the condition.

Please keep us posted.

Glynda

P.S. I forgot to mention that there is a condition known as Megaesophagus which is a condition that can be caused by hypothyroidism. Does Christy have trouble when she eats like trouble swallowing or regurgitation? Intermittent respiratory issues, primarily pneumonia, is common with this condition.

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[Squirt's Mom]

Morning, Mandy,

Two years ago, we moved back to our home town area and the search began for a new vet - one who knew about Cushing's and would work with me as a team. The last part was the most important part for me. I ended up choosing a vet who admitted he knew nothing about Cushing's and didn't really want to treat Squirt - BUT he was willing to learn. He has taken good care of her and all my babies so far. There is an obvious difference between the vets we saw in our old city and the vets here, tho. This is a rural area and most dogs are working or roaming dogs. Folks just don't go to the vet much, either. Dog gets sick or hurt, you put them down - no question. So because of this, our vet is not used to someone who demands more, who will go home research, then start asking questions or flat out saying, "I won't do this" or "This is what I'd prefer." Our old home was in an affluent area; this area is not affluent in the least so pennies are much more precious. It seems to me that I have to push more to get more done here than with our old vets but they simply assumed owners would spend money, sometimes mega-money, on their dogs because the owners had more for the most part. Around here, most owners can't and/or won't spend money on their pets so the vets don't push for anything beyond what they came in for regardless of what the labs may show. They know it's a waste of time and effort. My dad was a dentist and he knew which patients wanted to and would care for their teeth, and which ones simply waited for them to rot so they could have teeth they put in a jar at nite by the bed - simply a different mind-set that led to different actions and it was part of his job to work with both types of thinking.

So it may be that something like this is in play with Christy's vet - they didn't push to treat the thyroid because most folks in their area don't treat their dogs for things like that - they simply let them go to live as long as they can as they are. Your family may have been under the impression that treating would be harsh on Christy, or the cost out of their range, or awful side effects and that they were actually doing her a favor - no telling what they have thought. But I don't think anyone intended for Christy to suffer.

Folks like us are the exception to the rule; folks who don't see it as an owner / owned relationship with our pets, but rather see our pets as members of our family. So often we have to "train" our vets to treat our babies as such and to recognize that we think a bit differently from most folks. ;)

The job now is to take your new "learnin'" and put it to use as best you can. Perhaps if you approached your family with the fact that you see Christy as your sister and not a pet, they might be able to understand a bit better why this is so important to you. Just remember, you are not alone; we will help you, and your family, in any way we can.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[nibbles-mommy]

welcometo you too. glad she seems to be feeling better. keep us updated. will be praying for you.

[lulusmom]

Hi Mandy,

I applaud you for being a great advocate for Christy! The meds are best absorbed on an empty stomach so make sure you give the pill an hour before a meal or three hours after a meal. I've included a url below for information on hypothyroidism and it's treatment.

http://animalendocrine.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-do-we-treat-dogs-with.html

I'm hoping and praying with everything in me that Christy responds well to the medication.

Glynda

[Squirt's Mom]

Mornin' Mandy,

You are such a great sister and advocate for Christy! I am glad you found someone sympathetic to your situation who was willing to help - she deserves a big, squeezy hug! :)

Speaking from experience as one who has a thyroid disease, the meds go to work fairly quickly and response is seen / felt almost immediately. When I forget to take my pill, which I often do, it is obvious by mid-morning that my body and mind are not functioning as they should. Within an hour of taking the med, I can feel it working.

I so hope Christy does well with the treatment and that you see some of your old sis coming back real soon.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Steph n' Ella]

So proud of you! I am shocked at the improvement in my Ella after starting thyroid treatment! Been working super-hard on my Ella's skin...cleaning excess oil with a little anticeptic wash on a cotton ball (I can see the hairs starting to grow under her thin skin) until a precious hair pokes through! It is tedious...but worth it!

[WhisperPntr]

TY everyone please check the first post

[Steph n' Ella]

Hahaha...me 2! I have hashimoto's thyroiditis...so my thyroid is slowly getting flushed down the toilet. I don't need synthetic hormones...yet...but when I do, me and my pup can take our meds together!

[Squirt's Mom]

Hey, Steph! That's what I have! :D