Keeshond with Cushings?

[Chuck Taylor]

I have a 10-year-old Keeshond, diagnosed with Cushings this past December. Her only symptom has been hair loss; first on the back of her hind legs and now on her sides. We went through the urinary and blood tests, and finally ultrasound to rule out adrenal tumors -- there were none so the diagnosis is pituitary caused Cushings. We started her on Trilostane, which she's been on for about six months and is doing fine, no side effects. She seems perfectly healthy and happy; we do the regular blood tests and her levels are where they should be. BUT, her hair is not growing back and I believe she's losing more.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone know of other Keeshonden with Cushings or any veterinary specialists? I live in Old Town Alexandria, Va., so we have great vets (love ours) and high-end critical care facilities, but I have not found a Cushings specialist and just wonder if there's anything else I can do for my wonderful dog.

[mytil]

Hi and welcome to our site.

Glad you found us. First off here is a link where you can find an internal medicine specialist close to your area - http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182 -

Secondly, it can take a while for the hair to grow back. In a lot of cases the old hair is "shed" before the new hair grows back and the new hair seems finer in texture.

When you get the chance post the results of the most recent ACTH test performed to let us have a look at the numbers.

I wanted to mention that with the symptom of only hair loss I would be suspect of the diagnosis. The ultrasound revealed no enlargements of either of the adrenal glands or any abnormalities?

When you can, gather up the all the results of the initial testing to diagnose Cushing's and post them as well how much Trilostane you are giving and it is once daily or is the dose split into 2 doses daily? These tests should have been a LDDS, or even a UC:CR test to rule out, and an initial ACTH test.

Keep us posted
Terry

[Steph n' Ella]

The success I've had with hair growing back was mainly treating the skin. In fact, in many areas--under good lighting--you could see Ella's hair growning under the skin...but the oils (from hypothyroidism) and waxy skin texture prevented the hair from poking through.

I cleaned off the oily build up with cotton balls and an over-the-counter antiseptic wash.

(http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-Antiseptic-Wash?skuId=209921)

Also, as her skin improved, Ella got lots of dandruff! As that old waxy skin flaked off, the new skin was much better for hair growth. Baths to get the dead skin off helped alot...I even got Ella her own loofa. :)

[lulusmom]

Hi Chuck and welcome to the forum.

Terry has already asked you to please post the results of the last acth stimulation test. I would like to see all of the testing your vet did to diagnose cushing's. With respect to blood chemistry and cbc, please post only the abnormal values and please include the normal reference ranges. Would also be interested in the ultrasound findings. With hair loss being your dog's only symptom, I am wondering if your vet is actually treating cushing's or is he trying to grow hair with Trilostane?

I have a bald Pomeranian who, like the Keeshond, is a breed predisposed to Alopecia X and after seven years of treatment, she remains bald. My dog has cushing's but most dogs with this condition do not. Their cortisol is usually normal but the 17 oh progesterone is almost always elevated. These dogs are otherwise healthy, with no other clinical signs of cushing's. It's basically considered a cosmetic issue and according to a well known endocrine specialist, Dr. David Bruyette, the first line of treatment for Alopecia X is a sweater. I have drawers of them. :D

When I discovered that there was a study showing that Trilostane helped dogs with Alopecia X grow hair, I switched Lulu from Lysodren to Trilostane. Her cortisol was maintained beautifully and all symptoms resolved; however, she not only didn't grow hair, she ultimately lost what little bit of fuzz she managed to grow while treating with Lysodren. I ultimately switched her back to Lysodren because she not only lost her coat but I was more concerned about her weight loss. She is itty bitty to begin with so we can't afford any weight loss.

Looking forward to hearing more about the testing done thus far.

Glynda

[mytil]

Hi again,

Just wanted to add another link I think you will find very useful - http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180.

These links offer a great deal in understanding Cushing's, the diagnosis and the treatments.

Terry