very confused..Lhasa diagnosis

[mookies mom]

Hi I am new here & so thrilled to find this forum. I am the 'mommy' of a 12 year old Lhasa. Last week I was informed by her groomer that she may need to be seen ASAP by her vet as she seemed dehydrated. I managed to get her seen that day. She has symptoms of Cushings in that her hair is not growing as it once was to the point she looks sad-her tail was trimmed off by a lazy groomer I used 2 years ago & is still a rats tail as well as her body is becoming very sparse. She also has the pot belly pig look. This was a slow transformation. Her Dr suggested we do the Cushings test-the all day one. The problem is they did an x ray of her abdomen that day as I had felt something. It seems there is a mass on her liver. To say I was floored is an understatement. I have no idea which way to turn now. Treatment for Cushings will only treat symptoms-she is not eating or drinking out of the norm so I assume it means it will help with her hair issue. With the liver issue I wonder if I should pursue the medications of Cushings. I was advised to do an ultra sound the same day as the Cushings test. She weighs 13 pounds & is lighter than she was last year & is 12 years old. I do not want to expose her to anything that will cause her discomfort in my selfishness in keeping her longer. Any thoughts on this? Thank you so much..

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[Boriss McCall]

Hi Mookies mom,

Sorry your pup is having troubles. I am fairly new to all this as well.
I would think you would want to do the ultrasound to see what all is going on with the liver first. Like you said since Cushing's only treats the symptoms I personally would try & solve the other problems first.
I know people with lots of experience will be by to greet you & give you some good solid advice.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and your girl,

Sorry for the reasons that brought you here but sure glad you found us.

A dog that is not showing obvious clinical Cushing symptoms should not be started on any of the meds for Cushing's. These symptoms include but not limited to are excessive drinking/urination and a ravenous appetite.

I was wondering if you could round up copies of all tests that were done on your girl and post any abnormalities that are listed here. If you could post the reference ranges with the units of measurements, that will help also...as an example; ALT 120 U/L (10-100). Does your girl have any other health issues? Is she taking any other herbs/supplements/medicines?

If a liver problem is suspected usually a bile acid test is done, has your vet mentioned this test?

Sorry for all the questions but the more we know about your sweet girl the better our feedback will be.

Please know we will help in any way we can so do not hesitate to ask any and all questions.

Love and hugs,
Lori

[mookies mom]

Thank you for your quick replies. She has no symptoms other than the 'pot belly piggy look' as the Vet called it & the sad hair issue. I did have a blood panel run last week & will obtain a copy of that to post. The day I was informed of the mass showing on her liver I was a basket case & it took all I had to pay the bill & drive home crying the entire way. I spoke to her vet Tuesday with my concerns as to any heroic measures -I will not allow her to suffer or her quality of life to be shortened by putting her through anything invasive so we agreed on the ultrasound & the Cushings all day testing. I don't wasnt to subject her to anything that will not help her & if all she has is a very bad hair issue we can live with that . As for a bile test I was told to do the ultrasound & determine from there where to go. Her heart does look good he said-just what appears to be a mass on her liver.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Nookie! :)

I wouldn't waste money on Cushing's testing until the liver situation is figured out. Non-adrenal illnesses, like liver problems, can and do cause false-positives on the tests for Cushing's. So, I would want to find out what is going on with the liver before I did anything else. My Squirt tested positive on five different tests but we later learned she had a tumor on her spleen. Once the tumor was removed, her cortisol returned to normal. ;)

I am assuming there was an abdominal ultrasound and not just an xray to determine the mass that was seen? If not, you want to have that done for sure. I would also want the bile acid test done like Lori suggested.

Keep in touch and let us know what you learn. Looking forward to those test results from the blood work that has been done so far.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome. I'm so sorry that your girl is going through something like this. I have to agree, you really can't treat cushings until any liver issue is addressed. You can't even determine cushings with a liver problem that is outside of cushings, because it causes the cortisol to rise (in response to the problem) and it causes the same sort of symptoms as cushings would. Including the pot belly appearance. An enlargement of the liver or a mass will push against the stomach walls causing that appearance.
If the ultrasound wasn't done, one should be done, so you know what you are dealing with. If one was done, then they should be able to provide you with a printout of the results. I know you have been told what is going on, but seeing the written results, including the blood test results, lets you really get a grasp on what is going on with her and how she feels and what you can expect going forward.
I find that I am usually so upset after a tramatic vet visit, that I can't remember half of what was said, or why something was determined to be as it was and later if I have the paperwork I can take a look at it and more calmly "deal".
For instance, ALT values, ALP values, etc, WBC, all different sort of values will let you know how her liver is doing and how bad it has been damaged at this point. These are all things that you need to know as her "advocate" to make decisions on her behalf.
I really don't want to over whelm you at this point, when so much has already hurt your heart so badly.
So, lets do one step at a time. No cushings treatment yet, don't even worry about it today. It's not your main concern. A stop by the vet's office and pick up copies of all tests (I went back 2 years for my molly).
Then post any off results here, high/low and normal range.
You'll have plenty of replies with some pretty darn good advice on next step action.
Now don't forget to breath.
I know this is scary. Not one person, myself included has arrived here without being in a severe case of terror.

Hugs,
Sharlene

[jmac]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

You have gotten great advice so far and I definitely think the ultrasound is a great next step. I can completely understand your sadness and panic, as I do the same thing. We all did when we found our way here. No matter what issues you are facing, you have found a fabulous place with caring and helpful people to guide and support you. Please let us know the results of the ultrasound.

Julie & Hannah

[molly muffin]

Hi, how is Nookie doing? Did you ever get the test result copies? How about the ultrasound? I know tons of questions, but do wonder how you are both doing.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin