Does My Dog Have Cushing's?

[ecd4]

First, he had swollen eyes (they have since disappeared). Then, he had surgery to drain a large abscess on the side of his face. After the surgery, many more of these abscesses began to appear, seemingly near lymph nodes. Aspirations of these growths were returned classified as as inconclusive. However, they did notice a large number of white blood cells, contributing to the assumption of it as an infection. As time wears on, he seems to be slightly more lethargic than usual. It is possible, though, that this is simply a side-effect of the Benadryl that was recommended by the veterinarian. He is now taking a steroid. Is it possible that he has Cushing's?

[StarDeb55]

Welcome to our group! I'm very sorry that your baby is having these problems right now, but glad that you found us. Can you tell us what type of infection the vet suspects is the problem? It would be very helpful if you could round up copies of any labwork that has been done up to this point, posting just the abnormal values along with normal range & reporting units. Some of these tests may include a CBC (complete blood count), urinalysis, & chemistry panel.

Repeated infections that are difficult to clear up are one sign of Cushings as the excess steroid produced by the adrenal glands does cause an overall immune system suppression. Does your baby have any other of the classic symptoms such as a voracious appetite? By voracious, I don't mean just overeating their regular food, I mean doing things like getting into the garbage, searching the floors for any crumb of food they can find, & eating strange things that they shouldn't. Other classic symptoms are poor coat/skin condition, drinking gallons & peeing buckets, muscle wasting especially in the hind end.

Now, when you say that your baby is on a steroid, could you tell us exactly what the drug is? How long has your baby been taking it? Prolonged use of steroid medication can cause a type of Cushing's called iatorgenic. The only solution is to slowly wean the pup off the steroid which should stop the symptoms. You can never stop steroid medication "cold-turkey" as this can cause many more problems.

Has any Cushing's specific diagnostic testing been done at this point? If it has, it is more than likely invalid because of your baby taking the steroid medication. Before pursuing any diagnostic testing for Cushing's, I would discuss with the vet about possibly stopping the steroids.

We are here to help in any way we can.

Debbie

[mytil]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Debbie has covered most of the questions about testing and results so I will not repeat them.

Can you tell us are these abscesses blood filled or even tinged with blood?

Benadryl does act as a mild tranquilizer so this may be causing some of the lethargic symptoms.

Keep us posted
Terry