New to forum

[Kdaigle]

Greetings-

I'm new and looking for support/information with Cushings. We are still undergoing testing and at this frustrating moment, still do not have an answer. We are the parents of 3 senior Italian greyhounds. I go back Friday for the blood testing. I'm hopeful we get a diagnosis soon. We've been through all other testing and have cleared all other things. He's classic signs and symptoms!

[Squirt's Mom]

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[mytil]

Hi and welcome to our site.

I have manually approved your membership so there is no need to respond to the email you have received from K9C.

Here is a link to other links that has a lot of information about Cushing's - http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180.

When you get the chance, let us know additional information on the testing (post the actual results here, even if it is considered inconclusive)

Terry

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi K and welcome to you and your baby! :)

Is it just one of your babies that is suspected of having Cushing's or all three? We will be asking a lot of questions but that is so we get a clearer picture of what is going on and therefore be able to offer more meaningful feedback. So here we go.....if all three of your babies are being tested, please answer each question for each baby. ;)

How old is your baby?

Is he neutered?

How much does he weigh?

Does he have any other health issues that you are aware of?

What signs are you seeing?

What prompted the testing for Cushing's in the first place? Often it is something like labs for a dental or frequent UTIs or other infections....

What tests have been done so far?
Would you please get copies of the actual test results, not the invoice that says what was done but the actual test results, and post them here? Include all labs with normal ranges given by the lab and the little letters that follow the numbers - little letters like ug/dl, Mnol/L, etc.

Has hypothyroidism and diabetes been ruled out? There are two forms of diabetes - Diabetes Mellitus (DM) which is the common form involving blood sugars and Diabetes Insipidus (DI) which involves how the body handles water. DI is not tested via the blood.

Are the liver and kidneys ok?

Has an abdominal ultrasound been done? If so, please list all the comments given in the report about what they saw, even concerning normal organs.

Is he on any other meds, supplement, herbs, etc?

We absolutely LOVE details so the more you can tell us the better...and don't worry about long posts. Novels are gladly accepted here! :)

I know how frustrating this can be but just be patient with the testing phase. Cushing's is one of, if not THE, most difficult canine disorder to correctly diagnose because so many other conditions share signs and can cause false results on the cush tests. So it is always in the best interest of the pup to be as thorough as possible in the testing phase. ;) It is a good thing your vet seems to be taking their time arriving at a diagnosis of Cushing's. The meds used to treat Cushing's are very powerful and not be given lightly, so be grateful your vet doesn't seem to be one who is rushing into treatment. This truly is a great thing! ;)

Cushing's in not a death sentence and is a very slowly progressing condition so there is rarely a need to rush either the diagnosis or choosing which treatment to use. It is always best to take one's time, have the pup thoroughly tested, learn as much as possible about the condition and the treatments available before ever giving the first treatment dose. And you have landed in the very best place for this! You will find an astounding amount of knowledge and first-hand experience here not only about Cushing's but about many other conditions. You will also find the very best support system in the world here at K9C. You and your boys are now part of our family and we will be with you every step of the way. Please don't hesitate to ask questions and we will do our best to answer. You can find some good info in our Helpful Resource Section as well as the threads here. Read, read, read, then ask more questions...then read some more. :)

I am really glad you found us tho sorry you have the need for us. Looking forward to learning much more about you and all your babies.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[molly muffin]

Hi from me to! and welcome to the forum :)

oh my 3 seniors, you do have a busy time of it. :)

Test results, make sure you have copies of all lab tests. Then you know, we'll want to see what any abnormal, high/lows are and any results of cushings tests, like ACTH, LDDS, UC;CR, etc.
Mainly though, you're going to want your own files for each dog going forward, because they are seniors and you have 3 to keep track of. Take my word for it, it'll keep you sane to have them.

Feel free to jump in with any questions and we'll try to answer. Read some other threads and get to know members going through the same thing you are. We're just one big family here :)

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Kdaigle]

Thanks everyone! I'll get everything on Friday when I pick him up. He's a little over 9. He's a bigger iggy, but 10 lbs over weight at nearly 30 lbs. his increased weight and skin infection sent us in. He received no relief with dieting.

This is going to be great support. Ultrasound ruled out cushings dx. Started thyroid regimen, no relief. In a few days, we blood test and go from there. If nothing there, we go to internal specialist.

[molly muffin]

That is great news actually that you have ruled out even one thing and if that thing is cushings, then that's good too. It could be that a specialist will be needed. Lets see what blood test show.
Did he have the ACTH or the LDDS or both to rule out cushings? What about UTI? You said he started a thyroid regine? Was the thyroid low or high? We'll be interested in seeing all the test results. We're a glutton for lab numbers around here. :)
Diabetes? Kidneys? All kinds of things need to be looked at.

We're right here with you and you're right, this is an excellent sight for support. For instance myself, we're still trying to figure out what's what, and everything looked positive for cushings, except that she's had 3 LDDS test which consistently come back as negative for cushings. It's not easy figuring these guys out sometimes. We just do what we can, keep testing and keep looking. Whatever it takes.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Simba's Mom]

Welcome from me and Simba, this is a great place for knowledge and encouragement, we are all in this together..

[labblab]

Hello and welcome from me, too! We'll surely be interested in those test results when they're done. Just wanted to mention, though, that you can't rule out pituitary Cushing's even if the ultrasound showed no abnormality. The majority of pituitary Cushpups do indeed exhibit enlargement of both adrenal glands, but I've read that up to 30% do not, especially in the early stages of the disease. So let's see what those lab tests show and head on from there.

Marianne