Tuffy and Cushings

[cjosea101]

My 9 year old boxer Tuffy has been on medication for some time now for cushings. His weight is 65 pounds. He takes trilostane 27 milligrams twice a day. He also takes soloxine .8 mg twice a day for his thyroid and previcox 227 milligrams half a tablet once a day. This poor dog was from a boxer rescue when he was a pup and I would do anything I can for him. He has had numerous health issues in his life time costing me well over 10,000 dollars easy. Being a single mom made this very difficult. He has a great vet who is also the vet for the zoo here in town.

I noticed his panting all day and all night even in colder weather so I took him in to see what was wrong this time. I knew it wasn't going to be a inexpensive trip. It never is. The only symptom he has was panting. No pot belly, no searching for food, no peeing in the house, regular water intake. So the vet did one of their expencive tests called ACTH stimulation 1 pre and 1 post to the tune of $270.55. he has had this test 3 times now to see if the levels are correct with the medication. And they always come back ok. So does the thyroid.

Now the only symptom I took him in for was the panting panting panting almost like hyper ventalation or like he just ran a marathon. I have him laying under 2 fans plus we have air conditioning. He pants when he sleeps and when he is awake. He still will initiate play and eats well. No discoloered stools or urination problems. He is beginning to slober a little. He does not seem to be under stress or feel bad other than the panting. The vet gave him the pain medication right off the bat thinking he was in pain from his arthritis or spondylosis and that was causing him to pant.. She did an ex ray of the upper shoulder/neck area where the spondylosis is and saw no disc problems or anything. She checked hi his airways and they were fine. He just seems tired of panting. He wants to be himself but the panting constantly seems to wear him out a bit making him a tad depressed.

When I come home and walk in the door he is all boxer and all Tuffy. He came with the name tuffy and we didnt change it because after a day or two when we got him the name fit. He wiggles all over the place, will jump up on me after a tplo surgery on both hind legs in 2009. You would never guess that he had been through those surgerys by looking at him.

Looking back on some paperwork he has been on trilostane for about a year. I have called numerous times to the vet just to be told that it can take up to a year to stop the panting. Well, at 9 years old we dont have alot of time to waste and want him to have the best possible life till the end.

The only other symptom he has (after starting on trilostane) was 1 huge shed of fur but only one and shedding has been normal ever since.... He loves his cookies, eats his food, drinks water normally, and loves affection. He still protects me if daddy gets to close to mama..... :0) I love thant about him!!! He will still play the under the covers game. He will still protect his yard.

So what might any of you think this could be?? any tips or ideas? i would sure appreciate some input! I dont know if he is hot or anxious. The vet wanted to try yet another medication to his regimine. She said it is probably anxiety and we could try this pill to help him relax at the tune of 80 more dollars a month. I asked if we could try something a little less expensive. I ask that we try benedryl as the has the calming affectand would help him rest if anxiety was the issue. it didnt work.

If I posted incorrectly i am truly sorry. This is my first time on this site.

Thanks!!

JoAnn

(JoBoxer The Fairy Dog Mother is what people have deemed me to be)

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi JoAnn and welcome to you and Tuffy! :)

He sounds like a real joy to be around!

Previcox is an NSAID which are incredibly hard on the liver. The liver is already impacted by Cushing's so using NSAIDs in cush pups is not recommended. If Tuffy has not had lab work lately that looks at his liver values, I would ask that be done asap. I would also ask my vet to look into something other than NSAIDs for his pain control. Adequan shots have helped several here as has a product called Dasuquin. There are numerous good joint support supplements you can start him on that will help like GlycoFlex - again, talk to your vet about these products.

Has he had an abdominal ultrasound?

When was the last ACTH done (the date)?

Were the ACTHs done at around the same time each time?

Was he fasted before the ACTHs?

How long after his dose of Trilo did he have the ACTHs?

If you could get copies of the actual test results for Tuffy and post them here that would help us a great deal to give you more meaningful feedback. And do talk to your vet about checking the liver values and finding another way to manage his pain.

I'm glad you found us and want you to know you now have a new family, you and Tuffy both. We will be here to help in any way we can, any time. You are MUCH stronger than I to have managed a year on your own! This group saved my sanity....and in the process some lost theirs! :D

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[cjosea101]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome!! I will get the results from the vet asap. The last test was done 7-21-2013. the tests were done around the same time of day. They have never done an ultrasound or suggested one I am guessing because of cost?? He did fast before the test and I took him to the vet at 8 in the morning. I didnt get him back until 1. An hour longer than usual. He had his trilostane at about 7 in the morning.

I am really not that strong. lol. I lost my boxer Max 2 years ago and am still not over that. Tuffy has been a medical disaster and honestly I dont think he should have made it through all the things he has had. Valley Fever, pancreatitis a couple times once durning the valley fever, his thyroid went nuts after the valley fever, kennel cough, 2 tplo sugerys 6 months apart from each other, a couple of wart type growths removed, and I know i am forgetting a few .... I really thought the valley fever and the pancreatitis together was going to do him in but we pulled through!! He has had swollen lyph nodes a few times with antibiotics to follow. When had the valley fever a glad swelled in his chest area and was putting pressure on his heart making it difficult for him to breath and he got some absesses on his skin that were hard to treat. He had a spinal virus at one time that actually ate away the bone in his lower spine but it doesnt seem to bother him any more at all. This pups file started out as a 1 inch binder which is now a 4 inch binder and we are going to have to start volume 2 in another binder!!! I love him more than life itself but hate watching him pant!! i will get those results up here as soon as I can!! Oh and he scratched his eye a coouple of times that needed treatment....

Again Thank you for the warm welcome. I am so glad i found a place where others understand what i am talking about.

Jo

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi JoAnn

Welcome to you and Tuffy from me as well. Sorry for the reasons that brought you to us but glad you found your way here.

The drugs for Cushing's are to treat the obvious strong clinical symptoms, such as excessive drinking/urinating, ravenous appetite, hair/skin issues, etc. If Tuffy did not display strong symptoms I am quite concerned with his diagnosis of Cushing's.

Other non adrenal illnesses can create false positive results on all Cushing's tests. When was his thyroid levels checked, and were they done 4-6 hours after the soloxine was given? The panting could be caused by Hyperthyroidism.

If you could get your hands on copies of all the tests that were done on Tuffy and post any abnormalities that are listed, that would be great!

Please know we are here for you both so do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want.

Love and hugs, Lori

[spdd]

Hi Joann and welcome to the forum. People on here sure know what they are talking about and have helped me in the last few months to even set my vets straight.
We all love our pets soooooo much on here and like you will go to the ends of the earth to help them.
I can't give you any advice, but without a doubt, you'll get excellent wisdom about your dog on here.
Good luck and I'll be popping in to check on Tuffy.

[molly muffin]

Welcome Joanne and Tuffy. :)

Leslie and Lori have already gone over a lot of the information that we like to see to help us give feedback to you.
Panting does seem to happen with cushings dogs, it is one of the signs in fact, because the cortisol makes it hard for them to regulate themselves with heat. They just feel hot, but you do want to rule out anything cardio related or pain related too.
I'd agree with Leslie to stay away from NSAID's if possible, not good for cushing dogs. There are alternatives like she mentioned that might work better for Tuffy What a cute name.
What a sweetheart to welcome him into your home and lives. :)

Welcome to the forum
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[cjosea101]

Good Morning to You All,

I took tuff in for his thyroid bloodwork yesterday and am waiting for the results.

I have 40 pages of testing done all the way back to 5-11-2008 for various illnesses.

On 7-21-2013 the Endocrinology results from IDEXX Reference are as follows.

TEST RESULT

PRE-ACTH 4.2 ug/dL
POST-ACTH 5.8 ug/dL

The ACTH reference range on the report says

Canine
2-6 Pre-ATCH (resting) cortisol
6-18 Post-ATCH cortisol

On 11-27-2012 the Endochronology results from INDEXX Reference were as follows:

Test Result
Pre-ACTH 2.7 ug/dL
Post -ACTH 2.9 ug/dL

So on this test Pre-ACTH range 2-6 he barely passed it an Post-ACTH range 6-18 he failed.

7-17-2012 he had a T4 with the result of 3.0 and a Reference Range of 1.0 - 4.0. He passed this one.

7-17-2012 he has a Hematology report, Chemestry results, Hematology results, Immunology results.

On his Immunology results it shows:

Test Result
COCCI IGG Weak Positive
COCCI IGM Negative
IMMUN DIFF See notes. There are no notes that I can see.

6-13-2012 There are Endocrinology results from ideXX Reference

Test Result
Pre-ACTH 9.6 ug/dL
Post-ACTH 22.7 Ug/dL

Wow.... those results are really high.

then we go all the way to

7-21-2011

Micellaneous results from Converted Lab Requisition
It says posted test : T4 Final Result :2.1 ug/dL

Free T4 Equalibrium Dialysis 30.9 pmol/L 8-40
heartworm negative

So it goes on to earlier dates and so forth.

What are everyones thoughts on all of this?

I just spoke to the vets office .....:(

His thyroid came back at 2.0. Normal...... sigh .. I asked the tech if she thought his panting was normal and she said no that something is causing it. I am sooooo afraid to take him in for more testing as I have the feeling that if I do I will be coming home with out him. He is my best friend and more inportant to me than anything in the world. I was on a walker when I was 34 years old due spinal issues. When I adopted tuff he brought me back. He got me walking on my own again and loving life when I had given up. It is even harder now that my kids have moved on to start their own lives.

The one thing I can say is that when my max began to decline in health it was visable. He quite eating, lost weight, wouldnt drink, and when he did try to eat is was because he was trying to please me. Then one day I was sitting with him and he had a siezure. Then I knew I had to take him in. He had a huge tumor on his spleen. I have never gotten over that ordeal ..... The vet said he would have died in about 2 or 3 days if i took him home and I risked the chances that the tumor would burts and he would bleed out and it would be a horrible ordeal for both max and me so I had to make the choise.. Not to mention I had Tuffy and I have another mix breed, Trixie. They were like a pack and when Max was gone it was as if their pack had broken. Trixie doesn't let me out the door with Tuff and not her. She panics. Tuff just doesnt have the look in his eye of death yet. He still eats and drinks. he is tired as his is older now but i just dont see the decline in him yet. Just this god awful panting panting. lI fear that he has a tumor or a heart condition. Not to mention I really have no funding to take him in right now. I will find it though. i have to be strong for him and be his voice. Thanks for listening...

Jo

[lulusmom]

Hi and a belated welcome to you and Tuffy.

Your immense love for precious Tuffy is evident and I so appreciate the fact that you rescued him. I've had two cushdogs, one of which was a rescue I adopted to save him from being euthanized. He wasn't a big panter but my other one, Lulu, was. Oh my gosh, she sounded like an old fashion steam engine train and before treatment it was constant. It did take a while to get better but it was most definitely resolved well before a year. Given the fact that you fasted Tuffy for the acth stim tests, I am not confident that any of the stim test results are a true reflection of the optimum effects of Trilostane but since the results are still within the therapeutic range, Tuffy is being dosed twice daily and all other symptoms have resolved, I think we need to look for another suspect. For future reference, Trilostane is best absorbed with food so fasting can have a huge impact on the acth stim test. You want optimum results, otherwise, you are paying for a test that can't be relied on to assess the true efficacy of dosing.

I'm looking elsewhere and the elephant in the room for me is the jaw dropping, dose of Soloxine Tuffy is getting. Most dogs that weigh 65 lbs usually stabilize at no more than .1 mcg per 10 pounds of weight. In Tuffy's case, that would be .6 to .7 once a day and he's getting .8 twice a day. That's a huge dose. :eek: Do you remember if you worked up to that huge amount or did your vet start him on that amount? Not all dogs that are being over supplemented will show all of the adverse signs. Signs are excessiving drinking and peeing, increased heart rate, increased sensitivity to heat and excessive panting. I looked over the test results you posted and don't see that Tuffy has had his thyroid levels checked for over a year and I am assuming that was before Tuffy started treating with Trilostane. That is very concerning because cushing's can transiently reduce T-4 levels but normalizes once stabilized on Trilostane treatment. If no testing has been done since July 2012, I'd beat a trail to the vet's office to check thyroid levels asap. Make sure that the blood is drawn within 4 to 6 hours after Tuffy's morning dose of Soloxine.

Glynda

[cjosea101]

Hello Glynda!

Nice to meet you. Thank you for your response. Tuffy just got his T4 done yesterday and it came back at a 2.0. He was given his soloxine at 7 a.m. and the blood draw was at 11:00.

I know that boxers dont have a very long life span and he is 9 but i just dont see the decline in health other than panting. I just put a call into the vet to see if his dosage of thyroid has ever been inceased as I dont recall with all the illness this guy has been through.

Oh shoot, I forgot to ask if there was another type of medication instead of the nsaid for pain. I will ask when she calls me back.

I did ask her tech when she called with the thyroid results if they felt the panting was normal at this point and she said no. She said usually means he is in pain (which i don't see) or something is going on and I should make an appointment. I would guess they will want to do a side veiw xray to see if there are any tumors that may be in a position making it hard for him to breath.

Problem being is that all of his medical issues have been extremely costly and I have a care credit card that I use specifically for the vet .... yesterdays t-4 test was all the credit i had left so now I am trying to fund from another way. What ever that way may be I just hope it is enough to help him. I have a sick feeling that the x-ray will reveal a tumor.

He has always been a big water drinker and the only difference is that he drinks a little more than he used to but goes to drink less frequently. So instead of 15 trips to the water bowl for smaller amounts of water he goes 7 times for bigger amounts of water.

He has always overheated faster than a non boxer dog. My Max was that way too. Thier stubby noses in the arizona heat wears them out.

Now this older boxer has been sleeping on the couch under a fan all day. So has my other dog. Now it is about time for them to get up and start barking at all the kids getting out of school. Tuffer got up, got a drink and charged outside full sprint to bark at kids walking up the alley. Hair lifted and all. Protecting his yard. The other dog was already out there running the fence. They have both come inside and both are panting as it is very hot here and it doesnt take long for them to come back inside.

He has never had any other symptoms but panting . That is the main reason I took him to the vet and she tested him for cushings. He only had one huge shed of fur and never has had that again. He has never had a pot belly, never looks for food un-controllably, and never pottys in the house. He had been panting for some time before I took him to the vet.

I will let you know what his doses of soloxine have been and if there were any changes in dosage. I don't think there were. His thyroid went goofy at the same time that he had a huge illness with pancreatitis and again at the same time of Valley Fever. All 3 at once. He was a very very sick dog. No one thought he would make it.

Now that you mention the soloxine, I think he was on a different brand of thyroid medication in the beginning. I am making a note to ask all these quesstions when the tech calls me back.

Now the symptoms of overdosing him on the soloxine sounds much more accurate than the cushings diagnosis. He being a boxer has always been somewhat sensitive to the Arizona heat. Even in the winter he would pant before the other dogs. He pees all the time and always has been a big drinker. I dont know about his heart weather it is rapidly beating or not.

I wanted to say one more thing. iI mentioned that Tuffer has be a well over a 10,000 dollar dog and that is no joke. I was a single mom and we struggled terribly financially but I awlays got things taken care of. The kids are adults now and out on their own. I had to leave my job in 2009 due to disability so things got a tad bit tighter at that point. Tuffers meds run me about $150.00 a month now. Many times I get his and leave mine as he always comes first!! Not to mention that their dog food is 60 dollars 2 times a month!! He has even had to have prescription food in the past. it is crazy the cost of all their special needs. i used to have insurance on them all but as time went on and dollars added up I had to let the insurance go and as they get older the less the insurance was helping.

I will get right back to ya as soon as they call me back!! Thank you and everyone for the support. It is greatly needed! Been in tears all day terrified to find out what is wrong with him. Thank you also for all the knowledge that has been shared! I really appreciate it!

Jo

[lulusmom]

Hi again, Jo.

If the T-4 was just tested and it was normal....not high normal but normal, then I'm stymied. Whenever I'm stymied, I check Dr. Mark Peterson's blog to see if he may provide more information on a particular subject. On this subject, he does. Can you check with your vet to see which test was done by the lab who did the latest T-4 assay? The following is a response given by Dr. Peterson in responding to a vet who had a patient on an even higher dose than Tuffy:


Recently, both Antech and IDEXX Laboratories changed their method of T4 analysis from the "gold standard" RIA or chemiluminescence (Immulite) techniques to an automated enzyme immunoassay technique. While most of the T4 results measured by the gold standard methods (RIA or chemiluminescence) versus the new automated immunoassay method show very good agreement, the T4 values are discordant in about 5% of cases.

This problem occurs most commonly in dogs receiving thyroid supplementation. Characteristically, the T4 can be low to undetectable when measured by the automated immunoassay method but the post-pill T4 is normal or even high when measured by RIA or chemiluminescence. The reason for this discrepancy is T4 values between assay techniques is not clear.

In this dog, this could certainly be the problem. How is the lab measuring the T4? If done by automated immunoassay, I'd measure the next post-pill T4 value by either RIA or chemiluminescence to rule out this issue.

If I'm reading this right, if Tuffy's T-4 assay was done by automated immunoassay, the T-4 could be understated. If done by RIA or chemiluminescense, it could be much higher. After seeing Dr. Peterson's blog, perhaps I'm grasping at straws but I'm still taken aback by the large dose of Soloxin. It may be worth ruling it out by asking your vet. By the way, Dr. Peterson is a renown and very well published internal medicine specialist. He has co-authored many veterinary textbooks and lectures worldwide on endocrine disorders. He is also a contributing specialist to Dechra's (manufacturer of Vetoryl), continuing education program for veterinarians. You can find the blog I am referring to here: http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2012/08/managing-hypothyroid-dogs-with-low-t4.html

[molly muffin]

I just want to say that we all understand the fear that is near paralyzing of what can be wrong and what can be done to treat, how to pay for it and overall the fear of losing the best friend in the world. If you can look in Tuffy's eye and not see that he is ready to go, then he isn't. If he was, he would let you know.
I have faith that this can be figured out and hopefully a good resolution.

We know how frustrating this can be.
Glynda has some good suggestions, she is a very knowledgeable admin who has seen much through her years of both her personal dogs and rescuing.
It could have something to do with the way the test was done, so would be interesting to find that out and should be able to be done with a phone call.

Hang in there!!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[cjosea101]

Thank you for all the information! i have been searching for anwers myself as well and think i may have hit the nail on the head. As sad as i am and as much as i dont want this to be true i have to consider it as the symptoms also fit for heart failure.

His lungs are clear at this point. I found that there are medications for that too. I will have to ask the vet how to handle cushings and heart disease or failure. it is so hard because he has been panting like this for a long time and it could have been a heart thing all along meaning a mis diagnosis and lack of treatment for the correct aliment. i dont know if cushings and heart problems go hand in hand but I really wish that the vet would have paid better attention to him when she was doing his testing and she had him there for hours.

Either way the end is evident and I just can't imagine life with out him and max. it is what it is even if i dont want to believe it or go through this again with Tuff. I lost Mr max 2 years ago and still cry everyday. i have had all my dogs cremated which i hate the thought of doing that but it was the only way to keep them with me until it is my time to join them at the rainbow bridge. i have requested that they all be burried with me and so I have kept their ashes for that event.

I have had dogs my whole life and loved them all but none affected me as the boxer has. Tuff and Max were my whole world and changed my life in so many ways. They taught me to love again. i always loved with a guarded heart and still do with humans. With my boys i could finally love unconditionally and be free to feel real love. Moving past this is going to be near impsossable for me and so I can only hope our time apart will be short!

When I adopted these guys I was at an all time low. Little did i know then how low can low get. With the loss of Max a huge part of me died with him. With the loss of Tuffer the rest of me will go with him and i will be left a shell of a person as i grieve for them.

I really do appreciate all of you for being so informative and supportive. i guess the next thing is to get him to the vet and see what treatment path to take if any. I can't believe this is happening.....

Thank you so much for all of your help and information!
Jo

[molly muffin]

Now don't go down that road yet. It is one thing to perhaps suspect, but maybe it isn't either.
I am thinking, that what is going to be suggested at some point by someone is an ultrasound and that is pretty expensive. I guess they could do an xray, but to really see the liver, heart, adrenal glands, I just don't know if it will or won't show it all. That is something to ask about.

Dogs with cushings and dogs with heart ailments and it might just be a mumur, can be on treatment and live out good lives. Cushing dogs can live out their normal lifespan.

This is double hard for you to go through and the fear of what might be going to happen, because you are still in mourning for dear Max. That makes it much more scary and harder to deal with.

You can still look into what Glynda mentioned about the thyroid testing and what Dr. Peterson said. Even go ahead and print that out to give them at the vets office.
All options are on the table right now so to speak and nothing has been diagnosed or decided, so hope is Not lost.

hang in there!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[cjosea101]

Thank you !

At this moment he is sound asleep and breathing normally and doesnt seem to be struggling for air. This is the most quiet he has been in a very long time. Well, He is dreaming so his breathing just picked up a bit while he is chasing that rabbit or what ever it is that he is dreaming about. He is making little barking noises and his feet are running. :0) I read up some on heart issues and if that is the issue then there are treatments that could help his breathing etc... The medication for the heart is actually the same price pretty much as all the meds he is on now. i just wont know until I can get him in to the vet for a second opinion.

Again, Thank you

[cjosea101]

Good morning to everyone,


Well it is Friday and we have made it through another week together with Tuffer and he is still here with us!!!! Each week that goes by and we still have him is a blessing!

The last 2 days have been a bit stressful with all this new information that I have received however, I am so grateful I found this site and everyone here has been so helpful. Thank you. It means a lot. I think many people out there just think I am nuts for all that i do for my dogs and how I put them before myself. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have had a migraine since yesterday from all this crying so this morning it was especially hard to get up. But .... something wonderful happened this morning that has not happened in a while. Tuff jumped up on my bed and gave me a huge kiss waking me up. My head hurt so bad I just couldn't get up at that moment as as if he knew that I was not feeling well he curled up next to me and we slept for a good hour and a half or so just the way we used to. Except for the panting ...... i have taken some non asprin asprin for my headache in hopes that it will remain a dull ache and not manifest into a whole all out migraine where I have to go get pain shots at the E R. I have not had one like this in a very very looong time!! and it has the potential to be a full all out migraine. Crossing fingers!!!

So a new day today and and some new avenues to look at. Working on getting funding together as I know this next visit to the vet is going to have double zeros attached. shoot it may be a 4 digit trip this time!

I believe that there may be a heart issue going on as well as everything else---- thyroid, cushings, aging.......

The heart issue is a whole new learning thing for me. I feel as if I have been going to veterenary school. I have learned so much with this dog.

How are all of you and your pets??

Ok some questions... mabey some of you will be able to help answer. I believe Tuff has a heart issue. All the symptoms fit almost perfectly. So, does anyone know if a heart condition can be going on along side of the cushings? I said before that the only symptom he had when he was diagnosed with Cushings was panting. I took him to the vet for panting. No other real signs of cushings except one really bad shed of fur and only one time, but the ACTH testing has says he has it. So.... is it possible it may have been heart all along?

His panting has never stopped from the beginning. His first ACTH test was back in June of 2012 I believe and so he has been on Trilostane since then. He had been panting for quite a while before I took him in as there were no symptoms other than panting and this dog is a high energy wild man so panting was not unusual for him as he is always up to something.

Tuffer does not have the look of death in his eye right now. He woke up this morning with dad and went outside and initiated play with our other dog before he came in to snuggle with mom. He does lay around a lot but so do I as i get older!! Again he eats, drinks, defends his yard and his mama. Nothing in his expressions that are saying Mom it is time for me to go.

Does anyone know what testing HAS to be done to diagnose a heart issue? Do they always have to take a whole new regimen of medications? will the medications be in addition to his other meds? Could the ACTH be wrong for Cushings and it could have been heart the whole time?? I put a call into the doc yesterday but no return call. I am sure they are tired of hearing from me at this point but i have spent thousands of dollars in their office so I get a tad irritated when I don't hear back from them in a timely manner. I also tend to forget that others have their pets in there too and that Tuff is not the only dog in the world!!! :0)

Again, right now he is sleeping peacefully and his breathing is not rapid but maybe a tad faster than it should be but not a pant right now... sometimes when he sleeps he has rapid breathing but there are times when he sleeps that he is peaceful.

I hope everyone find themselves having a nice weekend! I cant thank you enough for reading my madness. Honestly, my family is sick and tired of hearing about the dog!! I don't think any of them would do what I have done with this dog especially with my financial situation. Here I feel that you all understand!! Thank you so very much!!!


Jo

[goldengirl88]

I can tell you I read of a number of people writing about their dogs having Cushings and heart issues. My dog never had one until Cushing set in. Tipper has a heart murmur associated with a leaky valve. Remember your heart is a muscle and Cushings does things to their muscles. What makes you think your baby has a heart issue? You would need to get an echo cardiogram. I think it cost me around 600.00 if my memory serves me right. I would have to look it up to know for sure. This will tell you what is wrong and how well the heart is functioning. Is you dog experiencing breathing problems, or coughing? Hope all goes well for your visit. Blessings
Patti

[cjosea101]

Patti,

I love the name tipper. Adorable!!!! Nice to meet you and thank you for your response!!

Tuffy is my 9 year old boxer. He has had many many health issues over the years.

he was diagnosed with Cushings in June 2012 by a ACTH test and has had 2 more since then.

I had taken him to the vet the first time he was diagnosed because he was panting panting panting. He had no other symptoms of Cushings except after starting Trilostane he had 1 really bad shed of fur.

Well, he has been on trilostane since that first test but has never stopped panting. He is on a NSAID for arthritic pain, and soloxine for thyroid.

Everyone here has been so wonderful with information and support! His dosage of soloxine is pretty high I found out. I have 2 calls into the vet with no return call at this point. I have many questions to ask. Tuffy is still panting panting panting. His thyroid test done this week came back with in normal range with his regular dosages of soloxine. So I asked my mom what she might think. She said try looking up heart conditions and I did and they symptoms are so very close to Tuffy. Much more so than Cushings even. I watched another boxer on you tube with the congestive heart failure and it was so much like Tuffy but somewhat worse. Tuff is not coughing or retaining fluid that I can tell. But his panting should have been gone with the Trilostane by now . It has been over a year. He has a good appetite, seems normal as normal is for a 9 year old boxer.

The look of death is not in his eyes at this point. Just panting.

I have mentioned in my earlier posts that financially this dog has been very expensive . Over 10,000 dollars easy. I wont bore you with all the details of my drama right now but I will say this. I am on disability now and money is tight. A 600.00 test would be near impossible for me. I am trying to come up with money just to get him in to see his vet.

I love him more than anything and will find a way if it has to be.

Thank you for your post and info on Tipper.

Jo

[doxiesrock912]

Daisy Mae has a murmur as well. It was not mentioned prior to the Cushings diagnosis.

[cjosea101]

Thank you for your post!!! The vet's tech and I spoke yesterday and she was going to speak with our vet and see what we can do. Crossing fingers!!

[Concernedmom]

Hi Jo
I've been reading your story and my heart just breaks for you. I had a cavalier King Charles spaniel that had mitral valve disease. He began panting a lot then coughing started then episodes of passing out. We spoke to his vet who referred us to a cardiologist. The cardiologist did an echo of his heart and we were told the dreaded news. But please know that all heart problems are not the same. Mine happened to be a bad case but we were still able to get a handle on it with medication and we had a good life with him for another 2 years.
I believe though if you suspect heart problems then a consult with a cardiologist will be the best thing you ever do for yourself and for Tuffy. They are the specialists and might put your mind at rest. Call and find out what the cost is just for a consult. You may be able to afford it. The medication I had wasn't that expensive and I got alot of it from Walmart. It all depends what the medication is.
I hope this helps. If you want to ask me any questions feel free. Hugs.

[cjosea101]

Thank you for your post! I have a call into his vet with lots of questions for her. Strange day today for Tuff. We spent most of the day on the couch cuddling and he slept and was just enjoying the relaxing time with mom. he wasn't panting and didn't the whole time he laid with me. He just got up and ate his dinner and a cookie (mom made dog cookies) then went outside to potty for like the 3rd time all day. he panted a little when he came inside but not like he has been. Now he and trixie are laying on the couch. Not much activity outta him today but the panting has been better for today!!! But then again I am wondering why they are both sleeping when they have been sleeping all day??!!! maybe just liking the overcast and relaxation>

JO

[Squirt's Mom]

:D Yep, you're becoming a full-fledged cush mom! :D We tend to go into hyper-awareness about every-little-thing and wonder, "WHY is THAT happening? What is THAT? What does THAT mean?".....allllll day long, day in and day out. :p

But, you know what? that means you are an excellent cush mom. It means you are getting a handle on one of the most critical aspects of the care for our babies - the diligence of their parents, our diligence. ;)

Odds are, you hit the nail on the head - they were just reacting to the weather and enjoying kicking back with Mom. :)

[molly muffin]

We have days in our house, especially on the weekend, where we all just laze around and do alot of nothing, except, nap, read, watch a move or show on tv. We call it our rejuvenation time. I find we need these more and more as we get older and our Molly seems to need them too.
As long as Tuffy is interested in food, going outside for potty and some general play time and scritches time, then he's probably enjoying just hanging out with you. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[cjosea101]

Thank you!! I am awaiting his vet to call me back to see what her ideas are and what she wants to do from here. Probably start with a chest x ray and go from there!!

he has been doing pretty good the last few days. he is still panting but it is not a bad as it was. it is not like he is hyper-ventalating. He has been sleeping pretty well and has been waking me up every morning with a big slobbery boxer kiss.

I really appreciate all the kind words and support i am receiving here!

Jo