Dusty just diagnosed - sweet Dusty has crossed The Bridge

[dustopher]

Hi:
I have a wheaton poodle who is 10 years old. He was a puppy mill dog. He's been diagnosed with IBD, EPI, SIBO and now to add to this poor dog's list of problems, he now has cushing's disease. The alk phos level was 943, so we did the 8 hour test which came back with level of 15.3 So, of course the treatment is with Trilostant. Oh dear, I don't like that medicine. Side effects aren't good. Any ideas, info., or any natural ways to help this?

Thanks, Monica

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi and welcome to you and your pup :)

Many others will be by to welcome you and share their knowledge and experiences. It would be great if you could post results of the vet test that were abnormal along with the normal values. LDDS and ACTH test results would be great also.



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[dustopher]

PRE
DEXAMETHASONE
15.2 1.0 - 6.0 ug/dL HIGH
POST 4 HR DEX 1.3 ug/dL
POST 8 HR DEX 2.3 1 ug/dL
Comments:
1.
Low-Dose Dexamethasone Diagnostic Intervals (Canine)
4 hours 8 hours Interpretation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
<1 <1 Normal
1.0-1.5 1.0-1.5 Inconclusive
>1.5 and >50% >1.5 and >50% Consistent with hyperadrenocorticism
of baseline of baseline Further testing required to
differentiate adrenal tumor from
pituitary-dependent
hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
<1.5 or <50% >1.5 and >50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
<1.5 or <50% >1.5 and <50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
>1.5 or >50% >1.5 and <50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
High-Dose Dexamethasone Diagnostic Intervals (Canine)
4 hour 8 hour Interpretation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
<1.5 or <50% >1.5 and >50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
>1.5 and >50% <1.5 or <50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
<1.5 or <50% <1.5 or <50% Consistent with pituitary-dependent
of baseline of baseline hyperadrenocorticism (PDH)
>1.5 and >50% >1.5 and >50% Further testing required to
of baseline of baseline differentiate PDH from adrenal
tumor.
Hyperadrenocorticism is a clinical disorder with clinical signs. If
the animal has no clinical signs, we do not recommend treatment.
Approximately 5% of dogs with hyperadrenocorticism will have normal
low dose dexamethasone suppression results. Conversely, some animals
with significant nonadrenal disease may fail to adequately suppress on
this test.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Dusty,

I have approved your membership so now all posts will be visible as soon as you write them.

Sorry, I only have a moment to post but wanted to say that when other non-adrenal illnesses are present the LDDS test can have false positive results.

Will be back later.

Love and hugs, Lori

[dustopher]

Thank You, here's everything.


RE: 3180 RETICULOCYTE COMMENT
RETICULOCYTE COMMENT
In nonanemic dogs, a reticulocyte count of greater than 110
K/uL of
blood may be a transient physiologic response or evidence of
bone
marrow response to an increased peripheral demand. A
persistent
reticulocyte count >110 K/uL may indicate occult blood loss,
underlying hemolytic disease or disorder that causes an
absolute
erythrocytosis. Serial monitoring of the erythrogram and
reticulocyte
count may help determine the significance of this finding.
The following chart can be used as a guideline to determine
the degree
of regenerative response.
Degree of bone marrow response (K/uL):
Mild 110-150
Moderate 150-300
Marked >300
RE: 3034 REMARKS
REMARKS
SLIDE REVIEWED MICROSCOPICALLY.
NO PARASITES SEEN
8/27/2013 L 4 Chemistry results from IDEXX Reference LaboratoryRequisition
ID: 29382 Posted Final
Test Result Reference Range
ALB 4.0 g/dL 2.5 - 4.0
ALKP 943 U/L H 10 - 150
ALT 39 U/L 5 - 107
BUN/UREA 24 mg/dL 7 - 27
CREA 1.6 mg/dL 0.4 - 1.8
GLU 97 mg/dL 60 - 125
TBIL 0.0 mg/dL 0.0 - 0.4
TP 7.2 g/dL 5.1 - 7.8
GLOB 3.2 g/dL 2.1 - 4.5
A/G Ratio 1.3 0.6 - 1.6
B/C Ratio 15.0
Ascn: J6797283
RS L MN CANINE
B:Billing, C:Med note, CB:Call back, CK:Check-in, CM:Communications, D:Diagnosis, DH:Declined to history, E:Examination, ES:Estimates,
I:Departing instr, L:Lab result, M:Image cases, P:Prescription, PA:PVL Accepted, PB:problems, PP:PVL Performed, PR:PVL Recommended,
R:Correspondence, T:Images, TC:Tentative medl note, V:Vital signs

Date Type Staff History
RE: 281 HEMOLYSIS INDEX +++
Index of +++ may decrease ALP by 25-50%, and increase AST
by 25-50%.
RE: 282 LIPEMIA INDEX N
Index of N,+,++ exhibits no significant effect on chemistry
values.

[frijole]

As someone else mentioned when a dog has other illnesses (and your poor baby sure does) the LDDS test can be unreliable in that it comes back positive because your dog's body is creating cortisol to fight the other illnesses. So I would NOT think about starting the trilostane/vetoryl. I would do additional testing if there are symptoms of cushings.

Does your dog drink buckets of water? Does your dog inhale food and not chew it? What signs of cushings are you seeing if any?

Here's some basic info on the disease for you to read:
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

Again - please don't rush to treat because we see this happen so often. Thanks, Kim

[molly muffin]

Hi Monica and welcome to the forum to you and your little one.

What symptoms were being exhibited that made the vet think cushings?
Excessive hunger, excessive drinking and urinating, pot belly, thin hair are all normal symptoms.

Quite often if there are no symptoms then they don't treat.

Really the only thing that lowers the cortisol is vetroyl (trilostane) or lysodren. You want to go with what your vet has the most experience with. I would ask, how many cushing dogs have been treated and what kind of results have they seen.

I'll let others address the LDDS results.

My dog had that high of ALKP when she had urine crystals, so while it is often seen with cushings pups, it is not a definite of cushings for it to be elevated.

Did you do any kind of specific gravity test to see if the urine is dilute? And have you done an ACTH test yet? That is another cushing tests and the only one that you will have done to test cortisol levels once treatment is started.

Trilostane and Lysodren, both can be scary, but with knowledge and a good vet, a dog can live our their normal lifespans. It's not near as scary after you've been in treatment for a bit as it is when you first start reading and hear that dreaded word "cushings" I think we all came here terrified, but the more you learn, the less scary it is.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[dustopher]

Thank you so much everyone for your kindness! Dusty's symptoms are the excessive hunger (he's always had this- tummy issues), he inhales his food, but always has. He recently just started loosing hair, but we don't find any hair around. He does have a pot belly, but again with all his tummy issues, he's always been like that.
Not sure if the 2 1/2 weeks of rimadyl caused anything? He does pant a lot, but always has. He's also been diagnosed with hip dysplasia and pain in the lumbo sacral area, He had laser treatments to help with the pain. Seems a lot better in that area :). He doesn't overly drink, or urinate out of the ordinary. Doc stopped the rimadyl and gabapentin.

He's eating Dr. Harvey's and taking milk thistle and COQ10.

Thanks,
Monica

[Trixie]

Hi Monica,
Sorry to hear that your Dusty got a positive Cushing's diagnosis. Has Dusty had some of the classic Cushing's symptoms like excessive drinking/peeing, big appetite, panting?? Any skin or fur changes?
Yes, Trilostane is a strong medicine and there can be side effects, but if managed correctly everything can go just fine and your dog can do really well.
Do you know what dose your vet is thinking about starting with?
The current recommendation is 1mg per pound, and that is the best place to start...or closest to it.
My dog has been on the medication since April and so far we have had zero side effects. We started low, checked levels with the acth tests and little by little increased the dose while monitoring symptoms. We finally have pretty good control on symptoms and a good cortisol level too...and no side effects. It could need adjusting sooner or later.
Hopefully your vet will be conservative with the dose for Dusty but if he isn't you should certainly speak up and mention starting with 1mg per each of Dusty's pounds..you may have to tweak the dose from that point but it's safer going in low.
I'm sorry Dusty has some other issues, there are many here on the forum who can give you great advice on dealing with Cushing's along with other problems and who also are very knowledgeable about all the numbers on the tests you posted. Let us know once you know what the dose is.

Barbara

[Trixie]

I see you posted while I was writing so I see the symptoms Dusty has. My dog also has high liver numbers and is on milk thistle. The drinking/urination is usually very obvious but it can be that your dog doesn't have this symptom..or doesn't have it yet.

Barbara

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Monica,

Is Dusty taking any other herbs/supplements/medications? From my reading dogs with SIBO/EPI are given B12 (cobalamin) injections, is Dusty getting B12 injections?

Has an urinalysis been done? If so, could you post those results for us?

Some members have tried acupuncture on their dogs for pain and have had success.

Please know we will help in anyway we can so do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want. ;)

Love and hugs, Lori

[Roxee's Dad]

RE: 3180 RETICULOCYTE COMMENT
RETICULOCYTE COMMENT

Is there a reading or result for this test? was it high or low? Did the vet discuss this with you? I am not quite ready to jump on the cushings bandwagon yet.

[dustopher]

Thanks. He's on 60mg and weighs 37.3 pounds

I forgot to mention, he's been licking this one spot on his leg on and off. When he licks it's to the point of actually gnawing at it. Not sure if this could be another symptom?

[LtlBtyRam]

Welcome to the forums. I've just got brave enough to start posting, so I'm new too. The folks around here are PAWSOME!
Angela

[dustopher]

Yes, the specialist went over this with me. However, I'm not 100% convinced yet. I took him because he had been limping. Come to find out that he has lumbo sacral pain in that area and upon vet examination hip dysplasia, however the x-rays didn't show full signs of it, but there is pain in the lumo sacral area and some walking troubles at times I do see the pain in him at times. So we began 6 laser treatments in the lumbo sacral area and both hips along with rimadyl. Gabapentin 1x a day. (He was on prednisone for 2 weeks from regular vet) The laser seems to have worked. Then a week ago we did blood test to check because of the rimadyl. I don't like rimadyl at all and expressed that to specialist vet because of side effects. Due to the fact that he around the same time as starting rimadyl we noticed spotty hair loss on his entire back. This was discussed when we went for bloodwork and I asked vet about cushing's.
He wasn't overly inclined to run the test, but after the blood tests came back with the alk phos level at 943, he suggested we go ahead and to the cushing's test. We stopped rimadyl the day we ran the blood test by the way, give gabopentin if needed.

We did the cushing's 8 hour test which showed positive for cushing's at 15.3 pituitary form. Started Trilostan Tuesday night.

Since I've been feeding Dr. Harvey's pre-mix, I contacted him who suggested I give milk thistle (because he had diarrhea with a tiny bit of blood and threw up the day of the blood test after being on rimadyl) and COQ10. He suggested manganese and Ester C too, but I haven't added those yet.

He eats Dr. Harvey's food, i milk thistle capsule per day and 1 COQ10 per day as of now.

The specialist vet feels we should use the Trilostan till his re-check the 25th. I gave it to him the day before yesterday and last night he threw up , saliva like (sorry) not sure if it just was a fluke or due to the pill.

So that's where I'm at now... confused and worried

[Harley PoMMom]

(He was on prednisone for 2 weeks from regular vet)

How long was the prednisone stopped before the LDDS test was performed?


I gave it to him the day before yesterday and last night he threw up , saliva like (sorry) not sure if it just was a fluke or due to the pill.

So that's where I'm at now... confused and worried

When a dog is feeling ill or just not acting like their usual self the Trilostane should be stopped as this can be a sign of the cortisol going too low and an ACTH stimulation test might be needed.

[dustopher]

Pred was stopped 3 1/2 weeks prior

[frijole]

I too am curious how long the prednisone was ceased prior to giving the test as it could certainly cause the results to be skewed.

Lastly - rule #1 never give trilostane to a sick dog. It's easy to withhold and wait til they are ok then restart. Kim

[dustopher]

Me again... First of all, thank you to all of you who have been responding, you are all so nice, I appreciate it. :)

I spoke with the vet today, not the specialist vet, and she told me that once a Cushing's test shows positive, then it's positive, nothing could've altered it. Is that true?

[Harley PoMMom]

I spoke with the vet today, not the specialist vet, and she told me that once a Cushing's test shows positive, then it's positive, nothing could've altered it. Is that true?

No it is not true, stress, pain, and non-adrenal illnesses can most definitely create false positive results. This excerpt is from Dr Mark Peterson, a renown canine Cushing's expert:
It is important to remember that "stress"activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, leading to increased secretion of both ACTH and cortisol. In some normal dogs, the stress response may override the suppressive effects of the LDDST to produce a false-positive test result.

The full article is found here: Helpful Tips to Improve the Accuracy of the Low Dose Dexamethasone Suppression Test (http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2012/05/helpful-tips-to-improve-accuracy-of-low.html)

Love and hugs, Lori

[addy]

Maybe you can email the article to your vet as it sounds like a refresher course may be in order;);););)

Cushings is one of the hardest diseases to diagnose as no one test is 100% perfect. We have seen more than a few misdiagnosed.

some reading for you

http://www.antechdiagnostics.com/Main/ANTECHInsights/October-2012-12.aspx

[dustopher]

thank you so much
:)

[Squirt's Mom]

No, your vet is not right and you can share our story with her if you wish. My Squirt tested positive for PDH on five different tests - the LDDS, HDDS, ACTH, UTK panel and 2 ultrasounds. HOWEVER, after the second ultrasound I was told about a tumor on her spleen. Once the tumor was removed, her cortisol returned to normal, making the diagnosis of PDH (pituitary based Cushing's) inaccurate even tho she tested positive 5 times. The presence of that tumor was causing her stress, stress causes elevations in cortisol, but elevations in cortisol do NOT always mean Cushing's. These tests can only tell us that the cortisol is elevated, not WHY it's elevated.

If your vet is as close-minded and inexperienced with Cushing's as it sounds, I'd be looking for another one asap and would not allow this vet to treat my baby. ;)

[dustopher]

Hi my goodness you have been through so much my heart goes out to you and bless you for all that you've been through and your little one anyhow I am already looking for another vet and I have an appointment on the 23rd with more holistic vet who's experienced in all this in the meantime she supposed to be calling me on Monday I have faxed over all of his blood work results etc. I honestly am not sure that Dusty really does have Cushing's his hair is growing back And a lot of the symptoms the panting the excessive appetite he's always had due to the pancreatitis small intestinal bacterial overgrowth colitis and IBD so I guess I wait and see what she says get another opinion and go from there I have learned so much from all of you reading all of your stories listening to all your advice and you're truly help me try to get through all of this and I think you all from the bottom of my heart

[frijole]

I had 7 false positives as well on 2 different types of tests. It was a rare adrenal tumor. Kim

[dustopher]

wow, well I am learning so much from all of you,
thanks!

Dusty always pants, always is hungry and had just come back from a long car ride from Florida, he went on vacation with us, then he went to 2 office visits at the vet, then this test, so I guess there was stress. I'm wondering if the First Shield I used from Banfield for ticks/fleas caused the hair loss? I used it last a week before we left for Florida, I noticed the hair loss shortly after.

I'll see what the holistic vet says Monday.

Please keep any info coming :)

[dustopher]

Hi everyone:
It's been a bit since I last posted.To those who have lost your dear pet since I last posted, my heart goes out to you and my thoughts are with you. To those newly diagnosed, welcome and to those of us who are caring for our pets, hello again.
I don't like the medicine, I'm not fully convinced yet it's safe and any medicine I have to wear gloves to put into my dog's system and have to be careful not to crush it, I truly wonder about.
any ideas?

Thanks,

[Squirt's Mom]

No, Trilostane is not "safe", no more than any other chemical we are asked to put in our bodies or the bodies of our babies. Aspirin if mishandled can be fatal. No drug is "safe" as evidenced by the miles long lists of possible adverse reactions that go with each and every one. ;)

Having said that, Trilo is no more dangerous than any other drug when handled correctly. It is just as "safe" as any other drug when handled correctly.

The risk with Trilo AND Lyso is when the vets don't follow protocol for diagnosing, dosing and monitoring; when they fail to tell the parents what to look for; when they fail to provide prednisone to have on hand at home just in case; when parents fail to educate themselves so they can be a positive advocate for their baby; and when parents are not diligent in watching their baby once treatment has started. When these things are all in place, neither drug should be feared nor seen as dangerous, and one is just as "safe" as the other. ;)

[mypuppy]

Hi and welcome to you and Dusty,

Every single parent here can remember the fear of having to give our babies some strange drug whose side effects can be so serious but as Leslie said, if you and your vet follow the proper protocol and you are watchful the drug can also be live saving. I was able to keep my girl for 4 years after being diagnosed. So please don't get discouraged, find an internal medicine specialist who knows cushings and monitoring and stay on board here and ask as many questions possible.

I pray for a successful treatment and a happy and healthy Dusty.

Xo Jeanette

Ps to Leslie and Kim....5 and 7 positive tests and not cushings? That really makes me wonder to this day if my girl ever had it, but I will never know. Grrrrrrrrrr

[dustopher]

Thank you, Jeanette. I'm sorry for your loss. They are such a , precious part of our lives, and it's heartbreaking, I know. We lost our Peanut almost 2 years ago, he was wonderful. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
Squirt's mom, thank you for the info. too.
I actually called a vet I used to go to before he left and went to a new practice. He's now still a distance but not so far away. He was wonderful and we are going to see him on Saturday! I'll keep you all posted.

Monica

[molly muffin]

Did you go to see the vet this past Saturday? How did that go?

Hope all is well

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[dustopher]

Hi Everyone:
It's been about a year since I posted, At the time I had been to a vet who gave Dusty a lot of meds then talked me into the test for Cushings and wanted to give him Trilostane. Well, I honestly didn't believe he had it and the test was a false positive. So, I found the vet who took care of him when he was a pup, (The vet had moved to a new office) well, worth the ride. Anyhow yesterday he had blood work done and the ALK PHOS levels are still high. A while back they were in the 900's today 800+
So doc suggested we re-test him and see what it shows. We go Thursday morning.

I am very concerned about the Trilostane. I didn't like it before and am very skeptical about possibly starting it again. If I have to wear gloves to administer it, what's in this stuff for my dog?

Any help I'd appreciate.

To those who have lost your precious ones, my deepest prayers to you and to all who are going through this, I hope we all begin to have some happy stories.

Thanks,
Monica

[molly muffin]

I've merged your recent thread into Dusty's original thread so that all information can be kept together.

Sharlene

[Meg_Elizabeth]

Hi Monica,

May I ask what dose of Trilostane your pup is taking? In my experience, Lysodren is way more toxic and hard on our dogs (in comparison to Trilo) and it can be fatal in some instances. That's why they give you a steroid pack with the first few doses right? I know this because Lysodren almost killed my dog.

Trilostane never gave my Abby problems, but every dog is different. Perhaps it is because she is on a low dose-- 10mg once a day. If the dose is too high, your pup might seem lethargic or out of it. Too much of any medicine can be very hard on animals.

When my dog's Cushing symptoms got bad, I would always push the vet to up the dose, but he never would. He always says, "Less is more."
Words to live by!

Best wishes, keep us posted!

-Meg

[Meg_Elizabeth]

Here's a great article on Trilostane.
Hope it helps.

http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2012/12/low-dose-twice-daily-trilostane.html?m=1

-Meg :)

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Monica,

Welcome back and we will help in any way we can. Is Dusty showing any of the usual Cushing's symptoms, such as increases in drinking/urination, ravenous appetite, hair/skin issues? If abnormal levels in his ALK PHOS are the only reason Cushing's is suspected, if this were me, I wouldn't have any testing for Cushing's done.

Both Lysodren/Mitotane and Vetoryl/Trilostane are strong drugs but as long as the proper protocols are followed less adverse effects are seen. When treating with Vetoryl/Trilostane dogs do seem to do better when started at a low dose. Dechra states in their U.S. product insert to initiate a dose of 1mg-3mg per pound of a dog's weight, however, they also recommend to start at the lower end of their dosage scale. Does Dusty still weigh around 37 pound? If so, if this were me, I would begin the Trilostane at no more than 30mg.

I'm going to provide some links that have a lot of information regarding Vetoryl/Trilostane and Cushing's, if you have any questions please do ask. ;)

Trilostane/Vetoryl Information and Resources. (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185
)

Links to Cushings Websites (especially helpful for new members!) (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180)

Dechra's U.S. Product Insert (http://www.dechra-us.com/files/dechraUSA/downloads/Product%20inserts/Vetoryl.pdf)

Hugs, Lori

[addy]

I just want to add we have had many dogs successfully treated with Lysodren. As Lori already mentioned, both drugs are very strong and need to be administered and monitored by a vet with experience and have the human parent be knowledgeable and keep a close eye on their pup.

Trilostane is not a "safe" drug and I would not want people reading this to think it does not have to be monitored or administered correctly.:)

[goldengirl88]

I just wanted to remind you that if Dusty has any other issues going on that you know of this could also bring a false positive from any non adrenal disease etc. Hope all goes well for you. Blessings
Patti

[Chloe's Mom]

Thanks. He's on 60mg and weighs 37.3 pounds


:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Am I the only one that thinks this dose is the "old-school" version and NOT the current recommendation??? Seems almost 2X what is recommended now.

My Chloe weighs 14.5 lbs. and is on 5 mg. My vet starts at 1 mg/KG, not lb. IMHO, Dusty's dose is WAY too high. Check out JoAnn's thread "Eli & me" to see how harmful starting at high dosage can be.

Am I missing something and pushing the panic button???:)

[goldengirl88]

Yes I think this dose is high too, but that being said it seems Dusty has been to several vets and has had a multitude of issues. I am not even convinced that this dog has Cushing's. If it is possible to have him tested with no underlying issues going on you may get a better picture. Has he had an ultra sound? Again I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but any number of the issues you mentioned could have skewed his test. If it were my dog and he was 37 lbs I would not be giving more than 30 mgs of trilostane. I would not be giving anymore trilostane period, until this was sorted out. You said this was a Wheaton Poodle mix?? I have lots of Wheaton experience, they are prone to a cancer which my dog died from. I think you should look into an ultra sound with a high definition machine only. Your dog could have spleen, or liver nodules which can make high cortisol. I would definitely not be giving trilostane. Blessings

[molly muffin]

Just a reminder, Dusty is Not currently on Trilostane and vets have been changed, so hopefully if it is needed this time around, then it will be at the current recommended levels for dosing.

I agree that previously the dosage was too high and that cushings wasn't confirmed appropriately. Hopefully this time around things will be more clear as to what is going on.

Sharlene and molly muffin

[dustopher]

Hi Everyone:
We go tomorrow for the 8 hour test. I don't have the actual numbers i front of me but the Alk Phos was over 800 from regular bloodwork and not on any meds prior like last year. I'm getting the copy tomorrow. Doc said depends on what the 8 hour test shows tomorrow and we will decide to treat or hold off.
He does have a multitude of issues. He's always had pancreatitis, IBD, SIBO and never digests food. .He is drinking regular, and pees a lot on the walks, but doesn't beg to go outside in any urgency. He always has a ravenous appetite but always has had that too.

Thanks for articles and thoughts. I'll keep you all posted.

Monica

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Everyone:
We go tomorrow for the 8 hour test. I don't have the actual numbers i front of me but the Alk Phos was over 800 from regular bloodwork and not on any meds prior like last year. I'm getting the copy tomorrow. Doc said depends on what the 8 hour test shows tomorrow and we will decide to treat or hold off.
He does have a multitude of issues. He's always had pancreatitis, IBD, SIBO and never digests food.
Monica

With these multiple health issues, I'd be reluctant to have the LDDS test done because false positive results can be created when a dog has any type of underlying illness. If this were me, I would prefer the ACTH stimulation tests over the LDDS test since Dusty does have some health issues.

Hugs, Lori

[dustopher]

Hi:
He had the low dose suppression test done. He did ok, just waiting for results.

Can diet play a role in this?

Thanks,
Monica

[molly muffin]

Diet in Dusty's case if likely very important, as he doesn't digest food, has IBD and is prone to pancreatic attacks.
There is no known cause for cushings, in either dogs, humans or horses, but a well balanced diet is important for all dogs. It sounds like you are juggling several factors when it comes to diet though for Dusty. That must be very difficult. :(

Sharlene and molly muffin

[dustopher]

Hello Everyone:
It's been a while, Dusty had cushing's disease and passed away this morning. His gall bladder ruptured. He was just fine Saturday morning and Saturday night we were at ER. He died by my side this morning. I'm heartbroken and feel so lost. Any words will help.

Monica

[doxiesrock912]

Monica, I am so sorry!
I know how heartbroken you are having lost my sweet Daisy Mae in June.
Cushings is complicated enough because each dog is affected differently but when other health issues are present things get much more complicated.

I'm am glad that you were with him.

[Budsters Mom]

I'm so sorry to read of Dusty's passing.:o

Fly free sweet boy, fly free!

[dustopher]

Thank you both so much, your quotes at the bottom of your post are so true.

I'm at a loss, and pray he's not suffering anymore, I did good for him, very spoiled and loved more than anything.

Love and Prayers to everyone and thank you for your lovely thoughts.
Monica

[Robert]

Praying for both you and Dusty Monica. Know it doesn't help but Dusty is with some mighty fine canine company including my two babes.

[molly muffin]

Oh no!!! I am so very sorry to hear this news.
My sincerest condolences.
I know your heart is broken. We just hurt to lose them so much.
He isn't suffering any more. I prefer to think of them now in all their puppy glory with a bit of adult wiseness mixed in.

Big hugs.
Sharlene and Molly muffin

[addy]

My heart goes out to you as I know you are shattered into a million pieces.

I am so sorry for your loss.

[dustopher]

Thank you, Robert. I hope he's playing with his brother, Peanut too. I'm sure he's gonna meet yours, he loves other dogs.

[dustopher]

Thank you Addy and Molly. Sad sad sad day, I'm so heartbroken. All your wishes help.
Blessings to all of you

[scoora]

Monica,
I'm so very sorry to hear of the passing of your sweet boy Dusty.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[apollo6]

Dear Monica,
My heart aches for you,may your beautiful Dusty be at peace. There are no words that I can say to comfort you,for the one thing you want is Dusty back.[QUOTE]Your Pets In Heaven
By Ken D. Conover
To have loved and then said farewell, is better than to have never loved at all.
For all of the times that you have stooped and touched my head, fed me my favorite treat and returned the love that I so unconditionally gave to you.
For the care that you gave to me so unselfishly.
For all of these things I am grateful and thankful.
I ask that you not grieve for the loss, but rejoice in the fact that we lived, loved and touched each other’s lives. My life was fuller because you were there, not as a master/owner, but as my FRIEND.
Today I am as I was in my youth. The grass is always green, butterflies flit among the flowers and the Sun shines gently down upon all of God's creatures.
I can run, jump, play and do all of the things that I did in my youth. There is no sickness, no aching joints and no regrets and no aging.
We await the arrival of our lifelong companions and know that togetherness is forever.
You live in our hearts as we do in yours. Companions such as you are so rare and unique.
Don't hold the love that you have within yourself. Give it to another like me and then I will live forever. For love never really dies and you are loved and missed as surely as we are.
Your Pets in Heaven[/QUOTE
You don't have to grieve alone. Know we enfold in our love and comfort.
Sonja and Angel Apollo

[dustopher]

Dear Vicki-Scoop, Raleigh, Archie and Gus' mom and Sonja& Angel:
Thank you for your thoughts , the poem and caring. It's just so hard, so unprepared, so unfair. Yesterday was rough, this morning is even worse, so I'll hold on to your wishes and pray my baby is pain free. He knows I love him.

Love to you all and your doggies

Monica

[jas77450]

I'm so sorry to hear about your Dusty. I just lost my Cosmo 2 weeks ago...I know your pain...prayers for you!

[doxiesrock912]

That's beautiful Sonja. I am crying.
Just when I have a good day, something reminds me of irreplaceable Daisy Mae and the tears flow. Hugs.

[jas77450]

Just want you to know I'm thinking of you...it's not easy...Dusty is now pain free and running as in his youth...waiting to be together with you forever one day...but for now the pain is all consuming...sending love to you.
Jenny