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View Full Version : I'm not sure if my dog has Cushings and my vet is also not very clued up!



adri
09-25-2013, 12:05 AM
I am from South Africa. My 10 year old spaniel was diagnosed with autoimmune disease 3 years ago and was in 'remission' after treatment of prednisone and endoxan (chemo). About a month ago Alex woke up sick. For the past month he's been at the vet at least 3 times a week and at one stage after a blood transfusion I thought I was going to lose Alex. They castrated him thinking that an enlarged prostate was the problem. Then he started bleeding internally and that's when he got the transfusion. After the transfusion and doses of lenisolone and endoxan he stopped bleeding with only few blood clots in his urine and tarry stool which turned normal again. They have not diagnosed him with cushing; I don't think it's a disease our vet is familiar with and they are treating him for autoimmune disease. They did bloodwork and his liver and kidneys checked out fine. His red blood count was low and his hematocrit was 18; thus treating him for autoimmune disease. But he has an increased thirst, urinates a lot, his belly is swollen so much that he struggles to fit through the doggy door, he's bloated and gassy and has brown colouring in the white of his eyes,his tongue is sticking out most of the time, sometimes when he's very bloated or ate something sugary he licks himself and he ends up soaken wet covered in his own saliva with a sweet sickening smell. I'm also giving him blue-green algae and milk thistle as supplements for his immune system and liver. I'm not sure if this might be cushings? Wouldn't cushings have shown up in his blood work they did 4 weeks ago for his liver and kidneys? They also did an ultrasound last week of his abdomen and the spleen and liver was fine,not enlarged at all?

Harley PoMMom
09-25-2013, 12:44 AM
Hi and welcome to you and Alex,

So sorry for the reasons that brought you here but glad you found us.

The increased drinking, pot bellied appearance along with the sweet odor sounds like Alex has diabetes. Has the vet checked his glucose, either through his blood or it could be spilling into his urine? I strongly urge you to have Alex tested for diabetes.

Lenisolone, which is a steroid, can create a form of Cushing's known as Iatrogenic. Iatrogenic Cushing's happens when steroids are used over a period of time and the only treatment necessary is to slowly taper the use of the steroid, although sometimes in certain health situations this is not possible to do.

If you could get copies of all tests that were done on Alex and post only those values that are marked abnormal that would be great.

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

Hugs, Lori

spdd
09-25-2013, 05:36 AM
Welcome to the forum. Just want to affirm the knowledge on here is superb and better then any vets that I've been too. I haven't got my dog diagnosed yet after almost 5 months, but without the experts on here I wouldn't have even known what I was looking for or to tell the vets what to do.

Hope you can get your furbaby diagnosed and treated. Please do what they ask on this forum. Without them I don't know where I'd be.

LtlBtyRam
09-30-2013, 02:59 AM
Sorry you have had to look for us. At the same time I'm glad you found us. The folks around here are PAWSOME!
Angela