Signs that pituitary tumor is growing?

[zipdog625]

Hi. I am new to chatting/posting online so please bear with me. My 11 yr old chow/lab mix Bozwell was diagnosed and has been being treated with Vetoryl for the last 2 months for Cushings. According to my vet as of his last STIM and urine tests (Sat March 8, 2014) all of his numbers are in the range they are supposed to be. While his hair is growing back, water intake and urine output has greatly improved we now have a new set of issues.
He gets very listless at night, has taken to not eating his food unless I am holding the bowl and coaxing him and is becoming very clingy. By clingy I mean following me around the house from one room to another. He is a three legged dog (one hind missing due to an injury he suffered prior to our adopting him), so the muscle mass in his one back leg is very limited at best. He also has lost much of his muscle mass throughout the rest of his body. He is also on thyroid meds. I recently, through the recommendation of our vet, had him on Ichon (generic Adequan) shots once a week and is currently on 1/4 of a 7.5 mg of meloxicam given in the am with food. I noticed that the Ichon seems to make his listlessness worse so I will not be giving him any more of those.

I guess my question would be, does anyone notice these as "normal" signs of cushings. My vet has only had 4 cases of cushings in the last 18 years and says he is not really certain of all aspects of the disease. My wonder is if the tumor is growing and causing any/all of these new behavioral items? Is there anything that can be done for these issues as we are losing much sleep due to his new found "night energy"?

Thank you in advance for any light you might shed on this for us.

Peace, love and milkbones ~ Lee Ann & Bozwell

[Renee]

Hello, and welcome!


I have found that listlessness at night can be caused by pain. This happens with my pug Ichiro. If he's in pain, then he has trouble settling at night, and will be up and down all night trying to get comfortable.

It would be very helpful if you told us more about your dogs symptoms, testing, and test results that led to the cushings diagnosis.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Lee Ann,

Welcome to you and Bozwell from me as well. I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here but glad you found us, and we will help in any way we can.

As Renee has mentioned it would most helpful if you could get your hands on all tests that were done on Bozwell and post any abnormal levels with the reference ranges and units of measurement....Thanks! We are especially interested in the results of the diagnostic and monitoring tests that were perfomed on Bozwell for the Cushing's. Also could you tell us the dose of Vetoryl Bozwell is taking and is it given once or twice a day? How much does Bozwell weigh?

Listlessness and inappetence can be signs of cortisol dropping too low. If Bozwell is not acting himself I would call his vet and explain how Bozwell is acting different. They may want to perform another ACTH stimulation test and check his electrolytes to make sure there isn't a problem there. Another option would be to stop giving him his Vetoryl and see if he perks up. One should never give Vetoryl/Trilostane to a dog that is presenting symptoms of being unwell.

Did your vet mention that Vetoryl has to be given with food to be properly absorbed? Is Bozwell's vet performing the ACTH atimulation tests 4-6 hours after the dose of Vetoryl is given?

We have a Resource Thread that has a wealth of information regarding Cushing's, and here's a link: Helpful Resources for Owners of Cushing's Dogs (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10)

If you have any questions please do ask them. ;)

Hugs, Lori

[goldengirl88]

Welcome to the forum. My question is without seeing the results of the ACTH test I am making a guess that since your vet has only treated 4 cases of Cushing's is he aware that the labs normal scale posted on the test results is usually for a normal dog, not a Cushing's dog. Therefore he could be telling you the numbers look good when in fact they are not. My vet made this mistake also. Then that would explain the moving about at note, as the cortisol is not controlled. Also another possibility besides pain could be because Cushing's immobilizes fat which can end up in the abdomen, causes the dog to be uncomfortable by pressing on other organs. Things have an tendency to shift around in them. Hope something here helps you. Blessings
Patti

[Dawn Anderson]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Let me start by thanking you for opening your heart and home to a special need pet, so many people are afraid to step up and give them a forever home, I tip my hat to you.
My girl Buttercup has a macro tumor at the pituitary gland. Do you know if its a macro or micro tumor?
Buttercup had many issues as her tumor grew. Lethargy, lack of interest in things she used to love, lack of awareness, head aches, head hanging, staring off into space, knuckling, wander off in the house as if she was lost, pressing her head against furniture and then spacing out, vision failing and more. It all depends on the position of the tumor and what else it is pressing on and how much pressure it is creating in the brain. I was able to get her in to UC Davis for radiation treatment. The tumor is shrinking and her neurological conditions and vision is returning to normal.
All of us here are dealing with all of the different aspects of Cushings and we are her to support you in anyway we can.

Dawn and Buttercup