help (Victor's shih-tzu/lhasa)

[victor]

the vet told me my dog has crushings don't know what to do:confused:

[Roxee's Dad]

Hello Victor,

I would like to welcome you to k9cushings, I am sorry that your pup was dx's with cushings, but am glad you found us. Cushings is not a death sentence by any means, we have many members treating their cush pups for many years.

Please tell us more about your pup. I assume your name is Victor?

How was he diagnosed? Which test were performed? What were the results of these test. ACTH Stim test, LDDS, Blood test results. If you do not have copies, please ask your vet or receptionist to provide you with the copies. They should be glad to do so. Most members here keep their pups records at home for fast and easy reference.

As for what to do.... first we would like to confirm the diagnosis, many a vistor here has had a pup that was mis-diagnosed by their vet. One thing to be sure, do not start treatment until you have a confirmed diagnosis.

The weekends are sometimes slow around here but the others as I affectionetly call them have years of experience and have helped me and many others sort thru this. They will be along to help.

You will also want to check the resources sections and start getting your self more knowlegeable on this disease. You are your pups voice and advocate, so the more you know the better.

Hang in there we are here to help.

BTW - What type of cushings did your vet say your pup has? PDH, ADH, Atypical? (it makes a difference)

[MiniSchnauzerMom]

Hi Victor,

I wanted to offer you my welcome also. Below I have included a link from our Resources section which is especially helpful for new members and contains additional links to Cushings websites, which would be a good starting point for reading.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

I'm also going to ask you a few more questions. By the way, what is your dog's name?


What symptoms was your dog having that lead your veterinarian to test for cushings (panting, ravenous appetite, drinking lots of water, hair loss, pot belly?)


Was more than one test performed to diagnose the cushings disease and what were the names of the tests?


If you could post the abnormal results that were marked as either "high" or "low" on the lab work plus the reference range it would be extremely helpful.


Does your dog have any other illnesses (diabetes, hypothyroid, digestive problems, etc.) or was he/she ill when being tested?


Is your dog taking any type of medication, supplements or herbs?


How much does your dog weigh?


I know how overwhelming this can be and I remember the state of panic I was in myself when I heard that word "cushings". Although we are not veterinarians, there are many people here who are successfully treating their dogs for cushings. We are here to offer our support and help in whatever way possible. Lots' of practical experience "under their belts" so to speak, so you are not alone!

As John said, the information that we have requested will help us to assist you, so that can be #1 on your list of what to do. Take a deep breath and tackle one question at a time. We'll be here for you.

Louise

P.S. You may have noticed that there was a delay between the time that you posted your new thread and the time that it actually appeared on the forum. This is because, as a new member, you must complete the registration process by responding to an email that you should have received from us. Please check your inbox to see whether you can find our email. If not, please check your spam folder to see whether it might have been diverted there. Until your registration is complete, your posts will be "held" until they can be viewed and approved by a Moderator prior to being released for public viewing. This does not mean that you cannot still type out replies -- just that you will not immediately see them appearing on the forum.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and your baby! :)

The very first thing you do is take a deep breath, hold it a second, then slowly let it out....you both are in good hands now. You won't have to take a single step alone on this journey. We all know how scary this is at first, we have all been there...and most of us have survived intact! :p Some, like me, were never "intact" to start with. :D

John and Louise have given you some very good advise and asked the usual questions we throw at folks. Do look at the link Louise provided and the links you will find listed there. Some very good info! Read all you can, ask lots of questions, and we will do our very best to help you understand.

I am glad you found us and look forward to learning more about you and your baby soon.
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls

[KarenTascha]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Please tell us more about your dog.
We are all here to help you and you're dog.

I am treating my dog for almost 3 years now and she is doing very well. Getting old but as far as Cushings concerns, all is under control.

So keep a good breath, relax and start to read, read and read some more.. please ask us any question you have.
We are all here to help each other.

Best wishes,

Karen & Tascha

[gpgscott]

Another welcome,

Is Victor your pup or you?

There are lots of treatment options.

Please tell us more.

Scott

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi Victor,


hi
my name is victor I have a shih-tzu/lhasa and they have told me he has cushings don't know where to start don't want to have him all druged up is there a natrul way to go?????he is 12 1/2 years old and has a hip problem too.
Any help would be awsume
thank you very much

Well, first let's start with the diagnosis.
1-What test were performed to diagnose the cushings?
2-What symptoms does your pup have?

There are different types of cushings with different treatments available. Please give us more details and your vet's recommendations.

There are plenty of members here that are happy to share their knowledge and experience with you, but you need to give us more details so we can help you and your pup.

BTW - What is your pups name, I have a very special place in my heart for Shih Tzu's, would love to see a picture of him or her.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Victor,

Haven't heard from you in a bit so I was just dropping in to see how things were going.

Give us a shout when you can!
Hugs
Leslie and the girls