New to site my story, need info- Sards and possible Cushings

[Hopefullx3]

I have a miniature dachshund named Zoey and she is 8 years young. Last year a few days after I had returned from the hospital having been away for a week having major surgery on myself, I came home and noticed she was bumping into things but nothing else seemed wrong. I thought maybe it was because she was so excited to have me home she was going full force all the time. Then within a couple days she was fully blind and she refused to take the step to go outside, she became very depressed, barely moved, slept alot and was not herself at all. She has SARDS. Then things have gotten worse for her. She has the big pot belly now, losing her coat like crazy, drinks nonstop, always starving but we monitor her food. All she wants to do is sleep. I have seen her have small seizures that don't seem to effect her much but she sleeps after them. She drools like she is foaming at the mouth, she pee's nonstop to the point we have put papers down for her again. She goes in the house alot now as well as bowel movements. Now in the night when she has a bowel movement she eats all of it due to being hungry. Then the other day she growled at my son when he came near her when she had gotten a hold of something she thought was food. Her back end has started to shake alot when she gets up and lays down. Now for the past few days she doesn't wake up and just pees all over herself when she is sleeping. I was told she most likely also has Cushing disease. I am positive she does. She has been getting worse now and I really can't afford to do anything for her now. I have the incurable illnesses myself and I haven't been able to work for the past 5 months because of this. I can't even afford my own medication for myself. What do I do. She seems to be getting worse fast and I don't want to leave her to suffer until the end. She has okay days and then bad days. She has severe anxiety and if she knows we are leaving the house she gets extremely upset, crying whining, barking, and we always come home to a huge mess of pee and poo. Any advice. She has been like this for over a year now and seems to be getting worse.
Thanks for listening.

[addy]

Hi and Welcome to our forum. I am truly sorry to read about Zoey's problems. Dogs with Sards can have symptoms similar to Cushings and some will go on to develop Cushings. We have another new member dealing with Sards as well as a possible Cushings diagnosis.

The bowel incontinence may not be related to Cushings and so many other issues your pup has may be related to non Cushings illnesses as well.

Testing for Cushings can be expensive and when we are dealing also with Sards, an experienced vet is usually going to give you more for your dollars. I understand money is an issue and I wont sugar coat it, testing can run up a tab. Are you near a university that may have a veterinary school?

If you don't mind, I would like to change your title so more members dealing with Sards can stop by.

Again, welcome and I know others will be by soon

[HalliesMom]

Your story breaks my heart. I too have a SARDS doxie girl who most likely has now developed cushings as well. Both are way to common in doxies. :(

Has Zoey adjusted to her blindness much? Hallie and I both were devastated when she suddenly went blind 3 years ago, she has adjusted amazingly well to being blind. She is now deaf as well. After going blind I taught her to paint and she has been on several TV shows, won awards, was filmed for a documentary, does demo's etc and she went from shaking when we would leave the house, to loving all this and and painting deaf and blind in front of people with children petting her as she paints. She also does K9 nosework and has earned her first title placing 8th out of 33 sighted dogs. She gets very excited to both paint and do nosework....she has taught me that the perception of her "disabilities" lie with me and not her. We are working on childrens book about her now also. Her art sells around the world and she donates it all to animal rescue (she is a rescue also).

It took me weeks to get her to go on walks again as she was so afraid. I would praise her every time she took a step. She got to where she would choose to run again :) she goes for a ways running then puts on the brakes waiting for her praise, then will run again (she is almost 14). She now has stopped wanting to go on walks due to the cushings I believe, but am hopeful that will change soon.

We will hopefully find out if she for sure does have cushings after her 2nd LDDS test tomorrow (I am certain she does, as you know SARDS kids are so high risk for it) she has had worsening symptoms of it and after finding this forum, I went from being too afraid to treat her, to being excited to try and knowing there is a chance she could feel much better. I too don't have much $$ and some of my own health issues, have spent a fortune on these tests. So I feel for you there too. But I can't imagine surviving losing her and can't take it with me so going in debt isn't bothering me right now. I'm sure it will hit later! :) A big step is knowing exactly what is going on with them, we are still trying to figure it all out with Hallie and sounds like you are in a similar spot.

You can see more of Hallie's story at www.hallieart.com if you would like. My prayers are with you with the cushings as this is new territory for us as well. Very thankful for this forum and the kind and knowledgeable people here. Hang in there with your girl.

[Hopefullx3]

I have a mini dachshund named Zoey and she has had cushings now for a over a year. First a little about her, she is fully blind, sleeps 90% of the time, drinks alot, is always hungry, and has a big pot belly. She drools all the time, and has had several small seizures, her back end now shakes all the time and she is losing her fur all over the place. I monitor her food intake and lately she seems confused if she has eaten or not. The other day she was growling at my son when she thought he was going to take her away what she was eating. She goes to the bathroom in the house so much that I had to put down paper for her to go on. I wake up in the morning to several pills of pee and now if she has a bowel movement she eats it and I only find what is left. For the past few days she has been peeing on herself when she is asleep and it is like she doesn't even realize that she has done it. She seems to be depressed and slowing down, but then there are moments when she seems ok. What are the last stages of the disease and when do you make the decision to end her suffering. I don't want to let her go to soon but also don't want to wait until she just can't go anymore.
Any info will help

[labblab]

Hello to you and Zoey! You will see that I have merged your new posting into your original thread. I am not sure whether you had been able to find it again when you returned this morning. But now everything is all together in one spot. ;)

And you'll see that you already have a couple of replies, with more to come I am sure. I am so sorry you are having such a tough time.

Marianne