Newly Diagnosed w/ Cushings

[scwilliams]

Hi my is Shelly and my lil guys name is Tadertot and he was just diagnosed with cushings about 4 months now but he has had for a very long time. Well the vet is telling me that its very costly and harmful and may even cause death to treat him. My main question is, is my lil guy in a lot pain cause he also has a gastroIntestinal something like Irritable bowel syndrome which causes him a great deal of problems.he is vomiting on and off.Right now the only reason he is eating is because its boiled rice and hamburger, and he is not having regular bowel movements and pumpkin is not working at all.He is not the same at all and his meds for his nervousness is not working and he is not sleeping, he is very anxious and he has a very hard time with peeing, also his back legs have started to get weak for some reason. He also just sits in places like he is confused or does not know what he is doing.At night and also when he is laying on the couch he is always all over place like he is in pain or very uncomfortable..Can anyone help understand any of this...I am hurting and dont know what to do...??? Help me Please!!!!!:(:confused:

[Wrighton]

I just read your post and I know those who are really informed about Cushings will be along very soon. I know that it is a confusing disease but it is treatable.

Hold on. The wonderful moderators and senior members are on their way. You aren't alone anymore.
Gail

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Shelly,

Welcome to you and Tadertot! OMGoodness such a cute name your boy has.

Cushing's is not a death sentence for a dog, it is a treatable disease. The two medications generally prescribed for Cushing's are Lysodren (Mitotane) and Vetoryl (Trilostane) and they are life savers for our cushdogs. Adverse side effects are mostly seen when the proper protocols are not followed. Education is key with this disease and an educated pet owner along with an experienced vet are effective in facilitating safe and efficacious treatment with few to no side effects.

Can you share more about your boy with us, you see, the more information we know about your sweet boy the better our feedback can be, ok? So here goes some questions :eek::) How much does your boy weigh? Is your boy taking any other herbs/supplements/medications? Does he have any other health issues? Was an urinalysis done, and if so, could you post those findings too? Could you get your hands on copies of all tests that were done on your boy and post any abnormalities that are listed...e.g....ALT 150U/L (5-50) Also we are especially interested in the results from any tests that were used to diagnose Cushing's in your boy...Thanks! Does your furbaby have the adrenal or pituitary type of Cushing's?

Cushing's is probably the most difficult canine disease to diagnose. Physical symptoms associated with Cushing's are shared by many other diseases, blood and urine abnormalities are shared with other other diseases and the diagnostic tests to measure circulating cortisol are flawed and can yield false positive results in the face of non adrenal illness or even stress. All of these things make it very challenging to correctly diagnose Cushing's which makes it one of the most misdiagnosed canine diseases.

With Cushing's the initial expense is during the diagnostic phase, once a dog is on treatment and the dose is stabilized the cost does go down significantly. Having the medication for Cushing's compounded will also save some money, but you need to purchase through a trusted compounding pharmacy. Many of our members use Diamondback pharmacy, here's a link to their website: http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/home-mobile/One of the ways that helped me with the expense was applying for Care Credit. It's a revolving credit line that allows you to pay large bills same as cash for a year.

We all know how stressful times like this can be so please know that we are here to help you in any way we can. Please be sure to check out our Helpful Resource section. There is a ton of information there, including a great thread for folks new to the disease. Here's a handy link: Helpful Resources for Owners of Cushing's Dogs (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10) and Trilostane/Vetoryl Information and Resources (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185) Feel free to print anything out and do not hesitate to ask all the questions you want.

Hugs, Lori

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome to the forum. We are very glad you found us, although sorry for the reasons that brought you here.

First off, deep breaths. I have some questions off the bat that it would be helpful if you can answer.

How hold is Tadertot?
What breed is he?
How much does he weigh?
Is he on medication or has been for cushings?
What other medications is he on?
What test have been done, both to diagnose cushings and recent ones?
Can you post any high or low results from the blood work?
for example ALKP 550ug range 50 - 150ug
Does he or has he been diagnosed with IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease) or pancreatis?
Have you had an ultrasound done?

Cushings can cause weakness in the rear legs. It also normally includes such symptoms as ravenous appetite, drinking and peeing rivers, thin coat, calcium bumps in the skin, as an example. Not all dogs have those symptoms, but often they would have one or some of them.

With him not eating currently, and not pooping and peeing correctly, I wouldn't give cushing medication until he is back to a more normal self. You never give cushing meds to an ill dog.
However, having said all that, I would want to know what is causing the problems he is currently having and the best bang for your buck is often an ultrasound to take a look at his insides.
Cushings doesn't usually cause pain, but an enlarged liver, can be uncomfortable for them and is often seen with cushings. Also higher cortisol levels will often help with things like arthritis, so if he is an older dog with arthritis, then it is something to consider.

So, that will get you started and others will be along to give their thoughts too.

So very glad you found us.

Looks like Lori and I were posting at the same time. :) That happens alot on here. :) And we both seem to have many of the same questions.

[scwilliams]

Thank you very much for getting back to me, I know this is going to sound bad but due to the fact that I am disabled I am unable to have a lot of the test done that you are talking about, but I have had some blood work a couple of times and also by things going on with his body like calcium bumps,peeing, drinking lots of water,ravenous eating,thin coat,and the weaking of the legs, and the doc said something about possible tumor in the brain?Now here are his numbers alb 4.4 alp 588 alt 75 was the last one and the one before that they were alb 4.6 alp 468 alt 84 and he does have IBD and he has been vomiting and like I said the only reason he is eating is because its boiled rice and hamburger.But I do not have the money for the tests and meds and I feel so bad about that plus I know cushings is not his only problem,so I dont know what to do.He also weights 29 to 30 pounds you asked about that, he is a Chihuahua.The doc said his metabolism slowed down when i fixed him cause he was so young,but she said it was better for his breed for cancer.. and I do know he has had an elev white blood count 18.43.no ultrasounds.He shakes his head real bad for some reason and I dont know why,but his ears fill up with wax very bad also the vet dont see that as a problem.I wonder if thats why he shakes his head or does he have a tumor like the doc said and it bothers him? All this has me so stressed out..Thanks for your help.I'm lost he is my world..

[scwilliams]

Harley PomMom,
Hi thanks for getting back to me and the sweet comment on my name.I have not had many tests done on him due to $$$,but I have had 2 blood tests and his numbers were on the 1st alb-4.6alp-468alt-84 and on the2nd alb4.4 alp-588 alt-75 and the doc said he has a lot of the body signs the calcium bumps thin coat, ravenous eating,drinking to much,peeing problems,darken on the belly,and he said something about his pads getting thicker.plus he also has a IBD.HE weights 29/30lbs and he is a chihuahua.He also has a bad problem with shaking his haed and im not sure what thats about,and his ears bother him and get alot of wax and the vet dont think a problem,and its a lot of wax. he has had a high white blood count18.43.The only reason he is eating is because its boild hamburger and rice,but he vomits any but or wont eat.I feel bad cause I afford the tests we need to do.I struggle now just to keep food and bills paid,and the meds that he is on.But really they are really not working all that well. He is not sleeping all well at night any more and during the day he seems full of anxiety.I'm hurting for him...

[molly muffin]

How are you and Tadertot doing?