Sandie my Jack Russell

[joanmansfield]

Hi, Sandie my female Jack Russell was diagnosed with Cushings Disease early April. I had seen a dramatic change in obsessive behaviour towards myself and food and a change in her abdomen. She has also started barking for attention, especially when I have visitors. She has always loved her food but now, as I say, she is obsessive. Has anyone else come across this change? She is on Vetoryl 30mg and is going in for another ACTH test today (Thursday). Has anyone else come across these symptoms and have you any idea how to control them, especially the excessive barking. Traits she had before i.e. greedy and a barker are now far worse. I need to know how to cope with this disease or is it early days on the Vetoryl and can I expect a reduction in these problems when the Cushings is under control with Vetoryl. Has anyone any experience of Cushalin homeopathic treatment? :confused:

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Sandie!

My boy, Harley, always had a healthy appetite, food-wise, he would eat almost anything. When he got Cushing's, boy did that hunger grow, he was totally food obsessed, so yes, dogs with Cushing's generally do have a ravenous appetite. That elevated cortisol their body is producing can make their other senses heighten, which may make them "antsy." With treatment those symptoms should subside.

We initiate our new members by asking them a ton of questions which helps us to provide more meaningful feedback, so get ready for your initiation. :D

What symptoms did Sandie display that led you or your vet to test for Cushing's in the first place? How much does Sandie weigh? Is she taking any other herbs/supplements/medications? Could you get your hands on copies of all tests that were done on Sandie and post any abnormalities that are listed...e.g....ALT 150U/L (5-50). Was an urinalysis done, and if so, could you post those findings too? Also, could you tell us what diagnostic tests were performed to diagnose her Cushing's and post those results here? How many ACTH stimulation tests have been done since Sandie started her Vetoryl treatment and could you post those results for us? Does she have the pituitary or the adrenal form of Cushing's?

As far as holistic medications, unfortunately I don't know of any truly effective alternatives to Rx medication when one wants to lower cortisol levels significantly.

We look forward to hearing much more about your girl.

Hug, Lori

[molly muffin]

I know some others who have said their jack became aggressive and more attention seeking too. I don't know why. It doesn't happen to all dogs but some do. And it isn't limited to breed either necessarily as I think there was a Maltese too that became more aggressive.
What are her cortisol levels like on the ACTH tests?

[Bonnie0420]

Hi there,
I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to answering all the questions about blood tests and the meds etc but I read your post and thought I would share our experiences with Aggie.
Aggie was always a very good eater and would eat basically anything. She was a very very calm dog and In the Almost 7 yrs we had her, I could count on 1 hand the amount of times she barked, she just wasn't a barker. She would do her uff uff as I called it, very soft and low but never a full out bark. All of this changed in her as the cushings progressed. We could put a piece of steak on the floor and she would never touch it till we told her OK. She could walk by food and not bother it, crazy as it sounds she just knew she wasn't allowed. We gave her treats from our lips to hers and she would never so much as even lick us she was THAT gentle.
As the Cushings progressed she became more and more "aggressive" to the point I had to really fuss at her before she got a treat, she didn't mean to and I always felt horrible fussing at her, she would just give me that sweet look like, MOM I'm SO sorry, I didn't mean to snap, I'm just so hungry, what's wrong with me. And she also started to become very vocal. I posted about this a couple of times and was told that it's just another symptom some dogs have, they don't mean to and they don't understand what's happening to them. It's really hard but hang in there..hopefully everything will be back to normal and you will be able to love your baby for yrs to come