new diagnosis of cushings - 14 yr old chihuahua

[joym15]

Took my 14-yr old female chihuahua Janey for blood work prior to getting a dental cleaning. Her ALP is 1532, her Alt (Sgpt) is 255, Neutrophils are 907, lymphocytes are 468. Doing the low dose dexamethasone this Saturday to confirm (I want to rule out possible diabetes or hypothyroid, just in case). Worried about all the side effects of the medications I have been reading about online; looking to change diet (have consultation arranged with folks at http://www.doglivershunt.com/ ).

[labblab]

Hi Joy, welcome to you and Janey! Other than the abnormal lab results, does Janey have any overt symptoms whatsoever (excessive thirst/urination/appetite, issues with skin/coat, pot belly, panting, rear-end muscle wasting, heat intolerance, dilute urine, etc.)?

Especially for a dog of Janey's age, launching into Cushing's treatment in the absence of consistent symptomology may be a stretch. First, even in the face of a positive LDDS, the diagnosis is suspect since other conditions can elevate cortisol and cause some of the same lab abnormalities. Secondly, accurate treatment monitoring depends in large part on overt symptom resolution. If there are no symptoms to begin with, it is much harder to evaluate proper dosing. Also, for younger dogs, you do want to minimize systemic internal damage that Cushing's can produce over time. For senior dogs, shorter-term quality of life issues may take primary importance. So if there are no troublesome outward symptoms involved, the treatment trade-off may not feel justified.

Can you tell us more about Janey's overall health history and any current problems other than the abnormal labs?

Thanks so much,
Marianne