My Bentley just diagnosed with cushing's

[rosie6510]

I am also new to this site. I have a 4yr old Yorkie with Diabetes. He was just diagnosed with cushing's today. vet said his levels are over 50… the highest he has seen. I am taking him for ultra sound tomorrow.. they want to see if he has a tumor in brain or belly… Vet said there is a chance of cancer.. I am so confused!! His belly is so distended and he is very uncomfortable. Any info would be greatly appreciated...

[rosie6510]

my 4yr old Bentley has diabetes and was just diagnosed with cushing's today. He is going for ultra sound tomorrow to see if he has a tumor. He is very bloated, feels like he has some muscle mass loss, shaky on his legs, obsessed with food & drinks a lot. Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated…

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Bentley!

I have manually approved your membership so now all your posts will be seen right away. Also, please just disregard the validation email that was sent to you from k9cushings.

We have a sister site that deals with canine diabetes, they are a wonderful group of people and very knowledgeable about canine diabetes, here's their link: http://www.k9diabetes.com/forum/

We usually ask a lot of questions to our new members but that's only to gain information about the pup so we can provide better feedback, ok? So here it goes! Is the diabetes under control? Can you tell us what test/s were performed that diagnosed the Cushing's? Was a CBC/chemistry blood panel done recently, and if so would you post anythings that is marked abnormal? How much does he weigh? What breed is Bentley?

Cushing's can be very challenging to diagnose because false positive results can happen when other illnesses are present, and there isn't one test that can accurately diagnose it, which is why it is often misdiagnosed. Cuishing's is not a death sentence for a dog it is a treatable disease, however for the treatment to work safely and successfully it requires an educated pet owner along with an experienced vet.

The best advice I can give you is to do your research on Cushing's, the treatment protocols, and how it is diagnosed. I am providing a link to our Resource forum which has a wealth of information regarding Cushing's and also includes articles written by some of the most renown veterinarians that specialize in endocrinology http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10

Remember we are here to help in any way we can, and please ask all the questions you want ;)

Hugs, Lori

[rosie6510]

Hi Lori, Thanks for responding to my post!!
I have joined the k9 diabetes, but still unable to post after 4dys…
Bentley is a 4yr old Yorkshire Terrier, he weighs 7lbs… He has had diabetes for about a year now.. we have it under control for the most part.. He did have blood work done on tuesday.. I am waiting for my vets office to fax me over a copy of the results, its now after 5pm so i am assuming i will not get the fax until monday..grr…. I will post the results as soon as i get them
The vet did say that his cortisol levels were over 50 and that it was extremely high. I took him for a ultra sound today &
Dr. said that his tumor is in the brain.. He will let me know later on tonight witch meds he is going to put him on..
very nervous to start these meds as to the side effects he might suffer..
I will read up more on the website you sent me… Praying for my little Bentley!!!

[Harley PoMMom]

We do have many members that are experiencing success with their dog's treatment for Cushing's. Cushing's is not a death sentence for a dog it is a treatable disease, however for the treatment to work safely and successfully it requires an educated pet owner along with an experienced vet. Adverse side effects are mostly seen when the proper protocols are not followed...so I urge you to educate yourself about the treatments, protocols, and diagnosis for Cushing's. And remember we are here to help you and your precious boy. ;)

Hugs, Lori

[rosie6510]

Lori, My Vet wants me to start Bentley on 1/4 tablet of 500mg of lysodren per day for 10 days, then repeat blood work on the 10th day.
If I am understanding correct it may take less then the 10days for him to load. & if my math is correct 1/4 tablet 1x per day is to much (125mg) Please let me know what you think. I will wait to hear from you before I start him on this.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Bentley!

The loading dose for Lyso is 50mg/kg/day and that is to be divided then given twice a day, AM and PM. So at 7 lbs, Bentley weighs 3.18kg (7 / 2.2). So that makes his daily loading dose 159mg, which would probably be rounded down to 125mg a day. That would be divided into 2 doses of 62.5mg. So Bentley really needs a compounded form or to have your pharmacy repackage the tablets into 1/8 dose sizes if they will. The 125mg is right but it should be divided and given twice a day. Giving it once a day will probably work but may take longer and may be too much at once for him, resulting in digestive issues at the least. So before I started I would talk to my pharmacy and the vet about getting that 62.5mg dose worked out for him.

As for the length of time - there is NO set time. Some pups will load in 3 days, some have taken months. It is up to you to observe and notice when things change that indicate the load has been achieved. Then you stop the med and call for the ACTH to see where the numbers are. The things you will look for are subtle changes like looking up from his food bowl when before he didn't, or eating slower, or drinking less. Here is a link from our Helpful Resource section on Lysodren loading and some good tips. Some folk have printed this out to have it handy during the load. http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181

Did the vet give you any prednisone and tell you when and how to use it? If not, call them and get some. This is not an option with Lysodren - you must have pred on hand unless your vet will be available 24/7/365 no matter what. "Available" means able to meet you at their office anytime day/night, weekend/holiday/etc. If they cannot promise you that, you need pred. ;) We don't anticipate a problem but it is always best to be prepared with Cushing's.

I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more. We will be here to help in any way we can - you are not alone. You and Bentley now have a brand new family and it's a darn good family!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh! and here's a handy spreadsheet to log water intake - something you will want to do before starting to treat so you can measure and know when he is drinking less.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3583

[rosie6510]

Thanks so much Leslie for all the info I am so GRATEFUL I found you guys!!! I will talk to my vet about the dose of a Lyso...& yes I do have the prednisone at home.. Hoping I will not have to use it.. I will keep you posted..

[molly muffin]

Looks like Leslie and Lori have gotten you off to a good start, so I just want to say hello and welcome to the forum.

What a little cutie you have there. :)