SOS: Frosty the maltese (9) may have Cushing's. Need help!

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi there,

My name is Kirsteen & my maltese (Frosty) aged 9 has been diagnosed with Cushings. We went in for pre-dental bloodwork in September. His ALKP was 529. The vet wasn't too concern at this point thinking it was due to his teeth & recommended a re-test in 2 weeks. The subsequent blood test showed ALKP was 385 u/l.

A bile acid test was then suggested & did. Preprandial 14 umol/L; Postprandial 19umol/L.

Our vet suggested either an ultrasound performed or we could start him on denosyl for a month to see if it would bring down his liver enzymes. We opted to try the denosyl as we had already done a ultrasound in 2014 & nothing was found. His blood test came back showing that the ALP had risen to 619 u/l while his ALT was 64 u/l.

My partner & me decided to have an ultrasound done for him. The sonographer found the nodule in his lymph notes unchanged but his both adrenal glands has enlarged.

A LDSS test was perform on Tuesday & we received a call on Wednesday confirming he has mild form of cushings. Our regular vet was not in that day & the vet on duty wants to start him on lysodren immediately. We have since made an appointment with our regular vet for this Saturday to discuss the next step to take. I will also ask for the LDSS results then.

Frosty is not exhibiting any of the classic Cushing's symptoms. He still drinks & normally. He waits patiently for me to let him out to the backyard in the morning for him to do his "businesses". He still loves to go for walks & gets really disappointed when we go for the shorter route instead of the long ones he loves. His hind legs are slightly weak but he has had that problem since he was a puppy. He regularly has to knock the left one back in place. He weighs approx 5.8kg/12.7 pounds. Only symptoms he seems to be showing is that there a brown spots all over his body. We previously brought him to the vet for this & was told allergic reaction to plants. He does scratch quite alot. I also noticed a bruise on the spot where the blood was drawn during the LDSS.

My question is should we have further testing conducted? We are planning to have a urinalysis done, as I noticed he has been licking his private parts really frequently. Hoping to get some feedback on this matter. All suggestions are welcome. :)

I am so happy to have found this forum. I need all the help I can get, dealing with a disease I no nothing about. I love him. He is my whole life basically. I can't imagine my life without him. I can't thank everyone on this forum enough. I have been running around like a headless chicken this past 3 months. This forum has been a god send. I now know I'm not alone in this battle & that I have an knowledgable army behind me.

Thank you & sending lotsa love to both the pups & you.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi Kristeen,

Welcome to you and Frosty! I'm assuming that your avatar is of him and what a cutie pie he is!! I definitely remember that lost and scared feeling when my Harley was diagnosed with Cushing's, trust me the more you learn about Cushing's the less scary it gets.

Yep, we do like to see all test results so when you get them post em right here, ok? Does Frosty have any underlying illness and if so what is it and what medication is he taking? Now, with Frosty not displaying strong Cushing's symptoms I would be less likely to start treatment. You see, the drugs used for Cushing's do not cure the disease instead they help control those bothersome Cushing's symptoms and get that elevated cortisol down to within the therapeutic ranges.

Cush dogs usually have a ravenous appetite which is needed when treating with Lysodren. A loading phase is the first part of the Lysodren protocol, during this phase you are looking for any sign of the dog being loaded. Generally a change in eating is the one noticed most and it could be really subtle sign such as the dog pausing for a sec before eating his meal. If a dog does not have strong symptoms than it is very difficult to judge how the Lysodren is working and this could be serious trouble for that dog. If Lysodren is given too long it can erode more of the adrenal gland than it should which can put a dog in a life threatening situation known as Addison's. The key to facilitating safe and effective treatment is an experienced vet and an educated pet owner, so the best advice I can give you is to do your research on Cushing's, the treatment protocols, and how it is diagnosed. With treatment dogs with Cushing's can have a good quality of life and there is every reason to believe that they can live out their normal life span.

I'm including some links to info regarding Cushing's: http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181

We understand that you are fearful but we will help you and your dear furbaby in any way we can, we will walk this journey with you, ok? I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here but so glad you found us.

Hugs, Lori

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi Harley PoMMom,

Thank you for welcoming me. :) Sorry for the late reply. I spent the whole night reading up on the other cases on this forum. I get bouts of optimism & also of intense panic & sadness. Yesterday was one of those days, when I really was in no mood to think about it anymore.

Yes, that is Mr.Frosty. Frosty thanks you for your compliment. :)

We just got back from the vet this morning & our regular vet confirms that Frosty is showing clear positive signs of Cushing's. She recommends starting him on 10 mg Vetoryl.

ENDOCRINOLOGY.

*Cortisol Baseline- 265/L 15-170ml

*Cortisol 4 hr post LDSS 32 nmol/L

*Cortisol 8 hr post LDSS 46 nmol/L


Post time 1: 4 hours
Post time 2: 8 hours

His symptoms are steadily rising ALKP with no rise in ALT. Thin coat & rats tail developing.

He is generally a healthy dog who before a year ago never had to go in to the vet for more than a yearly vaccination & general check. He is not on any medication. He does suffer from luxating patella since he was a pup. Regularly has to knock his left back paw back into place.

An ACTH was perform this morning & results will be back next week.

Please bare with me as I post all of his medical history reports, as I'm still getting the hang of the terminology. :) Thank you!

[FrostyKhoo]

BLOOD TEST (18 June 2014 08.38)


*HCT 57.7% 37.0-55 HIGH

*HGB 19.2 g/dL 12.0-18.0 HIGH

*EOS ~3.27 x10^9/L 0.50-1.50 HIGH

*ALKP 422 U/L 23-212 HIGH

BLOOD TEST (17 FEBRUARY 2015)


*HCT 60.1%

*HGB 19.3 g/DL

*PLT 565 K/ul

*ALKP 344 u/l

BLOOD TEST (15 SEPTEMBER 2015)


*HCT 57.1% HIGH

*HGB 18.6 g/dL HIGH

*RDW 14.7% LOW

*ALKP 529 U/L

BLOOD TEST (3 OCTOBER 2015)


*HGB 18.6 g/dL HIGH

*ALKP 385 U/L

BLOOD TEST (17 NOVEMBER 2015)

*ALKP 619 U/L

[FrostyKhoo]

BILE ACID TEST (20 OCTOBER 2015)

Preprandial: 14 umol/L

Postprandial: 19 umol/L

<12 umol/L-Normal; consistent with sufficient hepatic function

12-25 umol/L-Equivocal; retest at a later time if hepatic dysfunction is still a concern

>25 umol/L- Consistent with decreased hepatic function.

[LauraA]

Hi Kirsteen and Frosty :) Just want to welcome you both and say that Cushing's can be controlled and Frosty can happily live out his normal life span. My girl has a luxating patella as well and also a heart murmur and some kidney problems. Despite this she has been doing really well on the Trilostane (which is the same as Vetoryl) for over 2 years. It really has given her back such a good quality of life. She regained a lot of strength in her back legs and happily still does 2 walks a day, her skin has cleared up immensely although in winter she is still prone to rashes, she has never been a big eater even before her diagnosis so her weight has always been about the same. Sure she is old now and has some of the normal old age stuff dogs get as she is 12 1/2, don't we all hehe. So hopefully Frosty will be in that majority that does really well on the drug and once you get through the first couple of weeks on the Vetoryl you will find you will start to stress less about the disease. I remember feeling the same way as you at the beginning and many tears were shed.

It also helps that this forum is filled with some knowledgeable, caring and compassionate people that are more than willing to go that extra step in helping you out. You and Frosty are definitely in the right place.

[FrostyKhoo]

ULTRASOUND REPORT

Today's study is compared to study 24.7.2014 which represents a 16 month re-evaluation period. Steadily rising ALKP with no rise in ALT. Thin coat & rats tail developing.

Measurement Comments
L Kidney 3.59cm Occasional tiny mineralised foci throughout cortex, otherwise unremarkable

L Adrenal 0.61cm (previously 0.45cm) Increased in size. Upper limits of the normal range.

R Adrenal 0.77cm (previously 0.56cm) Increased in size. Mildly smoothly enlarged.

Spleen Normal: No Comments: Subtle hypoechoic nodule previously demonstrated has increased slightly in size from 0.49cm to 0.65cm. Still not associated with any capsular distortion. Spleen remains otherwise unremarkable.

Liver Normal: No Comments: Very mild hyperechoic diffuse parenchymal change demonstrated. No significant focal parenchymal change demonstrated. Capsular margins remain smooth & relatively sharp.

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi Laura,

Thank your for your kind words. :) Your little ones are adorable!

Frosty will be glad to hear that as he has been having trouble with his hind legs & has been ordered by the vet to be on bed rest for the next week or so. Ageing is such a pain isn't it? haha.

Here's hoping he will be as good as your girl on Trilostane. Is there anything specific that I have to keep any eye on when he first starts on the medication? Frosty still eats & drinks the normal amount. Is the dosage recommended correct as well? How much did she start on with? Sorry for the amount of questions! haha. Just want to be sure my vet is on the ball with the dosage.

I'm very grateful for you & everyone else on this forum. My partner is really grateful as well. He has been reading up on the disease too! Thank you! <3

[LauraA]

10mg is fine to start on, much better to go low and slow than have an overdose :) My girl is 7kg and is on 30mg once a day. It really is important to do the ACTH Stim test around the 10-14 day mark as this way you can tell if the cortisol is too low. If so then the dose should be reduced, if not then you shouldn't adjust the dose as the cortisol will continue to lower for some time. I know even after 4 months Bulgers kept decreasing on the same dose. Around the 30 day mark you should have another test and then if you need to increase the dose you can.

Thinks to look out for are lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, trouble getting up, vomiting - and I am sure others will jump in with everything else I have missed :)

Also the tests should be done withing 4-6 hours of taking the meds which should be given with food. That is why it is best to give the meds in the morning with their breakfast. After you get the dose tweaked correctly you can then go to 3-6 monthly testing which is a relief on the wallet.

Questions are great!! Always good to ask :) And it is such a shock at the start, I didn't know if my girl would make it even though my vet was going she will be fine once we get everything under control lol. She also had protein loss in her urine but luckily after about 5-6 months it all returned to normal since she wasn't pumping all that cortisol around her little body.

With her luxating patella we give her tramadol as NSAIDS are generally a no no for Cushing pups. They are really hard on their livers.

Oh and I see you are another Aussie :D I am in Perth!

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi Laura.

Awesome, good to hear from another Aussie (even though its not under the best circumstances :) How's the weather in Perth these days?

I'll be watching him like a hawk when he starts his medication. Will be starting him as soon as his ACTH results return. We also decided to have an urinalysis done, as I noticed he has been licking himself pretty frequently this couple of weeks. Just wanna rule out, him having a UTI too.

Thank you so much for your help. :) Will be a nervous wreck this couple of weeks but with everyone else's help, it will hopefully be bearable for Frosty.

[LauraA]

Weather is weird here in the West, gone from stinking hot days to rain and jumper weather!! Won't last long though I am sure, be back into air con weather by the weekend :)

I hear you about watching them like a Hawk. My first two weeks I was stalking my girl, she couldn't even go for a toilet break in peace. Once I got the first test results back I finally relaxed a bit. Oh and the joy at that first night we got to sleep through and she didn't wet herself was pure bliss.

[molly muffin]

When do you get the ACTH test results back? Yes all indicators seem to say cushings. The 1mg per 1lb starting is good place to start.

Hoping to hear the ACTH results soon.

[FrostyKhoo]

Yeah, the weather here in Brisbane is pretty much the same. It was pretty chilly this morning, weird considering its summer.

Haha. Think that will be me in the next couple of weeks. I'll be his personal shadow. He'll probably be annoyed with me, invading his personal space & all. :)

Hi Molly Muffin, I just got a called from our vet & the ACTH results came back as normal. :confused: Is this normal? Our vet says that starting him on the 10mg, should be the next step. I will get a copy of the results later when I go pick up his medication.

[molly muffin]

What does he mean the ACTH came back in as normal and he wants to start 10mg of vetroyl. That is weird. Did you or can you get the actual pre and post result of the ACTH test?

[FrostyKhoo]

What does he mean the ACTH came back in as normal and he wants to start 10mg of vetroyl. That is weird. Did you or can you get the actual pre and post result of the ACTH test?

She said it came back normal, but seeing that his LDSS test came back as a clear positive & that the ultrasound showed both adrenal glands enlarged. She still would like to start him on 10 mg of Vetroyl. Should I maybe not start him on the medication yet? Yeap, I will pop by the vet to get a copy of the results.

[Harley PoMMom]

What symptoms of Cushing's is Frosty showing?

[FrostyKhoo]

What symptoms of Cushing's is Frosty showing?

Hi there,

The symptoms he is showing is:

*Thin skin, bruises easily.

*Hair loss on tail & elbow.

* Some weakness in back legs( but it could be due to his luxating patella as well).

Otherwise he is drinking & eating normally. Not showing other classic Cushing's symptoms.

[FrostyKhoo]

I have just returned from the vet with a copy of Frosty's ACTH test.

*Cortisol resting: 133 nmol/L (Reference 15-170 nmol/L)

*Cortisol 1st post: 342 nmol/L

1st post dose time 1 hours

Normal dog:

Post-ACTH cortisol: 170-470 nmol/L

hyperA:
Post-ACTH cortisol > 600 nmol/L consistent with hyperA
Post-ACTH cortisol 470-600 nmol/L equivocal

Should I start Frosty on the Vetoryl? Or should I have further test conducted on Frosty to be sure? Please help! Our vet seems pretty adamant to start him on the medication. We need all of your expert opinions on this matter. Thank you~

[lulusmom]

Hi Kirsteen and a belated welcome to you and Frosty.

I have an affinity for Maltese and have shared a good part of my life with several. I am Malteseless at the moment and must admit that I'm ready for another baby. I also adore Pomeranians and the last two Poms in my life had cushing's, which is how I ended up here. My two Maltese boys didn't have cushing's....they had chronic heart failure and collapsed tracheas. I am and always have been a medically challenged dog magnet. :)

Thank you so much for posting all of Frosty's test results! We love lots of information. I think your vet is doing a very comprehensive job of testing and am pleasantly surprised that he has opted to do an acth stimulation test before starting treatment. What I am concerned about is the choice of Lysodren for treatment. Lysodren is a drug that should not be given to a dog who is not overtly symptomatic. It doesn't appear that Frosty has an increased appetite or excessive peeing and drinking and it is those symptoms that are your gauge in determining when to stop the loading dose of Lysodren. Without those symptoms to guide you, you could overdose Frosty. With so few symptoms, a borderline LDDS and mild changes in adrenal gland and liver on imaging, I personally wouldn't be in a big hurry to start treatment but if I was so inclined, I would opt to treat with Vetoryl (Trilostane).

I have included a link below to Lysodren Loading Instructions and related tips which can be found in our Helpful Resources section. We always recommend that members who choose to treat with Lysodren print those instructions out so they are handy during the loading phase. I think once you read this reference, you might have a better understanding of my concerns with your vet's choice of treatment.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=181

I look forward to seeing the results of the acth stimulation test and no matter how you choose to proceed, just know that we'll be here with you every step of the way.

Glynda

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi Glynda,

I love Pomeranians too! My childhood pet was a pom. Aren't they the best? Mine was one of the bravest & most loyal dog, I ever had the pleasure of knowing. Don't say that, your next dog will be super healthy & have no problems what so ever! :)

She has since suggested we start him on 10mg Vetoryl. My question is how will I monitor his cortisol levels since his ACTH came back as normal? I am quite hesitant to start him on the medication as he not showing too severe symptoms but our vet is pretty adamant that we should start the treatment immediately. My partner & me have lots to talk about. Thank you for opinion! I really needed it. :)

Kirsteen

[lulusmom]

Kirsteen,

It took me so long to finish typing in between interruptions, I didn't see the acth stimulation test results you posted. I'm so glad I saw it because those results are completely normal. For those members who are accustomed to seeing these results in ug dl, the conversion is pre 4.8 and post 12.4. This is absolutely not consistent with cushing's which raises more doubt about the diagnosis. Frosty could very well have cushing's and start experiencing the symptoms that are commonly associated with the disease and if Frosty were my dog, I would not start treatment until I saw those symptoms. That's just my opinion and I hope others will be by to weigh in and share their opinion as well. In the meantime, just know that you have very legitimate concerns about starting treatment. You should call your vet and ask why s/he is so adamant about starting treatment when Frosty's acth stimulation test says his cortisol levels are normal.

Glynda

[FrostyKhoo]

Glynda,

I gave my vet a call & she said that his LDDS results were clear positive indicators of Cushing's, as well as the ultrasound results. I think I might have to go to another vet for a second opinion, maybe one more well versed in Cushing's.

That raise alarms for me as well, when she told me over the phone that his ACTH results came back as normal. I will discuss this with my partner when he comes back home later in the evening. Thanks again! At least, I know my concerns are justified.

Kirsteen

[labblab]

Hi Kirsteen, I'm so glad Glynda had the chance to convey her thoughts and concerns about beginning treatment with Frosty. By the time you read this, you may already have spoken to your vet again. But here are a few more thoughts to add into the mix.

As you already know only too well, there is no single definitive test for Cushing's. The diagnosis is made based upon considering the preponderance of the evidence (that's a legal phrase here in the U.S., but it works pretty well in this discussion, too ;)). How many factors point to Cushing's, how many factors do not?

The LDDS test and the ACTH stimulation test have different strengths and weaknesses, and on occasion, the tests will give opposing results. So the challenge is to decide which result to rely upon when the tests differ. As we know, Frosty has a positive LDDS and a negative ACTH.

Your vet appears to be relying on the fact that The ACTH is more likely to give a "false negative" even when a dog truly has Cushing's. However, the flip side of the coin is that the LDDS is more likely to give a "false positive" when something other than Cushing's is affecting cortisol production. So in a situation of conflicting test results, my own thought is that you really have to scrutinize the symptom constellation in order to see which of the scenarios is most likely. Are there enough conventional Cushing's symptoms to lead us to believe that the ACTH is a false negative? Or are there so few conventional Cushing's symptoms that we question whether the LDDS is instead a false positive, and that something else is causing the elevated liver values and the enlarged adrenals?

Cushing's is typically a slowly progressing, chronic condition. It may be the case that Frosty is in the early stages, and I do realize that there can be obvious advantages to halting the progression of the disease prior to the onset of serious systemic damage. But at this point, I would be cautious about rushing into treatment with so little evidence that Frosty's abnormalities are truly the result of Cushing's. If he were mine, I'd want to wait for at least a couple of months, and retest again to see whether the lab abnormalities persist while watching for the emergence of any overt symptoms. I'd want more proof that he really has Cushing's before I'd launch into treatment.

Marianne

[molly muffin]

I personally am not inclined to treat if cortisol production (ACTH) is within normal limits as yours are.

See, the ACTH you take the base of what is circulating within the body, then the injection causes the adrenal glands to squeeze out whatever they have made into the body and then you check to see how much is there. Like a sponge being squeezed. Frosty's adrenals didn't have an excessive amount stored in them.

The LDDS test, take a base of how much cortisol is in the body then the injection is given that tells the adrenal glands to not make any more cortisol that enough is there. Then you check at 4 hours and 8 hours to see if the adrenal glands listened and didn't make any more cortisol.

That is sort of the lay mans definition of what the two tests do and what they are checking for.

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi Kirsteen, I'm so glad Glynda had the chance to convey her thoughts and concerns about beginning treatment with Frosty. By the time you read this, you may already have spoken to your vet again. But here are a few more thoughts to add into the mix.

As you already know only too well, there is no single definitive test for Cushing's. The diagnosis is made based upon considering the preponderance of the evidence (that's a legal phrase here in the U.S., but it works pretty well in this discussion, too ;)). How many factors point to Cushing's, how many factors do not?

The LDDS test and the ACTH stimulation test have different strengths and weaknesses, and on occasion, the tests will give opposing results. So the challenge is to decide which result to rely upon when the tests differ. As we know, Frosty has a positive LDDS and a negative ACTH.

Your vet appears to be relying on the fact that The ACTH is more likely to give a "false negative" even when a dog truly has Cushing's. However, the flip side of the coin is that the LDDS is more likely to give a "false positive" when something other than Cushing's is affecting cortisol production. So in a situation of conflicting test results, my own thought is that you really have to scrutinize the symptom constellation in order to see which of the scenarios is most likely. Are there enough conventional Cushing's symptoms to lead us to believe that the ACTH is a false negative? Or are there so few conventional Cushing's symptoms that we question whether the LDDS is instead a false positive, and that something else is causing the elevated liver values and the enlarged adrenals?

Cushing's is typically a slowly progressing, chronic condition. It may be the case that Frosty is in the early stages, and I do realize that there can be obvious advantages to halting the progression of the disease prior to the onset of serious systemic damage. But at this point, I would be cautious about rushing into treatment with so little evidence that Frosty's abnormalities are truly the result of Cushing's. If he were mine, I'd want to wait for at least a couple of months, and retest again to see whether the lab abnormalities persist while watching for the emergence of any overt symptoms. I'd want more proof that he really has Cushing's before I'd launch into treatment.

Marianne

Hi Marianne,

Thank you for your advice. We have taken all of your advice & opinions into consideration and have decided to hold off on starting Frosty on the medication. We will continue to monitor him for more overt signs. :)

Do any of you have any ideas what other illness can it be, if not Cushing's? He also has been scratching a lot, can it be allergies causing his fur loss?

Kirsteen

[FrostyKhoo]

I personally am not inclined to treat if cortisol production (ACTH) is within normal limits as yours are.

See, the ACTH you take the base of what is circulating within the body, then the injection causes the adrenal glands to squeeze out whatever they have made into the body and then you check to see how much is there. Like a sponge being squeezed. Frosty's adrenals didn't have an excessive amount stored in them.

The LDDS test, take a base of how much cortisol is in the body then the injection is given that tells the adrenal glands to not make any more cortisol that enough is there. Then you check at 4 hours and 8 hours to see if the adrenal glands listened and didn't make any more cortisol.

That is sort of the lay mans definition of what the two tests do and what they are checking for.

Hi Molly Muffin,

Thank you for the clarification. I really needed that & I now know the what the two tests are. Haha. My mind was spinning from the websites.

We have decided to just keep monitoring him & not start him on the Vetoryl. We would like to thank all of you for your valuable input on Frosty. :)

Would you have any idea, what other illness might cause his symptoms, if not Cushing's?

Kirsteen

[molly muffin]

Any chance you can get a consult to a doggie dermatologist? I'd suggest a biopsy of the fur loss area. There are some bacterial infections that will cause this and a biopsy can determine if that is a factor or not. In the mean time while waiting for that, I would get an antibacterial spray and use that (you can order one for dogs off amazon.com) Bath him in the an antibacterial shampoo, cut the hair around the area and keep it clean and dry.

Allergies are certainly another possibility, whether it be food or environmental. Some are genetically predisposed such as Pomeranian.

Yes I totally understand how confusing the tests can be and reading the medical terminology of what, why can be even more daunting. It was for me, so that is why I came up with a simple way in my head to explain it. LOL I like straight and simple obviously.

[FrostyKhoo]

Sharlene & Molly Muffin,

I will get a referral from my vet to see a doggie dermatologist. Good suggestion on the antibacterial spray! Why didin't I think of it before? Frosty has been using an antibacterial shampoo & I have been using a mix of apple cider vinegar+water to wipe down his paws & the hair loss area after he comes back from walks.

Will just like to get this check out & make it less itchy for him. :) Does Molly suffer from this as well?

You have made it so much easier to understand what it is all about. I kept on googling & reading about it but it was really hard & confusing to understand. I'll be sure to share this with my partner too! Thank you again!

[molly muffin]

No molly doesn't have the spots and areas, but we've had several dogs on here who have had various conditions, some cushings related, some not.
Molly has the thinning hair associated with high cortisol. So she has lost her undercoat for the most part, but has plenty of her outter coat, although the tail has always been a bit ratty compared to most of her breed.

TrizCHLOR spray or Vetericyn have both been used by members.

[FrostyKhoo]

Hi there,

Good for Molly! :) I have just started ruling out the cause of Frosty's worsening hair loss. The area of hair loss is getting larger. :/ We are afraid it could be mites as we are currently taking care of my partner's sister Westie. He seems to be always scratching & bitting himself. *Crosses fingers that it's not it*

Can I also get all of your opinions on this particular food brand, ZiwiPeak? What are your thoughts on it? Will be it okay/good to feed it to Frosty? Or is the fat content too high?

http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-dog-food-ziwipeak-daily-dog-air-dried-cuisine/

"New Zealand’s premium quality, pastured, grass-fed venison is a superb protein source for dogs. It’s highly digestible with plenty of connective tissue and high levels of natural chondroitin and glucosamine to support long-term mobility and joint health. Pouches are 11lb (5kg), 5.5lb (2.5kg), 2.2lb (1kg) and 16oz (454g).

ZiwiPeak air-dried Venison is particularly suitable for:

Dogs that have exhibited skin and coat problems in the past.
Dogs that have suffered from allergic reactions to other protein sources, grains or other meats.
Dogs that suffer from restricted mobility or who have joint issues.
Dogs that are requiring a stricter weight control programme.
Dogs that suffer from digestion issues.
Dogs that suffer from Renal issues such as; chronic renal failure, urinary crystals, kidney failure, pancreatitis, IBS & IBD."

[FrostyKhoo]

Hello everyone!

Here's hoping it will be a great week ahead for everyone & for all the pups as well. :)

Has any of your babies shown fur loss on the eye area? Frosty is losing fur on the top of his right eye. Is it a sign of Cushing's or can it be mites causing this? Allergies? He is not scratching or pawing at it. There are no scabs, redness around it, just his normal skin colour.

We can only see the dermatologist next week, as he is fully booked. Should I make a trip to my vet for temporary help?

We have been bathing him every 3 days with antibacterial shampoo & antifungal lotion twice a day.

[Harley PoMMom]

The ZiwiPeak does look like a good quality dog food, the dogfoodadvisor gives it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, however it does contain a far amount of fat and it seems that dogfoodadvisor could not get any straight answers from this company about their dog food. Excerpt from dogfoodadvisor:
Unfortunately, in conducting our research — and on more than one occasion — our communications with this company’s management proved to be frustrating.

When we asked questions, the owners treated us with an attitude of discourtesy and arrogance entirely inconsistent with our passion for transparency — one of nine important rules for identifying a quality pet food company.

For this reason, we recommend dog owners who value customer support and brand trust consider our troubling experience when thinking about the purchase of this product.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/ziwipeak-dog-food-dehydrated/

Regarding the hair loss around Frosty's eyes, I'm not that familiar with this so I googled and found that Demodicosis can cause loss of hair around the eyes and among other areas of the body.

If this is not making him scratch or uncomfortable I believe I would wait to see the dermatologist for the hair loss issue.

Keep us updated ;)

Hugs, Lori