Feeling lost

[BKKylie]

Kylie is 10 and a German Shorthaired Pointer. This year she was diagnosed with a thyroid problem and then cushings disease. She also has arthritis, diagnosed in 2010. She currently takes phycox, vetoryl, soloxine and I'm starting her on glucosamine this week as well, we feed her Pro Plan weight management. After all that I don't feel like it's enough. Is there anything else we could be doing? I read coconut oil but I am unfamiliar with it. I just want to do anything possible for her. Her coat has started to fade and it's not as healthy looking. She has loss hair on her short little tail. I need validation that what we are doing is good or suggestions for something better. Thanks. Kylie's mom

[mytil]

Hi Kylie's mom,

Welcome to our site. It reads to me you are doing all you can for her. I would like to know is she having a lot of joint pain and seems to be feeling uncomfortable because of this. As the excess cortisol levels are lowered with the Vetoryl it does "unmask" underlying arthritic problems - cortisol acts to relieve joint pain. (You have heard of steroid shots for joint pain in humans - the same with dogs.)

How long has she been on Vetoryl and what is the dosage?

Regarding the coat issues --- it may take a while as the old fur is replaced with new fur over time and this new fur can sometimes be different (finer or coarser).

Know you are not alone as we are all here to help. Keep us posted

Terry

PS I have manually approved your membership so no need to answer the email.

[BKKylie]

She started vetoryl this summer by suggestion from A&M University vet clinic and our vet and was at 60mg. However, right before Christmas she was lowered to 30mg. Each time it's been one capsule a day. She doesn't really have pain or feel uncomfortable till we walk a lot on hard surfaces or she has been hunting but this is something that has always occurred. We just got back from knee deep snow in South Dakota and she actually did pretty well on pain and stiffness, human's jot so much. We live in Texas so not use to snow. The vet did recommend the glucosamine at 500mg a day since she has had a history of arthritis. We have noticed a new limp on her and before our hunting trip.
Kylie's mom

[BKKylie]

Anyone have suggestions on glucosamine usage and use of coconut oils? I also was wondering about diets for cushings dogs? One more thing...will she live longer than the 2yr mark? I've read most live about 2 yrs once they have been diagnosed. This can't be true fir all right??

[molly muffin]

I definitely use a join support and recommend it for any dog with cushings or just getting older, something like dasuquin with msm.
I haven't used the coconut oil as we have problems with my dog getting gastro upsets and I didn't want to introduce a new oil, when we are already taking an omega 3 for kidney support and ocu-glo for eye support.

As to whether or not a dog will live 2 years with cushings. The 2 year figure you hear so much about I think has more to do with dogs are generally diagnosed when they are older already. We've had dogs on treatment for 8 years here on the forum. Everything depends on the dog. Generally it is other age related illness that take a hard toll on the body. We monitor with senior profile, like cbc and urinalysis on a regular basis to catch anything that might come up.

There is also something like a shot you can get for arthritis in dogs, adequan shots I think it is called, if the glucosomine doesn't do enough. Some also do water therapy and acupuncture.

[BKKylie]

Kylie is coming up for her next vaccines. My question is... can she receive them or not with her thyroid and cushing meds? I just thought about it and nothing has been said at the vets. I want to make sure Kylie is safe. Has anyone had any bad reactions? Should she not get them and why?
Thanks Kylie's mom

[Harley PoMMom]

Vaccinations can be a hot topic as each person has their own opinion....so I will share mine ;) If a pet is unwell all vaccinations should be held off until the pet is feeling their normal self. So, if my pet had a thyroid issue along with Cushing's and neither one or both of those diseases are not under control than I would not vaccinate my pet.

I received a waiver for the rabies shot from my veterinarian for all my dogs; one had Cushing's, another had cancer, and the other dog had kidney disease, when they became diagnosed none of them received any vaccines.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) states:
However, AVMA recognizes some animals might require a waiver from rabies vaccination because the vaccination poses an unacceptably high risk to the health of the individual animal, or a waiver might be necessary for research purposes. If adequate steps can be taken to minimize the chance of exposure to rabies virus, the AVMA recommends that such animals be granted a waiver from mandatory rabies vaccination, upon recommendation of a licensed veterinarian and with the concurrence of the appropriate public health authorities. The attached "Model Annual Rabies Vaccination Waiver Form" may be used as a template for this purpose.

Here is the link to the AVMA site: https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Annual-Rabies-Vaccination-Waiver.aspx

Also here is a link to the AVMA site that lists the States and their respective laws: https://www.avma.org/Advocacy/StateAndLocal/Documents/Rabies_state_law_chart.pdf

Hugs, Lori

[labblab]

As Lori says, I would be hesitant about vaccinating a dog with uncontrolled Cushing's or any active acute illness (infection, etc.). However, if a Cushpup has been under treatment with cortisol levels within desired therapeutic ranges and has no other active acute illnesses, then I believe a vaccination decision should depend on the specific risks to which your dog is exposed due to geography and lifestyle. A dog with a history of chronic illness such as Cushing's may not be a good candidate for "live" vaccines due to an inability to muster a proper immunological response. But I believe rabies vaccines, for instance, are generally not live vaccines. You can ask your vet about the nature of other vaccines you are considering.

If a dog spends most of the time in the house away from other animals and does not live in an area where certain diseases are common, then re-vaccination for specific diseases may not be that crucial. But, for instance, my own Cushpup was a Lab who spent a lot of time outdoors exposed to other dogs, other animals including the possibility of wildlife, woodlands, and standing water (in an area where leptospirosis is common). Also, I live in Georgia where rabies is epidemic among wildlife. So we felt as though there were genuine risks in leaving him unvaccinated for several diseases.

Bottom line: I don't believe there is one single answer that covers all Cushpups. I think every dog's individual history and lifestyle needs to be considered when making vaccination decisions. I don't know whether this helps you any :o, but I encourage you to discuss the relative risks and benefits with your vet in arriving at your decision.

Marianne