Cushings & Diabetes Insipidus Link?

[jentaylor1015]

My dog Lily has been treating with Vetoryl for Cushings for almost 3 years now. Recently, after many tests, our vet has determined she has diabetes insipidus in addition to Cushings. He said it is only the second diabetes insipidus case he has seen in 18 years (and the other dog had Cushings also). Obviously we believe they are somehow related to the tumor on her pituitary which also causes the Cushings. Has anyone else experienced DI on top of dealing with Cushings? We've started her on Desmopressin and it appears to be helping somewhat. I need coping strategies. I'm sad, stressed and angry that my poor girl has DI on top of Cushings. She is a 10 old basset mix.

[dsbailey]

Hi JenTaylor,

I'm fairly new to this group but have seen it discussed before. I'm sure someone very knowledgeable will be along shorty and have lots of questions and answers for you.

I just wanted to say Welcome.

Darrell and Lolita :)

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Lily!

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.


I'm at work so unfortunately this post has to be short :(:o I believe there is a link between DI and Cushing's. I'm providing a link to a member's thread whose dog had both issues, this is an old thread but I think you will find relevant information: http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352&highlight=Diabetes+Insipidus

I'll try to get back later with some thoughts, hang in there!

Hugs, Lori

[Wally P's Mom]

Hello:

As I write this, I look at the calendar and it is 27minutes short of 10 months since I lost my Fritz at the age of 16.5 years.

Fritz, about 3 years prior to his death, was diagnosed with diabetes. The diabetes was not controlled very well until he was diagnosed a month later with Cushings. During this period, I was upset and depressed. I walked down the dog treat aisle looking at all the things my dog could no longer eat. Looking at the toys he wouldn't be able to see because we were told he could loose his vision overnight. I felt like the world had ended. It didn't end, it just changed.

Instead of buying toys and treats, we bought Fritz a Bose radio. Sound in every room all the time. I bought a calendar and documented everything. How much he ate and what, amount of water drank, medication and BG readings and units of insulin. My life revolved around Fritz.

Eventually he flipped to Addisons and I knew this before it showed up in his ATCH test but by the amount of water consumed. Medications were easier after this. Life was going on. He pulled something in his back and neck and while we treating that the pituitary tumor took control. One night his head turned 90 degrees and never went back to its original position. We released him less than 12 hours later at our vets office.

Based upon his age and health, it was the right thing to do. Fritz never suffered. He traveled with us and was active all the way up to his head turn. I forgot about the tumor aspect early on (and so did the vet). In the end, I am glad we did because it gave us roughly 3 more years together.

You know your dog. I knew Fritz. He was a fighter. I assume yours is too. In the end, you and your dog will know when. Until then, live life with your dog and make each day count. Don't waste your time worrying about things you can't change. Roll with the punches.

I know my story is a sad one, but in between we had a lot of happy times together.

Wishing you peace.
Marge and her Angel, Fritz

[Joan2517]

That is the way to do it...enjoy them each and every day. Sometimes you just have do whatever it takes to make their lives easier until it is time to say goodbye. I wish I had spent more time like that with Lena, instead of obsessing over medication, watching for side effects and vet visits for blood work.

[labblab]

Hello and welcome from me, too! I will try to find some research citations to support the link, but yes, I do think that the pituitary tumors that cause Cushing's can also result in the development of Diabetes Insipidus. For our many readers, I just want to stress that this condition is entirely different from the much more common Diabetes Mellitus which results from elevated glucose levels. Marge has just written a sweet note about her Fritz, but just to clarify, he suffered from Diabetes Mellitus. So the complications she is describing such as vision loss and also the dietary restrictions would not pertain to a dog with D.I. But the loving care is universal. :o

Anyway, back to D.I. Yes, we've actually seen a number of dogs with this condition here. And once properly treated with Desmopressin, the symptoms do indeed come under good control and no longer present problems. So we have every reason to believe this will be the case with Lily and that her behavior will be normalized. But as I say, I'll try to come back and add some more research later.

Marianne

[labblab]

OK, I'm back again, and here's a link to a scholarly abstract that discusses the fact that Cushing's and D.I. can both be caused by certain pituitary tumors in dogs. Far more dogs exhibit Cushing's alone, but as I say, we've seen a fair number of dogs here who also had D.I. throughout the years. The diagnosis is often the biggest hurdle, though. Once D.I. is known and treatment is underway, the path ahead is pretty straightforward. Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1653468

We'd love to hear more about Lily, though. How has she been doing during these three years of Vetoryl treatment? I'm guessing the excessive thirst and urination must have remained a problem -- hence the diagnostic search associated with D.I.?

Marianne