Nancylynn
10-20-2016, 10:57 PM
I found you by doing a "search". I have been reading a Facebook support group for Cushings as I have been educating myself about the disease.
Ollie is a 11 year old Plott Hound. He was diagnosed with lymphoma 4 years ago this month. He began chemo asap, went into remission in January and finished chemo that May. Our local gp vet suspected lymphoma, her tests were all inconclusive so she referred us to her favorite oncologist at Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialists in Tampa, Dr Jennifer Coyle. They have been incredible, Ollie loves all of them and adores his visits.
As part of Ollie's ongoing oncology follow up, he visits every 4-8 weeks, has a battery of tests rotating each visit. He has a sonogram twice a year. In May it picked up an enlarged spleen which he had removed the next day...they sliced n diced and tested finding everything was cancer free, no tumors, etc.
He had a follow up scan in late September... everything was AOK except his adrenals were both enlarged. That precipiated(sp?) MORE blood work...Ollie has an extensive battery of tests including urine and blood at each visit, some more extensive every few months. So he had the shorter 2 hr test which came back inconclusive. Last week he had the 8 hour test which came back from Orlando iffy... or "gray" as his Internal Medicine doctor said.
Ollie seems to have read the Merick"s Manual on Cushings and began to develop symptoms. Up until then...his constant panting seemed normal. He has always emptied the water bowls and toilets (no chemical cleaners). BUT he has begun to pace... and to need to urinate every hour or so...and has had 2-3 accidents inside, unheard of in his 11 years. He is hungrier and hungrier.
Ollie tore his ACL last year. It was repaired using laser rather than surgery. He continues to love laser treatments weekly...loves loves loves them. It was his left rear... so when he limped or was a little gimpy, we didn't think alot of it.
BUT after finding the enlarged endocrine glands, and investigating and seeing Internal Medicine wonder, everyone has come to the conclusion that Ollie has Cushings. Dr Mears offered 2 suggestions - low dose meds or waiting another month and repeating blood work. He leans towards meds.
So today I drove into town to pick up a month's worth of VETORYL - 60 . He weighs right at 100 lbs.
My GP vet is relieved this is the drug chosen. She was leary about the others considering not a black and white blood work diagnosis. BUT we started out with the Gold Standard aka sonogram.
I do not have lab results to post. I can get them and want them for my files. We have been watching urine values for months due to high normal protein level which was low normal this month.
Ollie ate Merricks grain free duck kibble and Honest Kitchen mixture of fish and turkey. When he was diagnosed with lymphoma, we dropped the Merricks kibble and fed only HK. In January I dropped the fish and feed only the turkey.- We supplement it with boneless, skinless simmered chicken breasts, chopped n added. Use chunks as treats as well as Honest Kitchen's Pecks. That's it. Limited tightly.
Long saga...sorry.
I belong to a number of dog groups as over years have had disabled/gimpy dog,etc. Have dear friends from those groups. I didn't do any of this for the lymphoma... our oncologist is so incredible and her staff that I had all the support I needed from them, Blue Pearl and our local GP vet. It was and is a community build of expertise, love and kindness.
So here I am...grateful for what I have read here so far. You are positive, informed and supportive.
Yes, I know you would like lab reports. That will take some time, grin. I don't have them right now.
On another note, we just had Rambo kitty's thyroid treated with radioactive isotope 3 weeks ago. Dr Mears is an expert in this procedure. Rambo is doing beautifully !!! Gaining weight, eating and drinking...and the time period that his litter box is radioactive has passed. So if I seem a little quirky it is from over load.
Thank you !
Ollie is a 11 year old Plott Hound. He was diagnosed with lymphoma 4 years ago this month. He began chemo asap, went into remission in January and finished chemo that May. Our local gp vet suspected lymphoma, her tests were all inconclusive so she referred us to her favorite oncologist at Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialists in Tampa, Dr Jennifer Coyle. They have been incredible, Ollie loves all of them and adores his visits.
As part of Ollie's ongoing oncology follow up, he visits every 4-8 weeks, has a battery of tests rotating each visit. He has a sonogram twice a year. In May it picked up an enlarged spleen which he had removed the next day...they sliced n diced and tested finding everything was cancer free, no tumors, etc.
He had a follow up scan in late September... everything was AOK except his adrenals were both enlarged. That precipiated(sp?) MORE blood work...Ollie has an extensive battery of tests including urine and blood at each visit, some more extensive every few months. So he had the shorter 2 hr test which came back inconclusive. Last week he had the 8 hour test which came back from Orlando iffy... or "gray" as his Internal Medicine doctor said.
Ollie seems to have read the Merick"s Manual on Cushings and began to develop symptoms. Up until then...his constant panting seemed normal. He has always emptied the water bowls and toilets (no chemical cleaners). BUT he has begun to pace... and to need to urinate every hour or so...and has had 2-3 accidents inside, unheard of in his 11 years. He is hungrier and hungrier.
Ollie tore his ACL last year. It was repaired using laser rather than surgery. He continues to love laser treatments weekly...loves loves loves them. It was his left rear... so when he limped or was a little gimpy, we didn't think alot of it.
BUT after finding the enlarged endocrine glands, and investigating and seeing Internal Medicine wonder, everyone has come to the conclusion that Ollie has Cushings. Dr Mears offered 2 suggestions - low dose meds or waiting another month and repeating blood work. He leans towards meds.
So today I drove into town to pick up a month's worth of VETORYL - 60 . He weighs right at 100 lbs.
My GP vet is relieved this is the drug chosen. She was leary about the others considering not a black and white blood work diagnosis. BUT we started out with the Gold Standard aka sonogram.
I do not have lab results to post. I can get them and want them for my files. We have been watching urine values for months due to high normal protein level which was low normal this month.
Ollie ate Merricks grain free duck kibble and Honest Kitchen mixture of fish and turkey. When he was diagnosed with lymphoma, we dropped the Merricks kibble and fed only HK. In January I dropped the fish and feed only the turkey.- We supplement it with boneless, skinless simmered chicken breasts, chopped n added. Use chunks as treats as well as Honest Kitchen's Pecks. That's it. Limited tightly.
Long saga...sorry.
I belong to a number of dog groups as over years have had disabled/gimpy dog,etc. Have dear friends from those groups. I didn't do any of this for the lymphoma... our oncologist is so incredible and her staff that I had all the support I needed from them, Blue Pearl and our local GP vet. It was and is a community build of expertise, love and kindness.
So here I am...grateful for what I have read here so far. You are positive, informed and supportive.
Yes, I know you would like lab reports. That will take some time, grin. I don't have them right now.
On another note, we just had Rambo kitty's thyroid treated with radioactive isotope 3 weeks ago. Dr Mears is an expert in this procedure. Rambo is doing beautifully !!! Gaining weight, eating and drinking...and the time period that his litter box is radioactive has passed. So if I seem a little quirky it is from over load.
Thank you !