Spencer

[Jenice]

Hi my dog Spencer just got diagnosed with Cushings. He is 11 years old. He constantly pants, drinks, eats, pees..... My problem is that I have no money to treat him. I just underwent surgery for a pituitary tumor. And financially things have been bad. So I am wanting to know should I put him down? Is he suffering because he has no relief of his symptoms? This is a horrible situation to be in because I love him so much but I want to do the right thing. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Squirt's Mom]

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[Squirt's Mom]

Hi and welcome to you and Spencer!

I am sorry to hear about your own situation and hope your recovery is going well.

Most of the time, the problems caused by Cushing's are harder for the human to handle than it is for the dog. ;) If the things you mention, peeing, etc., are all that you are seeing then Spencer probably isn't as bothered by those things as you are.:) So I don't think he's suffering, honey.

If you don't mind, could you get copies of the actual test results that diagnosed the Cushing's? Any lab work, ultrasounds, etc. Thanks! That will help us help you a great deal.

You said he is 11- what breed is he? Does he have any other health issues that you know of? Is he on any meds, herbs, supplements?

For right now, I would put the idea of letting Spencer go of my mind and just love him. There may be other options so don't lose hope just yet. I'm sure others will be along soon so get those test results and chat with us for a while then you will have a better idea of what you need to do, if anything. Just take a deep breath and try to relax a bit. You have found the very best place to be to talk this out. You and Spencer are now family and we will do all we can to help you learn, to support you, to listen.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

PS - we have a thread in our Helpful Resource section that lists some places that offer financial aid for animals. You may find some assistance and/or ideas for raising funds here - http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212

[DoxieMama]

Hello and welcome from me, too. As Leslie said, generally the symptoms of Cushing's are more bothersome for us than it is for the dog. I am not currently treating my pup right now due to other issues, but do what I can to support him and keep those symptoms less of an issue for him... making sure he has access to fresh water all the time, can get outside (for less accidents in the home when possible), feeding him lots of veggies to help curb that hunger, etc. I also make it a point to take him on walks when he wants to go, sit with him and give him plenty of attention and love for as much as he'll let me. ;)

Hang in there... you're not alone.

Shana

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome. Definitely check out the financial page that Leslie gave you a link to.
Yes posting the lab results and what test was used to diagnose the cushings could be a big help to.
Also you can get compounded trilostane, vs the name brand vetroyl at a much cheaper price than the name brand. Diamondback is a good one to use and you can call them (just google Diamondback pharmacy) and they will give you a price. Trilostane should be started at no more than 1mg per pound. So that will give you an idea of what to ask them price on a dosage for.

Also talk to your vet about how you could do follow up testing on a payment plan perhaps, or there is Care Credit which members have also used.

I'm just trying to throw some ideas out for you to think about.

As the others said, it is more bothersome to us humans than it is to the dogs. (they symptoms)