Beagle with Cushings

[Lyda12]

My 151/2 years old beagle Princess has been diagnosed with Cushing Disease a year ago, before that year she was treated for separation anxiety with Fluoxetine 10mg but it wasn't working then start drinking a lot and peeing more frecuently but she can still hold it for 3 to 4 hours, the vet decided to go with holistic treatment because of her age giving her HMR lignans 20mg once a day and melatonin 3mg twice a day, we have to wait a couple of months for the results. But it didn't help at all the only good thing is she was sleeping all through the night without waking up, but the pee and drinking continue more frecuently we were now every 2 hours and she start having accidents in the house.
She is obsessed with food and treats, she doesn't enjoy playing with her toys anymore and during her walks she just looking for poop to eat the vet said is kind of dementia, the mornings are more peaceful but the afternoon she gets desperate licking the carpet and follow me everywhere because she wants her food and that goes until close to 3pm after eating she goes to sleep for an hour and then start the licking and pacing because she wants her treat.
She also has 2 lumps that bleed all the time I put some silver nitrate for stop the bleeding last a couple of days and start again.
Her last blood test come back with liver problems her ALP was 401 and her ALT 289. Now the vet put her in Denamarin but we still have to wait if that works but I think everything is going worse.
This last two nights she has been wake in up every 2 or 3 hours I haven't sleep at all because I can hear her breathing very hard and I was affraid that she is going to stop breathing any minute. My husband keep saying is time but I feel is not time yet because she still eating and she goes by herself outside to pee and poop but of course I have to open the door and be in the house all the time if I leave is for a couple of hours during the morning, forget about leaving on the afternoons. My life have change completely I'm nervous all the time.
Please help me I don't know what to do, we don't have a life anymore and my husband said that Princess is not having a quality life either. She doesn't enjoy anything any more only her food.
I will really appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
Ana

[LeighHop]

Hey Ana -

I don't have and advice, just wanted to post some words of understanding and let you know someone is thinking of you in this difficult time.

My dog Finnegan is in the process of being diagnosed, so I'm very much in the learning stage with all of this Cushings stuff.

We lost our dear Beagle Bailey last year at 16. They were never able to determine exactly what was wrong with her. The worst symptom was terrible non-stop coughing. The only thing that would help was copious amounts of a narcotic, which just knocked her out completely.

It took a bit for my husband to realize she had no quality of life. We all come to these conclusions at different times. I wonder if you could let your husband know that you aren't quite there yet and will let him know when you feel the time is right. Maybe not talking about it would take a little of the pressure off?

I love my pets like people. But I tend to look at these things by putting myself in their shoes. If I would not want to be living like they are, I would feel it is a gift to send them off in a peaceful way. But I know that is just one way of looking at it and isn't the "right" way or the "wrong" way.

This is so hard... just know that you have given your sweet Beagle an amazing life and whatever decision you make is out of love and will be the right decision.

[DoxieMama]

Hi Ana, welcome to you and Princess. You are great pet parents, having her to 15-1/2 years old! I'm sorry that she is not doing well now, and it has changed your life so much lately too. You and your husband know Princess best, though I understand how difficult it can be when you do not agree what to do. We are in a similar place with our 14 year old; just living day to day, moment by moment sometimes. I spend as much time with my boy as I can, just being near him and loving him. That is what he seems to want most and I am happy that I can do that for him. There are days when it is more tiring and more difficult, as it does make a difference to my life also.

Sorry, I don't have answers for you. But I wanted you to know I understand, many of us here have been or are in a similar position. You know your girl best and you will do the best you can to care for her, and we will be here to support you no matter what happens.

Many hugs,
Shana

[dsbailey]

At this point would it be worth a shot starting a low dose of Trilostane or do you think the testing and stuff would be too much for him? :( :confused:

[judymaggie]

Welcome, Ana, to you and Princess! I am also owned by a beagle, Abbie, who is my second beagle with Cushing's.

I only have a moment to post now -- was looking for the following which talks a bit about quality of life in an older dog:




Quality of life is most important and that is especially true with our senior dogs. There are pros and cons in treating Cushing's. One of Administrators, Marianne, posted a reply to a member with a senior dog who was contemplating treatment and I want to share that with you:


Originally Posted by labblab
Dear Lisa,

Welcome to you and Pepper, and WOW you've done a great job of keeping your girl healthy and happy up to age 17! First off, even though folks here do give various supplements to support healthy body functioning, there are no nonprescription drugs that will address the root cause of Cushing's and lower cortisol sufficiently to control the disease. So it really will take treatment with either trilostane (or Lysodren, the other Rx option) to control the Cushing's, assuming it truly is the cause of her symptoms. Having said that, at age 17, you may want to consider pluses-and-minuses of Cushing's treatment before rushing in to treat Pepper.

Cushing's is typically a slowly progressive disease but it does have the potential to cause systemic damage over time (from high blood pressure, vulnerability to pancreatitis and infections, high cholesterol, kidney damage, liver inflammation, etc.). So for a younger dog, I'd certainly recommend effective treatment so as to eliminate some of these risks, improve longterm quality of life, and allow the dog to live out his/her normal lifespan. However, for a dog of Pepper's age, immediate quality of life issues seem of paramount importance to me. And there are some trade-offs to treatment, especially for an arthritic dog since the arthritis may actually worsen as the cortisol level drops, necessitating the introduction of additional drugs to better manage the discomfort. Also, especially at the beginning, there can be numerous vet visits and blood draws which can be less than pleasant for a dog who's nervous at the vet (and also hard on the owner's pocketbook ).

I don't tell you any of this to dissuade you from treating if you and your vet agree this is the best path forward for Pepper. But I do think you are the best judge as to how uncomfortable her current symptoms are to you both, and if they are not bothering Pepper all that much -- as I say, you may want to hold off on treating for the time being.

First things first, though -- as Lori says, it'll be great if we can take a look at those test results.

Marianne
I'm a firm believer in trusting one's own instincts so if your gut is saying no I completely understand your apprehensions. Only you know Remington best.

I will be back soon but wanted you to know that you are not alone in trying to decide if it is "time".

[Lyda12]

Hi Ana, welcome to you and Princess. You are great pet parents, having her to 15-1/2 years old! I'm sorry that she is not doing well now, and it has changed your life so much lately too. You and your husband know Princess best, though I understand how difficult it can be when you do not agree what to do. We are in a similar place with our 14 year old; just living day to day, moment by moment sometimes. I spend as much time with my boy as I can, just being near him and loving him. That is what he seems to want most and I am happy that I can do that for him. There are days when it is more tiring and more difficult, as it does make a difference to my life also.

Sorry, I don't have answers for you. But I wanted you to know I understand, many of us here have been or are in a similar position. You know your girl best and you will do the best you can to care for her, and we will be here to support you no matter what happens.

Many hugs,
Shana
Thank you Shana your advise is really helpful the problem is she doesn't like anymore to be near you, she use to sit in the sofa right next to you and now she won't do it and she doesn't like to be pet either.
I also have a doxie her name is Chiquita she is 15th years old and she is blind she was diagnosed 2 years ago with SARDS but other than her blindness she is healthy and she walks around the house and the back yard very good.

[Lyda12]

Welcome, Ana, to you and Princess! I am also owned by a beagle, Abbie, who is my second beagle with Cushing's.

I only have a moment to post now -- was looking for the following which talks a bit about quality of life in an older dog:




I will be back soon but wanted you to know that you are not alone in trying to decide if it is "time".

Thank Judy the post was very helpful and I agree not to put an older dog under the pressure of taking her to the vet for testing all the time. Princess start shaking every time she goes to the vet that is why I decided to keep her in holistic medicine and let her live in peace what ever time she has left.

[Lyda12]

Hey Ana -

I don't have and advice, just wanted to post some words of understanding and let you know someone is thinking of you in this difficult time.

My dog Finnegan is in the process of being diagnosed, so I'm very much in the learning stage with all of this Cushings stuff.

We lost our dear Beagle Bailey last year at 16. They were never able to determine exactly what was wrong with her. The worst symptom was terrible non-stop coughing. The only thing that would help was copious amounts of a narcotic, which just knocked her out completely.

It took a bit for my husband to realize she had no quality of life. We all come to these conclusions at different times. I wonder if you could let your husband know that you aren't quite there yet and will let him know when you feel the time is right. Maybe not talking about it would take a little of the pressure off?

I love my pets like people. But I tend to look at these things by putting myself in their shoes. If I would not want to be living like they are, I would feel it is a gift to send them off in a peaceful way. But I know that is just one way of looking at it and isn't the "right" way or the "wrong" way.

This is so hard... just know that you have given your sweet Beagle an amazing life and whatever decision you make is out of love and will be the right decision.

Thanks Leigh for your words and sorry for your lost of Bailey it's so hard when they have to go and you see them deteriorating every day, beagles are such intelligent dogs I also have a mini daschund she is blind since 2 years ago but other than that she is healthy and her blindness doesn't seem to bother her too much, she walks around the house and the back yard perfectly fine.

[molly muffin]

Hello. I just want to welcome you to the forum.
Many here on the forum have walked in your shoes and there is nothing easy about it. Having cushings dog changes your life, having a dog period changes your life and then when they get older, it changes again. It also changes for them.
Where they use to run and play and want to be near you and petted, now they don't. They don't feel great any more, or energetic. It is eat, sleep and poop/pee basically .
When the time comes I think you and your husband will both be on the same page, that is important. You need to be in accord on the decisions you make, because you need that support from each other. It's an awful hard time to go through.

Sending you big hugs!

[Lyda12]

Thank you Sharlene I know is a hard decision as you said and is great that I found this support pages they are a lot of help.