New to this. Could use some help

[Stan]

Hi, This is my first time here. Our 12.5 year old Golden Retriever, Charlie, had blood work done at our Vet. We were told he may have Cushings. He doesn't have the physical signs. But, he does pant. And, mostly when we're eating and he wants some.
His urination seems normal to me. He goes out 3-4 times a day. Never had an accident.
We'll be bringing him to a specialist for testing. In the meantime, I read that he should be on a high-protein, grain free diet. We were looking into Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost. And, adding some of their canned food. We were feeding him California Natural Lamb & Rice Weight Management.
He's got a couple of other issues going on but, we hope we can control them.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank!

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Charlie!

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. ;)

Could you get copies of all tests that were done on Charlie and post those values that are marked abnormal with the normal reference ranges?

The drugs used to treat Cushing's do not cure it, they are given to help abate the bothersome symptoms and lower the excessive amount of cortisol their body is producing. If Charlie is not showing obvious Cushing's symptoms and if the only thing/s that are elevated are from a Chemistry/CBC blood panel I see no reason to start treatment.

Regarding the diet; there really isn't a "set" diet, a diet needs to be tailored to that individual dog's needs and health issues. However, dogs with Cushing's do lose muscle mass so their feed should have a high quality protein.

I see that you mentioned that he has other health issues, what are they and what medication/s is he taking?

I'm sorry that this post is so short as I am at work :eek: but I am sure the others will be along to share their advice and support. ;)

Hugs, Lori

[judymaggie]

Hi, Stan -- welcome to you and Charlie! Lori has asked for lots of info but the information will help us immensely in offering our best guidance to you. Since Charlie is not showing any symptoms, it may be that he is in the very early stages of a diagnosis. Cushing's is a disease that progresses very, very slowly. We have many members who are monitoring their dogs' status due to lack of symptoms and/or inconclusive test results.

Here is a link to our Resources Forum where you can find extensive information about Cushing's, including diagnosis and treatment options:

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10

Looking forward to learning more about Charlie!

[Whiskey's Mom]

Hi! We are one of the members Judy refers to in the above post. Whiskey is a Golden Retriever who will be 14 next month.:) I have stopped treating his Possible Cushings, and he is doing fine. Looking back, I have doubts as to whether his diagnosis was correct. Like Charlie, he also pants when we're eating, and he ALWAYS wants some! We had feeding problems while he was on Vetoryl, so we changed his food several times and now his appetite is as it should be. From personal experience, I urge you to be careful treating him with Cushing's meds. We watched Whiskey very closely, and thought what was happening was due to age. When I stopped the meds, he became himself again. His initial symptoms weren't that bad, but to us they seemed serious because he had never been sick before. For now, we are watching and waiting, but Whiskey is happy and seems to feel well. I am forever greatful for this Forum, and I hope you find answers here.
Annie & Whiskey

[Stan]

Thanks all for your info. We see the specialist in a week. We will not be too aggressive with any treatment. I don't want to put him through anything stressful.

Charlie's other issues all came up at the same visit to our vet.
On his ear, he's got a small Mast cell neoplasia with mild mixed inflammation.

On his hind leg, near the ankle he's got, what may be, a Spindle Cell tumor. We thought it was just one of the usual fatty deposits he's had.

The poor guy has been through a lot.
A few years ago he had his spleen removed. They found a softball size tumor. A friend recommended against a puncture biopsy. The doctor agreed and said it's better to do remove the spleen.
The tumor turned out to be a huge hematoma. He recovered extremely quickly from the surgery.

So, we have those things to look into, also.

Here's the results from his CBC that stand out:
Alk Phosphatase 438 (HIGH) 5-131 U/L

Hemoglobin 11.9 (LOW) 12.1-20.3

Platelet Count 444 (HIGH) 170-400

[lulusmom]

Hi Stan and a belated welcome to you and Charlie.

I usually have a whole lot of questions but based on the information you've given us, my only question right now is why are you and/or your vet convinced that Charlie has cushing's? Panting, which is more frequently due to the aches and pains of arthritis in older dogs and obesity than cushing's, would not be a red flag for cushing's in the absence of any other symptoms commonly associated with the disease. Additionally, I believe two out of the three abnormal blood values you posted can be attributed to the spleen or lack thereof and the increase in ALK would be considered very mild compared to what we are used to seeing. I therefore would have a hard time justifying the expense of testing as well as subjecting my dog to the stress of testing based solely on a mildly elevated ALK and panting. Perhaps you can fill in the blanks so that we have a better understanding of Charlie's history that lead your vet to suspect cushing's. I look forward to hearing a lot more about your precious boy.

Glynda

[Stan]

Hi Glynda,
I agree that the bloodwork isn't that indicative of Cushings(from what I understand). But, this is what the Vet says it may be.

We've also had the Thyroid tested, and that came back as negative.
That's why we're going to a specialist. And, why I'm on this site.

Charlie is 93 lbs. He's been over 100 but we've gotten his diet under control, and he's been at this weight for 6 months or so. He is a big boy.

Our Vet is good, if a bit wishy washy. We used to see another Vet at the same office, and she was great.

The specialist's office is where they did the splenectomy so, we're hoping to get some answers.

Thanks for your input

[lulusmom]

Thank you for you response. I am very happy to hear that you will be seeing a specialist. Experience tells many of us who have been here for years and have followed thousands of threads that not all gp vets are knowledgeable or experienced enough to safely and effectively diagnose a treat a cushingoid dog. My own gp vet was the opposite if yours and failed to diagnose my first cushdog, despite her overt symptoms for months and months. An internal medicine specialist ultimately diagnosed her. It was therefore a no brainer that my second cushdog would be cared for by the same specialist. The cost of a specialist and specialty facility is greater but it can actually cost us less when all is said and done. I'll be staying tuned for your update after the consult.

Glynda

[puhmuckel]

Whatever the outcome, going to a Specialist may be expensive and you may even have to repeat the tests over again but it also brings you piece of mind for a definite diagnosis even if it is something completely different .

That happened to my Elli this year, she was misdiagnosed with very painful arthritis and given pain meds when I finally took her to the ER and she had a severe kidney infection and Cushings. It has been a long road and she is 13 years and 5 month old.

I no longer think most regular Vets are equipped to handle complicated issues. I have learned my lesson.

[Stan]

Hi all,
We saw the specialist yesterday. She says Charlie's blood work is great for a dog his age. And, she doesn't see any glaring evidence of Cushings.
She was confused as to why our regular Vet didn't take a urine sample, as this would have helped to indicate Cushings or, not.
She mentioned an ultrasound but, we're waiting on the urinalysis to see if it's necessary.
Now we're wondering if our vet is on the ball.

[tank&kat]

I just read all of your posts and I am thrilled you took Charlie to see a specialist. The labs and symptoms you posted do not sound like Cushing's to me. The specialist is either referring to a UC:CR, urine cortisol creatinine ratio or just a basic urinalysis where a low USG (urine specific gravity) and/or presence of proteinuria would be signs of Cushing's and further testing might be necessary. Was the sample done at home or in the vet's office? Does Charlie have any issues with his hind legs or exercise intolerance? How is his energy level?

~Kat

[Stan]

Urinanalysis came back. No Cushings!

To answer tank&kat: Charlie's slowed down a bit. We've now got to deal with the spindle cell tumor on his rear hock. And a small bean sized tumor near his ear.
We were told the spindle cell tumor is slow growing and doesn't really spread. It's the size of a small egg. The one on his ear is a Mast cell neoplasia. We're going to meet with the doctor that did his splenectomy a few years ago.
The doctor we met with for Cushings says removing the one near his ear shouldn't be difficult. Have to get chest X-Rays and ultra-sound to make sure it hasn't spread anywhere.
Taking it one step at a time and not being too aggressive.

[tank&kat]

That's great news and I bet a big relief for you. Please let us know how Charlie does once the tumor/s are removed. My boy had a growth on his hear also. It rarely caused him any problems except when it would 'break up'.. this caused him to itch. I suspect it was a mast cell also as it was most likely releasing antihistamine. I wish I had more information to share on the topic but his was never biopsied. I hope you get answers. Would love to see a picture of him!

~Kat

[Stan]

Charlie is standing. Our other Golden is Annie
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14089121_1142825455738735_2177994409487680806_n.jp g?oh=0fdbf268ea9fe9205ec888bd63d8bb2f&oe=58B4CAE9

[Stan]

Thanks to everybody that replied. Your info was great. And, it helped when we spoke to the doctor. Always good to be educated on what you're going to the Vet for
Here's a link to a photo of Charlie:
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13435505_1097406093614005_7626910919690079815_n.jp g?oh=b78d25078a196c46d33e58662f0a4d5e&oe=58CE99BC

[tank&kat]

Love the pictures! They are both stunning. It does feel good taking the time to become educated so we can be the best advocates possible for our dogs... they deserve no less. I am glad we could help.

~Kat

[Joan2517]

They are both adorable!

[Whiskey's Mom]

They are so cute!! :) hope all goes well with the tumors.
Annie & Whiskey.

[molly muffin]

What a gorgeous pair of goldens. Aren't they just wonderful dogs. Such great personalities. I'm glad that charlie doesn't have cushings, one less worry.