Bear, 10 y/o Schipperke with possible Cushing's

[Sunshine]

Hello,I am new to this site also and I to am very concerned about my dog. He has not been diagnosed with cushions yet but my vet is leaning in that direction. She is leaving it up to me to have him tested or not and let me know upfront that it is pricy. He has had his blood work done off and on since December and been on Denamarin. His levels went down at one point but back up again. He seems to pant more and drink more and also has had fatty tumors on him. He used to only have one but now he has three I believe. I absolutely hate to put him on those meds they give for cushions if that is what he has. Also concerned about him flying out west with us next month. He has never flown before other than when we first got him as a small puppy,but don't want to leave him as we will be gone a month where our son lives. Any suggestions on flying with him. Thanks for any response. Bear is a 10 year old Schipperke.

[labblab]

Hello, and welcome to you and little Bear! Unfortunately, I don't have time right now to add a more complete reply, but wanted to tell you that I've moved your post so as to create a thread that is your very own. This way, it will be easier for all our members to reply to you directly. ;)

Once again, welcome, and I'll hope to return later on today in order to add more thoughts about your situation.

Marianne

[tinybiny]

I was afraid of the medication, too. My dog was so miserable and my vet took a lot of time with me explaining the risks/rewards and what to look out for. He has done great with the medicine. He keeps living a lot longer than anyone ever expects, even with other health issues. I am a big fan of compounded trilostane.

[labblab]

Well, it took me a while to get back again, but I'm finally here! First off, it's true that Cushing's treatment is not inexpensive and it involves powerful medications that require careful monitoring. But the treatment can provide a much improved quality of life for a dog who suffers from uncomfortable symptoms of the disease. For younger dogs, treatment can also slow or halt the chronic progression of internal organ/systemic damage. For older dogs who are already nearing the end of their natural lifespans, I believe that treatment is more an issue of comfort -- will the dog feel significantly better and thus justify the expense and vet visits associated with treatment.

We will be happy to talk more with you about the pros and cons of treatment, as well as the steps involved in diagnostic testing. However, if you are planning to take your trip in the near future, you will probably want to postpone a treatment decision until you return. Either of the two effective Cushing's medications require special monitoring especially during the first 30 days, and this would be quite difficult to handle while traveling. So I'd encourage you to enjoy your trip, and postpone the testing and/or decisions until your return.

As far as flying, is your dog small enough to be allowed to travel in a carrier in-cabin under your seat, or will he need to travel in the cargo hold? I've recently been exploring requirements associated with dogs traveling as cargo, so I may be able to give you some tips if that's the route you'll be going.

Marianne

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome from me too. As Marianne said probably waiting till you are back and in a stable area before starting any kind of cushing treatment would be good.
I think she covered to treat or not to treat very well. If you do treat, we've had many dogs treated successfully on this forum. The medications are dangerous as all medications are, but less so with an experienced vet and proper dosing and monitoring protocols followed.

I agree if small enough I'd have him in the plane you.