Tyson has passed; Approx 10yr old Pit, with many problems Cushings related..

[TysonsHuman]

Three years ago Tyson was diagnosed with Cushings. He was on Vetoryl at various levels and the most recent 1/30mg capsule every other day. He drank huge amounts of water, even though his cortisol levels were normal. Gradually over time he lost weight and muscle strength, especially in his hind legs. About 4 months ago a sudden decline in his health. He stopped eating and had bouts of bloody stool and was walking like a 90 year old man. Did ultrasound and found his intestinal tract was very inflamed, so we stopped the Vetoryl. The hope was to increase the cortisol levels to heal the inflammation, without having to put him on prednisone. BTW he also had slightly increased Liver numbers as well, which could not be attributed to anything at this point. Over last few months his decline has continued at a rapid pace. He can't walk much, has very weak hind legs. He falls constantly and doesn't have the strength to stand up, especially if the floor is tile. And he barely eats any food, although he will aggressively eat his treats, but not other food. His weight is down to about 53lbs from a normal 70. Six weeks ago he had both his eyes operated on. From calcium buildup, his corneas became infected and he needed skin grafts over both eyes to replace all the skin covering the corneas. He is recovering well from that and is on special drops for the recovery and condition of dry eyes. As a result of being off his Cushings meds, it is now not being controlled and he has developed a severe case of calcinosis cutis on large parts of his body. Had major blood workup last week which indicates probably a still active IBD condition, although he no longer has stool problems, plus a case of pancreatitis and a URI which he is on meds for. He also has minor deficiencies in his folate numbers and slightly elevated Liver numbers. My vet is trying to get his appetite back and stopping the loss of weight, before putting him back on Vetoryl, but that may have to change. Sorry this is so long, but he just has a lot of problems and not doing well. So any thoughts would be welcomed.

[labblab]

Hello, and welcome to you and Tyson. I am very glad you've found us, but I'm also so sorry for the multiple issues that are troubling your boy. As you already know, the double-bind for Tyson is the fact that an elevated cortisol level may help with some of his problems, but may be very damaging for others. So you may be stuck with trying to prioritize the severity/discomfort of his problems, and sacrificing the worsening of some symptoms in the effort to therapeutically treat others that are of higher priority.

You know your boy better than does anyone else, so you are probably the best judge of a hierarchy of this sort. The mobility issues are obviously a major issue, as is the GI inflammation and lack of appetite. I must tell you, though, that after witnessing the journeys of many Cushpups throughout the years here, worsening calcinosis cutis can present one of the greatest threats to quality of life. "CC" can blossom and rapidly explode in the face of uncontrolled cortisol, and the resultant open, weeping lesions can make life miserable for dogs and owners alike. So if you have confidence that Tyson truly has CC (which is apparently also causing the eye calcification), all other issues may become secondary to gaining necessary cortisol control.

We've had a number of dogs who have suffered from CC, and we'll try our best to provide links and information in that regard. Before doing so, though, I have a question for you: can you provide (or obtain) any monitoring ACTH test results that will tell us how well his cortisol was actually being controlled on the 30 mg. alternative day dosing? Is there a reason why he was not being dosed daily? It is possible that some of his current problems may be worsened by a return to Vetoryl treatment, but it's also possible that some (even the GI inflammation) may see improvement. My own Cushpup suffered from recurrent colitis when his excessive cortisol was untreated, and my IMS told me that, paradoxically, uncontrolled cortisol can worsen GI distress in some dogs rather than help it.

So once again, welcome. And thanks so much in advance for helping us with some additional info about your boy's treatment journey thus far.

Marianne

[TysonsHuman]

I appreciate your response Marianne. We took him off the Vetoryl hoping that the GI issues would improve and that clearly did happen as his bloody stool problem disappeared. My vet believes the current blood test results would indicate that he still may have an upper GI issue though. Prior to his GI problems he was already suffering from a very diminished appetite and according to contra indications of the medication, a loss of appetite can be caused by Vetoryl. So that was also one of the reasons we decided to stop the medication. But unfortunately that has not been a benefit and now he has the CC issue caused by the uncontrolled cortisol level. Tyson originally was on a dosage of 1/30mg everyday. He was retested about 4 weeks later and the vet determined that the dosage was too high. So it was cut to 1/30mg everyday. He was retested again and apparently he is super sensitive to the medication and it was suppressing his cortisol level too much, so it was then 1/30 every other day. Retested again, although I do not currently have the results, the vet informed me it was perfectly controlled. I can get those results from the previous tests, but it will take me a couple of days.

[labblab]

Thanks so much for this additional info, and it will definitely be helpful to us if you can get your hands on those actual monitoring test results. One of the reasons we're so anxious to see them is that we've discovered that vets sometimes make errors in interpreting those results, especially if they don't treat a lot of Cushpups. A complicating issue is that the ACTH is used both for diagnostic and monitoring purposes, and the diagnostic "normal" range that is often printed on the labsheet is too high to see therapeutic results in dogs being treated with Vetoryl. An entirely different and lower range is recommended for dogs under treatment.

Also, if and when you do return to Vetoryl treatment, I believe most clinicians would recommend a daily dosing protocol. So if 30 mg. daily is too high, it would likely be much better to give a lower dose daily as opposed to resuming the every-other-day routine. I'm guessing you may have had 30 mg. capsules you needed to use up at the time, but Vetoryl also comes in 5 and 10 mg. dosing strengths. So if you start out fresh again, a lower daily dose would likely be the better option. This will keep Tyson's cortisol more evenly and consistently controlled, as opposed to sharply decreasing it one day and then allowing it to rise on the "off" day. Overall, a lower daily dose may give him a better result from the medication.

So we'll look forward to seeing those test results and your further updates as to how he's doing.

Marianne

[DoxieMama]

Hello and welcome from me, too. I'm sorry for all of Tyson's issues, and hope that you can find a way to help resolve some of them. If you can get copies of the test results, I'd also be curious about any abnormalities in the bloodwork - just how high those liver numbers are, etc. Please include the reference ranges, as they vary depending on the lab.

Shana

[TysonsHuman]

I will be contacting my vet today to get copies of all the tests results that have been done. I will then have to figure out the best way to post them here, as unfortunately I am not a computer geek & have never even been on a site such as this. so please bare with me as I try to figure this all out. But thanks for the responses & help.

[TysonsHuman]

These are the results of the latest blood test that were done on 8/25
If it's helpful I can also post her comments and the plan we are currently using to deal with the issues highlighted as well.


CBC - 7900, normal diff, PCV 48, adequate platelets (332,000 machine count)
super chemistry -
ALT 297
alk phos 491
GGT 43
AST 32( normal )
albumin 2.5
calcium 8.3 (corrected 9.3 )
magnesium 1.4 (low normal 1.5) PSL722
Total T4 - 0.5 - rule out secondary to increase cortisol levels, euthyroid sick versus primary hypothyroidism

urinalysis - 1.010 Ph 7.5, !+ protein trace blood, negative glucose/ketones/bili, micro exam 11 to 20 WBC, 26 to 50 rods
for bacteria, 0 to 1 RBC, 0 to 1 squamous epithelial

heartworm negative

acth Stim pre- 1 1.1 , post 33.6

G.l. profile from Texas *
cobalamin 932 (slightly higher than normal range - no clinical significance for elevation) slightly reduced
folate 6.8 (7 .7 - 24.4) this is consistent with disease affecting the proximal small intestine consider folate supplementation
at 400 pg once a day for at least four weeks
pli - 1666 - normal less than 200 this would be consistent with pancreatitis
TLI-greaterthan50, (5.7-45.2) elevatedpli'smaybeinsignificantbutcanbecanbeseenwi thpancreatitis,andalso
sometimes in patients with severe renal failure or emaciation
L 2000 chem panel from5l12l17 ALT'192, alk phos 628, albumin 3.3

[labblab]

You are doing great!! :) :)

As far as posting lab results, there will only be two numbers that you will need to type for each ACTH stimulation test: a baseline, or resting cortisol level "Pre-ACTH"). And then a second cortisol level taken after the stimulating agent was injected ("Post-ACTH").

For all other tests, just Shana says, all you need to do is type in any abnormally high or low numbers, along with the normal reference range. So hopefully that won't be too many numbers to have to deal with.

An alternative to directly typing the results into a reply is to take a digital photo of the printed labsheets, and then uploading the images to a personal photo album that you can create on your profile page. But all in all, just typing in the results may be easier for you.

Marianne

P.S. I see you were already typing out results while I was adding this reply. I've got to head out for awhile, but I'll have a chance to review those results later this morning. And yes, reading about the game plan would also be good.

[TysonsHuman]

These are the conclusions reached from the results as well as the game plane. BTW the urine test was done and it did show a URI, which he is taking meds for.

- Recommend add on Urine Culture if sample is stillviable a simplicef may not adequately address-client OK'd adding
culture - -- stable liver enzymes except for decreasing albumin, likely due to G.l. disease
- elevated pli and PSL suggestive of pancreatitis - entices case chronic pancreatitis should be consideration as dog was
not painful,management of chronic pancreatitis is the same as management of inflammatory intestinal disease
- decrease folate suggestive of upper small intestinaldisease recommend start on folate supplementation
-recommend repeat abdominal ultrasound before moving forward with G.l. biopsies (endoscopic biopsies as dog is
debilitated and may have difficulty healing from biopsy procedure if open biopsy is undertaken) to be sure no obvious mass
lesions etc. are present that might change course of diagnostics/treatment plan and to evaluate for pancreatic
enlargement.
Suspect infiltrative intestinal disease (inflammatory bowel disease, G.l. lymphoma), right now elevated cortisol levels off of
trilostane have somewhat improved his appetite in stool consistency and would be same affect you would expect from
putting a dog that did not have Cushing's but had underlying intestinal disease on prednisone. The treatment plan below
are things that should not have any negative affect on his appetite or stool. Would like to evaluate response before adding
any other specific meds for infiltrative intestinal disease (atopica,'immuran, mycophenolate) and we would need to decide
about whether or not to move fonvard with a biopsy before'starting those types of meds as well
Plan
1. Start on folic acid 400 mg PO once a day for at least four weeks
2. Resume Tylan powder 1.5 of a level 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon (487MG) Twice-A-Day, may be able to hide that
small quantity in a pill pocket or pickup empty gelatin capsules to put powder into administer - use for at least eight weeks,
some dogs do wellwith long-term dosing
3. Prilosec 20mg (omeprazole- over-the-counter stomach acid blocking medication) give one capsule Twice-A-Day -
long{erm use may be beneficial
4. Cerenia 60 mg one tablet once a day, dispense one week supply to evaluate response
5. Slowly transition to Hills ZD diet which comes as a canned and dry format. Abrupt change in diet may cause diarrhea so
do over 1 to 2 week course
6. Continue on simplicef 200mg 1 tab daily, flurbiprofen and tacrolimus eye drops as before
7. Will plan recheck once results of Urine Culture back

[labblab]

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to type out all this information. It sounds as though your vet is covering all the bases and being quite thorough in pursuing additional diagnostic options. Given what she's written thus far, I am now feeling confident that she is well aware of the desired therapeutic cortisol levels associated with Vetoryl. However, it'll still be nice to see those numbers.

Thanks again for all this info. It looks as though there is much to think over, but it also sounds as though Tyson is in good hands.

Marianne

[TysonsHuman]

In an attempt to stimulate his appetite she has prescribed today "Mirtazapine" 1/15mg a day. And he is currently eating Science Diet Z/D since last week. There has been not much change in his desire to eat with the change in the diet, so maybe the stimulant will help. She would like to do biopsies on his intestinal tract and any other areas that she feels would be appropriate to try to definitively investigate the GI issues and to rule out cancer. But at this point I really don't think he has cancer as I feel his decline would be a lot worse over these many months. Also the cost is prohibitive right now, approximately 3,000, and I have spent in the last 2 months over 4,000 on his eyes and all this blood work and Xrays & Ultrasound. With still more to go on his eyes. So this will be on the back burner for awhile. She still does not want to restart the Vetoryl until his eating situation improves.

[TysonsHuman]

These, I believe, are results from the last cortisol testing done on Tyson while he was still on the Vetoryl

511312017 00:32:49
Test Results Reference Range Low Normal High
CORTISOL 1 1.7 ug/dL 1.0 - 5.0 I
CORTISOL 2 3.6 ug/dl L 8.0 - 17.0 l

Lab Comments: Ascn: ORA802944184 Profile: CortisolSerial2 (ACTH) RE: 5032 Tube Labeled Pre RE: 5034
Tube Labeled Post
CORTISOL 2:
HYPERADRENOCORTICISM (HAC): Post ACTH results greater than 20 ug/dl
(dog) and greater than 15 ug/dl (cat) are consistent with HAC.

[WinstonTheWestie]

Hello there! I will let the others more knowledgeable about managing Cushings continue to help you out, but wanted to let you know I'm following along and hoping for the best with Tyson. My own dog had an adrenal tumor and we were worried about Cushings (that's how I ended up here, but we now know Winston didn't have Cushings), but he also has inflammatory bowel disease we've been managing for 20 months. My dog was on a different prescription diet than Tyson (Winston gets Royal Canin hydrolyzed food), but my dog's IBD signs (chronic vomiting) have completely resolved with the diet change. It only took a couple weeks on the diet to stop his signs. That isn't always the case, but I'm hoping the diet change works for Tyson too. We just tried treating Winston for a long time and I only very recently did the biopsies to confirm what we suspected for over a year. The only reason we even did them was because he was having surgery already to remove his adrenal gland. I can maybe answer a few questions about IBD if you have them, and I'll let these wonderful ladies continue with the Cushings advice.

[labblab]

These, I believe, are results from the last cortisol testing done on Tyson while he was still on the Vetoryl

511312017 00:32:49
Test Results Reference Range Low Normal High
CORTISOL 1 1.7 ug/dL 1.0 - 5.0 I
CORTISOL 2 3.6 ug/dl L 8.0 - 17.0 l

Lab Comments: Ascn: ORA802944184 Profile: CortisolSerial2 (ACTH) RE: 5032 Tube Labeled Pre RE: 5034
Tube Labeled Post
CORTISOL 2:
HYPERADRENOCORTICISM (HAC): Post ACTH results greater than 20 ug/dl
(dog) and greater than 15 ug/dl (cat) are consistent with HAC.

I'm so glad Kellie has stopped by to offer her support and information about the treatment of the inflammatory bowel issues!

Also, wanted to let you know that Tyson's monitoring ACTH results were indeed ideal for a dog being treated with a Vetoryl. So as I suspected after reading your vet's overall treatment plan summary, she seems to be capably "on top" of things, and that is very good in such a complicated situation.

Marianne

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks Kellie for the info. Actually the dog food you are giving your dog was one that was also recommended for mine as well. She left it up to me to decide which one I wanted to use. I am certainly glad Winston does NOT have Cushings, it is a very difficult issue to deal with in many cases. But I was wondering if Winston was suffering from loss of appetite before you started treating him, or was he just suffering from the issues you described, such as the vomiting? And thanks for the well wishes and i wish the same for Winston as well.

[TysonsHuman]

Yes Marianne, one of the really distressing and frustrating things for me was the fact that Tyson was doing real well with controlling the Cushings, except for the excessive drinking and urination. Then all of a sudden a number of months ago this sudden downturn of his overall condition. It was like he aged 10 years in a matter of a week. Then he just stopped eating and lost weight rapidly as well as strength and his ability to walk. But hopefully my vet can put it all together along with any suggestions ya'll can come up with to turn him around. PAWS CROSSED. So thanks for all your input, it's much appreciated.

[WinstonTheWestie]

Winston's main issue was vomiting. He would vomit between 4 and 6 am the majority of mornings for at least 2 years. My vet thought it was "bilious vomiting syndrome" when dogs vomit in early mornings because the bile in their empty stomach is irritating. It worsened to be several times a day, at all hours of day for a couple weeks before we went to see the IMS and she said we were likely wrong about bilious vomiting syndrome and it was likely IBD. There were a few times when he did not want to eat, but for the most part he doesn't have the loss of appetite you describe in Tyson. In hindsight, I was feeding Winston "human food" off my plate in the evenings and that is what made him vomit...when I shared!

With IBD, all dogs are different, from what I've been told. Some vomit, some have diarrhea, some have both. I'm hoping that as the food starts to take effect with Tyson, his intestines will "calm down" and he will then want to eat. I'm sure they told you, but it is really important that he not get ANYTHING else to eat but the special food (once he is fully transitioned onto it over a week or two like the vet recommended). That includes any treats or flavored medications. Even medications like Rimadyl can sometimes contain beef flavoring and be enough to 'set off' a flare of IBD.

Your vet's recommendations sound fairly similar to what was discussed for us. It can be really hard to tell for sure whether it is IBD or intestinal lymphoma because the symptoms are so similar. Since Winston was eating we did things a little more 'stepwise' is the only difference. We dewormed to be safe, gave a monthly B12 shot, and switched diets first, then the plan was to start the antibiotics (Tylan), ideally get biopsies, and maybe start steroids to reduce the inflammation in his gut. Luckily the vomiting stopped after step 1 so I never did anything else (besides research!).

I can imagine how difficult of a case Tyson is where his intestines may need the cortisol/steroids for possible IBD but his Cushing's needs to be treated too. Are you feeding the dry form of the Z/D? I think Z/D comes in cans (with a strange gel-like consistency if I remember right)...maybe Tyson would like the canned food to get him started eating this food? I've warmed canned food up too to entice an appetite, you just need to make sure it's not too hot if you do that. I hope the mirtazapine works for him tonight!

[TysonsHuman]

I started Tyson on the dry Z/D with a slow transition from his other food, as the vet advised. He ate it a few times, then stopped eating it. So today I started with the canned and he seemed to like it. He ate an entire can today and that's a good start. Tyson never had any table food or treats. Always ate Science Diet. In fact I bought today their treats that are compatible to the main food and he seems to like them as well. So my paws are crossed that this good start today continues. But sadly I have learned to be VERY cautious and not get my hopes up to high. And once again thanks for your info and I am so glad that Winston is doing well. Stressful for the dog & stressful for their humans.

[molly muffin]

I just wanted to stop by and say hello to you and Tyson.

That is a good result from when he was on vetroyl and it is likely the high cortisol he has now has contributed to the cc and calcification in his eyes. It can be a nasty bugger and the cortisol needs to be under 5.0ug when on vetroyl to get control of it and it still takes months usually.

It does seem that this is going to be a fine line balancing act getting his cortisol controlled while trying to maintain his appetite and his stomach problems. Not easy for sure. My dog was never a good eater, and it didn't take much for her to decide to not eat during the day. She didn't have IBD though, that makes it all more difficult.

[TysonsHuman]

It's been 3 days now since I switched to the canned form of the Z/D from the dry and I do have good news on that front. Tyson seems to have rediscovered his appetite. He is eating like his old self again. I have been giving him a reduced amount of food, basically just one can, to not stress his delicate system and he is eating it all up and looking for more. He has not eaten like that in many months, since his decline in health and loss of weight became a major problem. If this continues and he can maintain his weight and hopefully put weight on, we will soon be able to start treating his Cushings again. If all goes well with his eating I will start to give him a bit more as his appetite and digestion is able to tolerate it. After many months he finally has an interest in eating again and this is very hopeful and I haven't had much hope for many months, especially since his eye operations. Will keep all posted on his progress and thanks for all the comments and advice. I greatly appreciate the help and advice and will continue to welcome any others that wish to add their thoughts.

[molly muffin]

That is great! So glad he has rediscovered his appetite. I hope that continues too, so you can restart treatment and get the cortisol down again.

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks for your thoughts Sharlene. In fact I just gave him a small amount for dinner as he was hanging around his food bowl for a few hours. As soon as I put it down for him and got him up, he ate the entire portion and even went back to lick out the bowl. He cleaned it up pretty good, LOL. It's really great to see him eating again. :)

[molly muffin]

That's fantastic!!!!

[TysonsHuman]

:D Yep, I just hope it continues. Paws Crossed

[TysonsHuman]

Just wondering if anyone has noticed a change in their dogs sense of ability to smell with Cushings?

[Carole Alexander]

It's interesting that you raised this issue; I've wondered the same thing. Skippy had radiation over two months ago and has lost some hearing. Since starting back on Vetoryl nearly three weeks ago he has become a much pickier eater, but he does eat, sometimes in two sessions especially in the evening. I'm serving him gourmet meals and he will usually eat the human food (likely chicken or beef) but ignores the kibble. Just read an article http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/senses-and-perception/articles/2012/taste-and-smell/, that says that taste and smell are intimately related and that partly explains eating issues - sometimes. Doesn't answer your question as to whether Cushing's and/or radiation diminishes those senses in some dogs. I hope your pup is continuing to eat!

Carole

[lulusmom]

According to my experience with my cushdogs, there was nothing wrong with their sense of smell. Even with perfect control of cortisol, they could smell food a mile away. :)

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks for your response.

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks for that info Carole. What I am wondering is whether uncontrolled Cushings changes their sense of either smell or taste. As you so rightly state, both are very related to their desire to eat. But my dog has another major issue as well and that is the condition of his eyes which had major operations a couple months ago. So his ability to actually find the food in his bowl seems to be affected. And then if his sense of smell or tasted is impaired it probably creates multiple problems for him. As far as eating, he was eating very aggressively when I first changed from the dry to the canned. But now it appears that he has lost a bit of interest, although he is eating if I actually feed him with a spoon. And this creates a problem as he is only eating 2 cans and since he has lost so much weight over these many months his vet wants me to try to increase his intake another 2 cans. But that does not appear to be something that will happen, as he is barely eating the 2 cans. But this issue of smell & taste is interesting and complicated as he started to lose weight while he was still on his Cushings meds. So I am not exactly sure how this all fits in. Just very frustrating as he is not gaining weight and the vet does not want to restart his Cushings meds until he can regain some of the weight he lost. She fears putting him back on the meds will cause him to stop eating. Feels like I am caught between a rock and a hard place.

[Squirt's Mom]

One thing to keep in mind...just like humans, as our dogs age they start to lose their senses - sight, hearing, sense of smell. It is simply part of the aging process and most cush babies are older dogs. So as our babies age often we need to resort to "sneaky methods" to entice appetite such as pouring a little tuna water over the food or sprinkling a teeny bit of Parmesan cheese. Anything that has an odor, especially a new odor, will work most of the time. Smell starts the digestive process for us as well as dogs so have a good smell coming from our bowls is a great thing all the way around. ;)

[TysonsHuman]

Yep I totally agree. And I have tried mixing various things into his food. He gets interested for a couple of days, then he loses the interest. So I agree it is a constant battle of newness that seems to keep him interested. The only problem with that is since he has an issue of IBS, his vet wants me to be very careful what I do introduce into his diet other than the special prescription Science Diet food he is now on. :(

[Carole Alexander]

I certainly understand that your vet wants him to eat only the Science Diet food. But, you are between a rock and a hard place in getting him to eat. If he won't eat the Science Diet alone and won't eat at all unless you continuously add smelly stuff or change the offering, I would opt for the latter. Can you discuss this issue with your vet? He must eat to survive and thrive - and to reintroduce the Vetoryl.

Carole

[TysonsHuman]

You are exactly correct Carole and that is the exact conversation I will be having with my vet on Monday. We need to figure out a better way of getting him back on the meds as well as eating.

[molly muffin]

Have you tried topping a bit with something truly smelly, like tripe? Tuna?

A strong odor. That might tell you if this is a smell issue.

[TysonsHuman]

Because of his IBS condition I am not able to add anything that might affect his digestive issues. But after looking a bit more closely as to what is going on with his eating issues and experimenting a bit on my own, I believe it has multiple causes. First, he has very limited eyesight because of his eye surgeries. So he is not being motivated by what he sees. In fact he has the same problem when I put a bowl of water in front of him. He pokes his nose in it several times before he even starts to drink as if trying to figure out what is in the bowl. He is also very sensitive to the texture of the food. He refuses to eat the food since its consistency is very soft and he generally likes hard, crunchy things to eat. I tried giving him some of the food directly from the can and he refused to eat it. Then I gave him a piece that I had baked into a biscuit and he ate it right up. So clearly there are multiple issues going on with him, that does not appear to be a loss of appetite, but more complicated than that. I am taking him to the vet this Friday, to get him back on his Cushings meds and to be reevaluated with all the other meds he is taking. So hopefully I will get more answers.

[Squirt's Mom]

I had a Pit mix who had a thing about soft textured food too! I would slice canned food and bake into chips which she loved.

[TysonsHuman]

Yep that's exactly what I am now doing. He seems to have no problems eating his food after it's baked. I am happy as long as he is eating and not losing anymore weight. This way we can now start treating his Cushings again.

[TysonsHuman]

So Tyson had another follow-up with his vet. We have put him back on his Cushings meds and changed to another Science Diet food since he clearly is not eating the canned Z/D with any sense of urgency. He is now on D/D dry and hopefully he will eat that, since even with the somewhat increased amount of food he was eating, it appears he still may have lost a couple of pounds that he simply cannot afford to lose. Hopefully putting him back on the meds will not decrease his desire to eat and not bring on any IBD symptoms as he has been free from those for a number of weeks. We also hope that the calcinosis condition improves, especially around his ears and nose, since those are the areas that are now badly affected, but this will take time to heal. He will have his ACTH levels checked in 2 weeks to chart the progress of getting his cortisol levels back to normal now that he is back on the meds. PAWS CROSSED.

[molly muffin]

Crossed paws. I hope he'll eat the dry food and do okay on it now.

Good luck and let us know what the ACTH results are.

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks, I certainly hope something changes soon as we are starting to run out of options for my poor guy and I don't want to see him suffer. So hopefully the meds can help his body regulate itself and he can start to eat again. I have no misconceptions that he will ever regain the weight he has lost, but hopefully we can stop him from losing anymore, as he really can't afford to lose any at this point in time if he is ever to recover.

[molly muffin]

How is he doing? Any change in eating? How does he feel about pasta, rice, etc? As a carb (for weight gain) and possibly to entice him to eat overall.

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks for asking Sharlene. No real dramatic change in his eating. He seems to like changes in his diet. He will eat a new dog food for a couple of days. But then gets tired of it. So what I am doing is feeding him a couple of different foods during the week to see if it doesn't just entice him into eating. So far it seems to be working. As far as rice, I tried that awhile back and he never really liked it. He has had 3 doses of his Cushings meds so far and he will be rechecked sometime next week to see how it is controlling his cortisol. His skin looks a bit better as well. And he has a followup scheduled for the 10th to check the skin grafts on his eyes. Hopefully we can get him stabilized, but that's a tall order. Just trying to stay positive.

[molly muffin]

Crossing fingers. I like variety with dinner too. :) We'll go with that for him also.
You could try the pasta and see if he will go for that too. It's a good carb so if it looks like he's dropping weight that might be an option. Not much just a teaser on his food.

Let us know how it's going. Hopefully the graft is doing good.

[TysonsHuman]

Honestly I will try anything to get him to eat. So thanks for the advice. I will definitely keep you posted on his progress. And thanks for the good wishes for him as well. :)

[molly muffin]

Boy do I understand the "i'll try anything" days. And really that is what you have to do, just keep trying to see what he likes, and then try to rotate those so he doesn't get tired of it.

[TysonsHuman]

LOL, my pantry was beginning to look like a grocery store shelf of dog food items.

[TysonsHuman]

It's been exactly 2 weeks that Tyson is back on Vetoryl. So I brought him to the vet to have a followup blood test to check his cortisol level. His bad skin condition is healing quicker than I expected. But his back legs have lost an incredible amount of strength and he really cannot get up without help and his stability on tile floors as well as any walking is not good and he easily falls down. I am trying my third pair of paw booties to see if any can help. The first 2 really didn't help. His eating is about the same and he needs much coaxing to finish just 2 cups of food. So I give him small amounts throughout the day and he usually will eat it. But I have just about given up hope of him ever being able to regain any of the weight he has lost all these months. He has a recheck on his eyes next Tuesday and he seems to be healing well with that issue, His sight is limited, but he is able to see and get around without too much of an issue, although he does get confused with what he is seeing at times. But the one improvement I have noticed is that he now once again likes to be petted and touched and hugged. Something that has been sorely missing from him as his health and being off the meds took it's toll. I have really missed that closeness with hugging him and glad that he now feels better and welcomes the attention. I am grateful for any enjoyment I can bring to him. The journey continues...

[molly muffin]

That is a good way to put it "the journey continues.."

I think you are doing a wonderful job with him. It's not easy, we all understand that. Wanting to be touched and hugged, is a good sign in my opinion. After all, we always say quality of life is what is most important and touch is a big part of that quality.

[TysonsHuman]

Yes, I am very glad that he is starting to be a bit more like his old self, and that his skin is clearing up in a significant way. And I am definitely thankful for any improvements that we can hold on to. My first priority is "quality of life" for him and every decision that I make for him is with that in mind. So I have no doubt that he does appreciate the petting and hugging as he just seems to melt against me when I pay him any attention. And he even falls asleep as I am holding him. He really is a sweet boy and is trying so hard to get better. I just hope I can make this happen for him.

[molly muffin]

Awww, that is sweet. I love when they fall asleep in our arms.

[TysonsHuman]

So it's been exactly a month that Tyson is back on Vetoryl. His skin problems have dramatically improved. He no longer is getting any new lesions and the hard crusty sores that developed from the calcium buildup on his skin has dramatically improved and fallen off. His eating continues to be a big, largely unsolvable problem. At times he eats and other times he will take a few mouthfuls and refuses. It's a challenge but he seems to do better when I continually try new foods. He seems to like the new smells and tastes of different foods and at this point both his vet and I feel we should give him whatever he will eat as long as it doesn't upset his stomach. His eyes have just about completely healed from the graphs, and he sees well enough to find his way around and he watches me intently as I move around the house. He even started showing an interest again in the 2 dogs that live next to me seeing them in their yard as we passed and he walked right up to them. He hasn't done that in a number of months. This week I have to have a recheck on his UTI to make sure that has healed. Over the weekend I started to take him on a bit longer walks in the neighborhood. He loves walking and even though I have to assist him with his walking by using the sling, he wants to walk and doesn't want to stop and come inside. He is getting a bit stronger and I am sure these walks are helping his legs stay limber and load baring. He doesn't stumble and fall as much when he now takes these walks. So I am hoping in time, if I can get him to eat a bit more, his strength will improve and he will be able to get up by himself and walk around, especially inside the house. But this will be a big challenge as the house is mostly tile. Once he is up he is able to walk on his own, but it's the getting up at first that is the big problem. So just a few updates to let you know he is continuing to heal, slowly, but he is moving in a positive direction..The journey continues...

[molly muffin]

Maybe you could be rugs down for him in the house, with those rubber backing so they don't slide on him? something like that would be a big help to his getting up and down.

It's good to hear that he is actually able to go on walks with you now, even with the sling. As you said, if he eats more (of whatever) and keeps walking hopefully his mobility issues will subside.

Crossing fingers!

[TysonsHuman]

I have a big piece of carpet that he lays on most of the day. He can't get up from that sadly as his back legs are very unstable and weak. I also keep traction booties on him during the day as they help with keeping him from sliding on the tile. Once he gets up he can walk. It's just that he is too weak to get up..His eating issues are a major problem. The food I gave him yesterday that he completely ate, he basically refused to eat half of it today. There is simply no rhyme or reason to his inconsistencies in eating. I am literally pulling my hair out trying to get him to eat...

[Harley PoMMom]

It sure is worrisome when they don't want to eat, I went through that with my boy, Harley. :(

Vetoryl is known for gastric upset so I wonder if giving him Pepcid AC 20-30 minutes before his Vetoryl dose would help.

[TysonsHuman]

Actually I was thinking along those lines as well. So this morning I restarted giving him Prilosec, which he was taking about a month ago. His vet prescribed it for him on a potential long term basis as part of his treatment for his IBD, but I stopped it as I felt he did not need it when his symptoms improved significantly as well as his appetite. But maybe now he is having an issue with the Vetoryl. Thanks for the advise.

[DoxieMama]

Hope it helps! Let us know how it goes.

[molly muffin]

Definitely let us know if that helps him.

I had a hard time with my dog and eating too. Drove me crazy and some days I was going to the store to buy like 4 different types of canned foods to try out with her.

[TysonsHuman]

LOL, I know exactly what you mean about buying different dog foods. My house feels like it's being turned into a dog food supply company, I have so many different types of food laying on shelves, that he doesn't want to eat. Fortunately my vet has been taking back some of the food I bought there. But I need to give the rest to some of my rescue friends to use. But it is very frustrating buying all these foods that he eats one or two times than stops. But I refuse to give up. He will eat if it kills me, LOL

[molly muffin]

Yes I was lucky my vet would take back some too. Still it's the try anything path we travel. I always had a dog closet full of food, mess, just everything.
Heat it, don't heat it, too it, leave it. It's a circus some times

[TysonsHuman]

Yep, you just described my life for the last 8 months. I go to sleep trying to figure out ways to get him to eat. I wake up in the middle of the night doing the same as well. Very emotionally draining.

[TysonsHuman]

Tyson passed away today at about 12PM very peacefully. Thank you to all who posted their thoughts, prayers and advice in trying to help him heal. The sad fact is that he just had too many issues to deal with that finally took it's toll on his ability to recover. I hope all that are facing this horribly debilitating illness will somehow find their way to beating their health problems and live long and happy lives. And thank you all for being there with advice and trying to help me cope as well. It truly is great to know that there are people you do not even personally know that are caring and compassionate enough to want to help a fellow dog lover deal with issues such as this out of the kindness of their heart. I wish you all the best now and in the future with any issues you may encounter. Both I and Tyson thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. Tyson's journey on earth is now over, but his legacy lives on in my heart and those who knew his spirit :)

[Squirt's Mom]

I am so sorry to hear about your precious boy! You and he fought so hard but when they decide to stop eating sometimes there is nothing that can be done. You did everything possible but it seems Tyson was ready to move on to the next part of his Journey. I know he left this life on the wings of your love and will carry that love with him til you meet again.

My deepest sympathy,
Leslie


A Special Gift

They're a very special gift, to be cherished and loved;
You're chosen for each other by God Himself above.
It's a match made in heaven so it can't be wrong;
You're tied together by a bond that's oh so strong.

All they'll ever ask from you is to be loved and fed,
And at night make sure they have fresh water and a bed.
In return, for so little, the rewards are so great!
You'll get a companion for life with some very special traits.

When you are lost and the end seems so far away
They'll walk by your side, they'll help you find your way.
When life gets you down they can put a smile on your face
As they run you in circles with their fast pace.

You'll share the good with the bad, you'll be happy and sad;
And through it all you have a friend, the best you ever had.
You're time together will be special and unique;
It will be as priceless to you as a rare antique.

Then, before you know it, the day will arrive
When suddenly your life takes a steep dive.
The furry friend who's been with you for all of these years
Has now passed on and left you in tears.

As you sit and wonder what did I do?
Why is this all happening to you?
Into each of our lives a little rain must fall,
And you must be strong to answer the call.

Your little one's spirit has flown home on the wings of a dove,
To a special place that awaits them in heaven above.
St. Francis will meet them; when they get home
He will take them to a meadow where they're free to roam.

There in the meadows, down by the pond,
Your furry friend will remember his loving bond.
He'll look into the water, then you appear;
He can see you're frightened, he can feel your fear.

Through the bond that still ties you from heaven above
He looks down upon you, he sends you his love.
Because you loved him and because you care
Whenever you need him, he'll always be there.

There, in the meadows, they patiently wait for the day
When you will celebrate your life together, each and every day.
Waiting for that day; when you come walking back home
When together for an eternity through the meadows you'll roam.

Author Unknown

[TysonsHuman]

Thank you so much for your kind words and for sending this to me. It is truly comforting. Tyson's legacy will live on in my heart although his journey on earth is now done.

[DoxieMama]

Oh I am so sorry for your loss. Much love and hugs your way.

[TysonsHuman]

Thank you so much for your kind words and caring enough to join me in my journey. He will be deeply missed, but I was so blessed to have had him in my life. He was a very special boy and I will also be thankful that he found his way into my heart. But with Tyson that was very easy as he was such a loving dog.

[sammisam]

So sorry to hear.

Sending hugs and prayers and you have an angel watching over you now.

Thank you for sharing your story as it helps all of us and our lil ones (and bigger ones too).

Tracey

[TysonsHuman]

I wish nothing but the best for all those who are dealing with the issues that my big boy Tyson went through. I truly hope that the conversation here helped in some way for those that are dealing with the many issues of Cushings. I pray for the health and well being of all those who have been impacted that they may find a way out of the wilderness of this illness and find health. And I hope that all those who have succumbed to the effects of Cushings or are currently dealing with it find some comfort knowing that there are many others out there who know that they have the support of a community of concerned dog lovers looking to help either heal or deal with their issues, such as the kind people who have taken the time to offer their prayers and suggestions on my thread. Again, thank you for all the support that was offered here on this site. It was greatly appreciated.

[Joan2517]

I'm so sorry for your loss, but it's comforting that Tyson went peacefully. He put up a good fight....hugs to all of you.

[molly muffin]

I am so very sorry to hear that Tyson passed. I am glad that it was peacefully with his family.

My sincerest condolences.

[TysonsHuman]

He faced a number of health issues during his lifetime. Each time he was able to overcome them and thrive. Sadly he simply was not strong enough to deal with the many heavy burdens he was carrying. But he valiantly tried as best he could to heal. I will always cherish his strength of character and the love that we shared. Profoundly sad that his journey is over, but incredibly blessed to have had him as part of my life. He will always be a part of my heart and soul and the memories I have will last me a lifetime. I am truly blessed to have loved him and for him to have been such a big part of my life. Thank you for all the help and advice in seeing me through this difficult time.

[PennysDad]

I am so sorry for your loss. My pit is similar age to Tyson. They really are the best dogs.

Wishing you peace during this time.

[TysonsHuman]

They have been a part of my life for about 20 years and they simply amazing dogs. I adore the breed. And thank you for your kind words of comfort. I hope everything is going well for you dog.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Hi, I haven't been on the forum for awhile & can't even find my thread. So I'm just catching up & have been reading your thread. I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet boy, I know how painful it is. My Whiskey passed on May 12 & it's been awful. His best friend & our next door neighbor is a sweet pittie named Tyson who looks very much like your boy. Again, my deepest condolences, I know he will forever be in your heart and always on your mind.
Annie

[TysonsHuman]

I am sorry for the loss of your beloved Whiskey. And you are so correct it is painful. No matter which ones I lose it never gets easier to say goodbye and honestly I really don't ever expect it to. Our pets just wiggle their ways into our hearts and just take them over and I wouldn't have it any other way. So thank you so much for your kind words and in time, however long that is, your sorrow and pain will turn to the happy memories he left behind. I often think of mine that have passed especially in stressful times and the happy memories are something to lean to give me strength to get through and that will be Whiskey's legacy for you.

[Alyson803]

Tyson was a very, very lucky dog to have found you. You gave him a life filled with love, and you did everything you possibly could for him. That's all we can do for our beloved pets.

[TysonsHuman]

Thanks, but as you are so aware, it somehow never seems enough. In the back of my mind there always seems to be a question of could I have done more...

[labblab]

I’ve just now seen your sweet note on Tyson’s memorial thread, and want to give you my warm thoughts, too, as another anniversary comes close. I’m so glad you now have Buddy by your side, but I also understand the unique bond with Tyson that you’ll share with him forever. It’s pure love, and the memories bring both comfort but also pain over the hole that’s left behind. We feel very honored, though, that you’ve returned to us and are allowing us to join in your memories of sweet Tyson. Thank you for being here today, and please know we are celebrating Tyson’s bright spirit right alongside you.

Sending many hugs your way,
Marianne

[TysonsHuman]

Thank you for your kind thoughts and words. I value the relationship I have with this group as it truly helped me to navigate the sad ending of the journey with Tyson. The sadness of his passing could never diminish the amazing, wonderful memories I shared with my Tyson. But in the years since, although I have not posted on the site, it is not far from my heart. Sadly I have had to recommend this site to a number of other friends I have in rescue who have been forced to deal with the many issues involved in this horrible illness. In fact within the last couple of weeks I have a friend who joined the group as well attempting to deal with Cushings and her dogs kidney disease as well. So while I may not post often I clearly value the wonderful work all who are here on the site trying to help others in their own journeys. Keep up the great work you do.

[TysonsHuman]

In fact my friend Alyson803 who posted a response above to my post joined and has had problems trying to navigate the site and start a thread asking for some help and advice. Her membership is listed as "junior member" and I'm not sure what that means and if it has anything to do with why she can't seem to post. I've attempted to figure it out, but not sure if it has helped. So if you could possibly contact her with some help I would appreciate it.

[labblab]

I’ll be happy to help her in any way I can! Right now, I’ll send her a Private Message here on the forum. But if she doesn’t see it for some reason, please tell her she can always send us an email at k9cushings@gmail.com, and we can help guide her through any questions that way, too.

The “Junior Member” designation just relates to the number of replies a member has posted. As a person posts more replies over time, they advance to “Member” and then “Senior Member.” But these designations don’t affect privileges, so if she’s having trouble, there must be something else going on. But we’ll do our best to get to the bottom of it, and I’ll send her a message right now!

Marianne

[TysonsHuman]

Thank you. I appreciate it and I know she will as well. One of her other dogs passed away yesterday and dealing with the cushings has been very stressful as she is still looking for a good vet to care for her dog.

[labblab]

Oh no! For sure, she’s having to deal with so much right now. I’m so sorry for her loss and now her worry over her Cushpup. She can take whatever time she needs right now and respond to us whenever she’s ready — we’ll always be here for her.