Mako’s Mom
10-22-2017, 07:51 PM
Hi All,
I have been following this forum for nearly 6 months, but this is the first time posting. The resources and support provided are inspiring, and I have found myself returning time and time again to read all your stories. I thought it’s time for me to post mine, and to provide support to others.
Mako has been the love of my life for the past 9 years. A 10 pound ball of black and white fluff, she has always been known to have a big personality. Around May of 2016, my little fur baby began exhibiting the signs of Cushing’s, though at the time, I didn’t know better. She had just come back from an annual visit to the vet, with a clean bill of health, and I was happy that she was in such “good condition.” Shortly thereafter, the voracious appetite emerged, the pot belly, excessive thirst - symptoms we all know too well. In July, I brought her to the vet related to other symptoms suggestive of a urinary tract infection, and an X-ray of her abdomen revealed an enlarged liver. The Cushing’s was discovered incidentally, and thereafter started the barrage of tests to confirm the diagnosis.
It took a long time for Mako to be stabilized on trilostane (15 mg), and in the interim, she developed symptoms that my vet kept insisting were atypical. White spots developed underneath her tongue that looked like little white zits (not a pleasant thing to see). We ended up at the vet’s office for a biopsy on New Year’s Eve to determine what these were, as my vet had never encountered something like this before. The result: calcinosis cutis in her mouth. It was not serious thankfully as the little “zits” would burst and disappear after about a week. Shortly after the new year, Mako seemingly threw her back out and we ended up at the vet once again. She was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Finally, in April of this year, Mako was deemed stable, and there was such a sense of relief within my family. Her symptoms improved, and she seems happier...but not for long. Within a matter of a few weeks, neurological symptoms emerged. They were subtle, at first, and it was hard to discern whether her symptoms were actually neurological or behavioral, as there was facade work being conducted on my apartment building, and the noise levels were frightening all the dogs on my floor. Over time, though, the symptoms progressed, and I just knew that the little tumor in her pituitary was enlarging. She had many of the neurological symptoms that those of you with macro cushpups have observed - circling, star gazing, staring at her water bowl but not drinking. I made an appointment with a neurologist to confirm my suspicion of a macro tumor, and he agreed. I opted to forego the MRI, not just because of the cost, but also because I felt like I would just be confirming what I thought was a death sentence. I already knew that I would not choose the route of radiation treatment. I couldn’t put my little fur baby through all of that; she had been through enough.
The prognosis was that Mako would live until the end of the summer. I removed her from the deafening noise of my apartment, and temporarily moved into my parent’s home where she could live out the rest of her life in peace and surrounded by love.
Month by month, her condition deteriorated, both physically and cognitively. It was as if every 2 weeks was a marker, with some new change occurring. The week before Labor Day, she developed seizures, and I knew this signaled that the end was near. We went through periods of cluster seizures, for which her prescription of Keppra did not seem to be helping. My vet recommended that she take omeprazole as well, since there has been some literature indicating that it can inhibit cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production, thereby decreasing intracranial pressure. She had been on quite the concoction of meds. There have been several scary moments where I thought I would lose her. But in between, she seemed to hang in there, and I could tell that it was not her time to leave us.
It is now nearing the end of October, and Mako is miraculously still here. She has her good days and bad days, but what is most amazing is that her seizures have become sporadic. Whereas before, she was having at least one seizure each day, she can now go several days without one. Unfortunately, she has become more symptomatic in terms of her Cushing’s. But in a way, that’s not a bad thing. She has begun eating again and put on some weight. I was wondering, has anyone else had this experience? I was thinking, something akin to Nelson’s syndrome...
Well, that is my very long story. :) Thank you for letting me post this.
Mako’s Mom
I have been following this forum for nearly 6 months, but this is the first time posting. The resources and support provided are inspiring, and I have found myself returning time and time again to read all your stories. I thought it’s time for me to post mine, and to provide support to others.
Mako has been the love of my life for the past 9 years. A 10 pound ball of black and white fluff, she has always been known to have a big personality. Around May of 2016, my little fur baby began exhibiting the signs of Cushing’s, though at the time, I didn’t know better. She had just come back from an annual visit to the vet, with a clean bill of health, and I was happy that she was in such “good condition.” Shortly thereafter, the voracious appetite emerged, the pot belly, excessive thirst - symptoms we all know too well. In July, I brought her to the vet related to other symptoms suggestive of a urinary tract infection, and an X-ray of her abdomen revealed an enlarged liver. The Cushing’s was discovered incidentally, and thereafter started the barrage of tests to confirm the diagnosis.
It took a long time for Mako to be stabilized on trilostane (15 mg), and in the interim, she developed symptoms that my vet kept insisting were atypical. White spots developed underneath her tongue that looked like little white zits (not a pleasant thing to see). We ended up at the vet’s office for a biopsy on New Year’s Eve to determine what these were, as my vet had never encountered something like this before. The result: calcinosis cutis in her mouth. It was not serious thankfully as the little “zits” would burst and disappear after about a week. Shortly after the new year, Mako seemingly threw her back out and we ended up at the vet once again. She was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Finally, in April of this year, Mako was deemed stable, and there was such a sense of relief within my family. Her symptoms improved, and she seems happier...but not for long. Within a matter of a few weeks, neurological symptoms emerged. They were subtle, at first, and it was hard to discern whether her symptoms were actually neurological or behavioral, as there was facade work being conducted on my apartment building, and the noise levels were frightening all the dogs on my floor. Over time, though, the symptoms progressed, and I just knew that the little tumor in her pituitary was enlarging. She had many of the neurological symptoms that those of you with macro cushpups have observed - circling, star gazing, staring at her water bowl but not drinking. I made an appointment with a neurologist to confirm my suspicion of a macro tumor, and he agreed. I opted to forego the MRI, not just because of the cost, but also because I felt like I would just be confirming what I thought was a death sentence. I already knew that I would not choose the route of radiation treatment. I couldn’t put my little fur baby through all of that; she had been through enough.
The prognosis was that Mako would live until the end of the summer. I removed her from the deafening noise of my apartment, and temporarily moved into my parent’s home where she could live out the rest of her life in peace and surrounded by love.
Month by month, her condition deteriorated, both physically and cognitively. It was as if every 2 weeks was a marker, with some new change occurring. The week before Labor Day, she developed seizures, and I knew this signaled that the end was near. We went through periods of cluster seizures, for which her prescription of Keppra did not seem to be helping. My vet recommended that she take omeprazole as well, since there has been some literature indicating that it can inhibit cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production, thereby decreasing intracranial pressure. She had been on quite the concoction of meds. There have been several scary moments where I thought I would lose her. But in between, she seemed to hang in there, and I could tell that it was not her time to leave us.
It is now nearing the end of October, and Mako is miraculously still here. She has her good days and bad days, but what is most amazing is that her seizures have become sporadic. Whereas before, she was having at least one seizure each day, she can now go several days without one. Unfortunately, she has become more symptomatic in terms of her Cushing’s. But in a way, that’s not a bad thing. She has begun eating again and put on some weight. I was wondering, has anyone else had this experience? I was thinking, something akin to Nelson’s syndrome...
Well, that is my very long story. :) Thank you for letting me post this.
Mako’s Mom