Kelly_Louise

Degenerative joint disease can move really quickly with untreated joint injuries. It's not something that should be left. The damage even a few weeks can do is substantial. Yes it could be the ligament, sounds likely but there is no way to know for sure. I dont remember Chloe's knee swelling up though, just the other symptoms, so yeah could be something else. Only the vet would be able to say. Are you able to take the dog to the vet if your parents wont? Please try, poor bugger might be in quite a bit of pain. If you arent, pester them until they take her, or find a vet that does call outs and send them over to your parents house if you are happy to pay for the consult as you mentioned. And yes, regardless of what it is she should be rested. Unfortunately no one can really help in the respect of diagnosis, could be many things... really the only advice that could be given definitively is that the old girl needs to see a vet asap. And btw, you are welcome to post regarding cross breeds.... many of us have them!!

Are they allowed to be up and walking around after a FHO? Sorry I dont know much about it, but I thought leg/hip ops were crate rest with gentle walks for toileting etc?

DW, glad to hear from you... and very happy to hear that Diesel is holding up well so far. He is so lucky to have such a dedicated and supportive mum. If only all dogs had that. He sounds like a fighter, and we have high hopes here that Diesel will respond well to his treatment. We will be waiting with bated (and Sasha's slightly stinky) breath for Monday's verdict, and until then, still sending all the very best wishes to you both. You both deserve a good result. Keep up the fantastic work with your little guy.

I have quite a number of Robert McDowells herbal remedies. I first started using them when Chloe had her osteotomy surgeries. I was using Rescue Remedy, Post Op mixture, Bone repair mix. I can't tell you how successful they were, but I know that I felt they really did assist her. Her bones healed very well. I am still using his Rescue Remedy, now with Sasha, and it works really well with her. It helps her take the edge off her nervous energy. I want to try her on it when a storm has hit, and that will certainly tell me if it works as well as I think or not!!! I found him really nice to deal with as well, and helpful in showing me which remedies I should use to get the best results. I'm thinking of getting the Cushings support remedy for Chloe as well (when finances allow). I would definitely use Robert McDowell for any herbal remedies that I needed.

Fingers crossed for Diesel and his first course of treatment today. You are in all our thoughts.

Hi GoldieGirl, THank you, yes that does help enormously. Chloe has lost about 3kgs but thankfully its not due to her not eating, more so a strict diet - but she does tend to go off certain foods every now and then, however she is a regular eater. But I will certainly look out for that. Lethargy also doesnt seem to be a problem lately, but again will watch for any signs of this changing. It's comforting to hear from people that have previously trod the same path we are going down now. Thanks for the advice, it's been really helpful!!

DW, what you are doing for your Diesel is wonderful. If anything gets him through, it will be your dedication to him and your efforts to get him well. Good on you, and I hope that you will be rewarded with successful treatment and Diesel having many more years with you. You sound like such a fantastic doggy mum, with such a serious issue as Diesel's, he's sure lucky to have you (and mum and fiance who also sound so very supportive). Not sure if I will be on before you guys embark on your journey, but we all here send you all the very best wishes that everything goes smoothly and that Diesel comes back fighting fit. Give the brave little guy hugs and kisses from all of us who are here cheering on the sidelines. GO DIESEL GO

Thanks for the info Loraine - I might talk to the specialist about having a few just in case she crashes. I know that my mum will panic if she collapses etc, but hoping the other symptoms would be blatantly obvious prior to that so it never gets to that stage. To be honest, I'd panic too - I hate to see my little girl sick. She certainly doesnt deserve to go through that. I will be giving the specialist a list of other meds that she is on for allergies etc just so we have clear and transparent info and he can tell me if anything would be affecting her. Lucky he is very good, always very honest but reassuring and encouraging. I guess he knows how hard a Cushinoid can be Let the waiting and watching begin. We watch her so closely now it's a wonder she doesnt have paranoia

Chloe just came home from a walk and appears to be great actually. Which is a good sign. Tablets were received so we are all set, fingers crossed it works. DW, she is a very happy girl - she's been in the wars, but she is the apple of our eye and she owns my heart - she is a very special girl. There is nothing I wouldnt try to get my girl well again. Loraine is very knowledgeable - I think when you go through the ups and downs of Cushings you really have to learn the hard way, and Loraine has certainly been there! No we didnt change Chloe's diet other than to try and keep the weight off her. You do however have to be careful of any other meds for any other illness your dog has. Many can conflict with Cushings, so you do need to make any vet you see aware. You may notice that other nuisances will rear their ugly head (ie Chloe has never had allergies in her life etc, since being on meds and being controlled we have now found she has allergies every couple of months - plus her arthritis is playing up worse which the abundance of cortisol was previously hiding). That's the downside of having Cushings controlled... With allergies/skin complaints etc we have to be careful that other vets dont prescribe anything with cortisone in it etc. Otherwise, we have had a fairly good run and it really hasnt impacted us too much (other than the regular testing and monitoring of her condition). Her life and routine hasnt changed much though. I believe there are supplements etc that you can give for Cushings support (not sure what they are) but Chloe has so many tablets/supplements at the moment that Im hesitant to give her too many (plus she didnt seem to need them as she was so well controlled). Thanks for the thoughts DW, you must be getting anxious with your big trip coming up on MOnday to see the specialist for Diesel?

Thats the weird thing in that she doesnt look or act unwell at the moment. But then again, she is a toughie. She's had 2 lower dose tablets so far, so hopefully they will be helping her. We can only hope. Would I ask the specialist about prednisolone or if I should have some on hand? Im assuming it is a prescription med?

Hi Loraine and thanks for the support and info. I believe Trilostane still has to be made up to various doses - something that the specialist said made me think this. As we were quite in a rush to get new tablets (they have to be sent out to us and the vet only had 2 tablets of the lower dosage) he said it shouldnt take them long to make them... so I'm assuming that they still have to be custom made if the dosage varies. He did actually say at first that if we couldnt get the meds fast enough to just take her off meds altogether, and he didnt even want to just drop her dosage by one tablet a day - he would rather have just had her uncontrolled until we received them. I'm hoping that seeing we didnt see any drastic changes in her that she is not in too much danger. It's just a shock, but I guess we should get used to that with Cushings being so temperamental. When reading about Addisons I did wonder if they would just give her the prenisolone should she not stabilise - but he seems determined to get her on the correct Trilostane dosage and manage it that way. I guess if worse came to worst he would do something like that. But she's always been so well on Trilostane so here's hoping things will turn around for her and her levels will normalise. Will keep a close eye out for all the symptoms. Poor old baby is suffering a skin rash again as well. Thanks Loraine, hopefully I will have better news next test.

Yes luckily she has been caught before she crashed totally. It is weird though, because she really has been better than ever - even the vet said it took him by surprise as by her appearance he would not have suspect her ACTH levels to be so low. So it was a bit of a downer for me when I was having such high hopes. But it could be worse I guess, and shows that the meds are working. I have read a few websites and know generally what to look for (I hope), as with her changing meds we will need to be vigilant. But I'm just not sure what will come first so we can pick it up asap before it gets too bad. Hopefully it wont come to that, and anything that is different in her routine I will discuss with her specialist straight away. She will go in for re-testing after being on her new meds for a couple of weeks. We will then be able to tell whether she in on track again (goodbye stimulus money !! - not sure that's how Kevvy wanted it spent). Oh I must write the specialist a list of all the allergy meds that her normal vet has given her - just so he can discount that as a cause of the fluctuating levels. From what I've read, Im hoping her weight loss is not now due to the fact that she was closer to being Addisonian than Cushinoid. I hope it's just due to hard work and strict diet Thanks for the support Erny

Would anyone be aware of what to watch out for in case Chloe's levels go lower still? Symptoms or things to be worried about please if she goes into Addison's disease so that we can detect it before she crashes if her levels keep lowering? Thanks

Well the news is kinda good I guess? Firstly, he was thrilled with her weight loss and her condition. Really really happy. However the medication is working too well, her levels are now way too low and she is in danger of becoming Addisonian, and adjustments to her meds is now needed. She will be going on a lower level capsule twice per day, and then we will see how that goes and have her re-tested in a few weeks time. Here comes the roller coaster I can only pray that this new medication will keep her stable for some time.

Sending best wishes that all comes back clear and Honey lives a long healthy life with you! Let us know how she goes

Oh DW, that is really promising news. I'm absolutely thrilled that you have a good option and that this vet thinks you can add some good quality time to his life. It does seem like a big thing for him to go through, but we will have all fingers, toes and paws crossed that it will be VERY worth it. And after all is said and done, it deserves a shot. Will there be side effects etc? I dont know much about this treatment so hopefully it wont affect him too much. Im so glad that you have some direction and hope for Diesel. I will be anxiously awaiting news of his treatment and the hopefully successful results. Keep us in the loop - who knows Diesel may be the Cushing poster boy alongside my girl Lots of love to you all at this time and best of luck!!!

Thanks DW, I know what a tough time you guys are having so it means alot. Seems my Chloe has spat defiantly in the face of Cushings - for the time being... but we are the lucky ones. Many, like yourselves, are not as lucky and its all a bit more tricky and dangerous. Didnt get the results today, her specialist had been called away - so will probably get them tomorrow morning but not expecting anything out of the ordinary other than good news. Do visit the forum link I gave you DW, due to time differences they may take a few hours to respond but they are a wealth of information. So, tomorrows the day and fingers crossed for a drop in meds!!!!

Thank you Loraine, that means alot coming from someone who had been through the gauntlet of Cushings treatments too I suspect I may not get the results till later on tonight, but will certainly update asap. I cant wait to get them, he will be so impressed with her I know it. Even the girls there (who are lovely) commented on how great she appears physically and mentally. It's always good, because as you know, Cushings is just so volatile and it could turn at any moment. My brave old trooper

Oops, delayed double post

Sounds like he needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool from tip to toe - poor mite. Mum says our dogs are so complicated because we watch them too closely and pay too much attention - I'm sometimes inclined to agree that she may be right!! I gauge the girls poo consistency and amount, number/colour wees, weight, attitude, behaviour, sookiness, food intake, movement on any given day... and that's why I worry too much methinks. But when you feel some symptoms are connected or something isnt right, and people tell you not to worry so you leave it... then kick yourself because who knows your dogs best? I'll have fingers firmly crossed that the cream works and it CAN be that simple.

Good to be getting some positive news, and hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel now to get him back to full health. THere's nothing more exciting than finding the root cause and seeing them thrive once treated. Even I had a chuckle at the thought of trying to get a stocking on the poor buggers head - he does look terribly hard done by and thoroughly unimpressed. It reminds me of the time that I make the shonkiest elizabethan collar for Sasha out of cardboard (and I could only find slightly damp cardboard after totally trashing a good bucket which just wasnt working) on her first or second night with us. It was totally laughable, totally useless looking - and yet she kept it on like a good girl (even though one tug and it would have easily come off), slept with it on and it was perfectly intact the next morning and following day. God love her. Made me love her even more that she made my fruitless attempt useful - attached a pic so Mandela knows he's not the only hard done by dog... It is a curly one as to how you will get the ear to heal. You will need to find something snug (but not tight) fitting but also something that won't bother him too much.... do you by chance have anything lycra-ish you could cut up (there goes the wardrobe)... Hoping for some good results for your very handsome boy!!

Aww thanks Erny... it has taken alot of effort, she's thrown us some real doozies, and I do feel proud that we have got her to this point where I can look at her and not feel worry, but just feel happy and enjoy her (and not frantically Googling what could be wrong now). Mum has alot to do with it as well so Im really proud of Mum and how strict she has been with Chloe's diet lately. She is also thrilled with the results and it's made her more determined to strip that excess weight off her. Will let you know how she goes today. We are hoping her meds might be dropped to once per day, but even if not, as long as she is well and asymptomatic that's all that really matters (would just be nice to have a bit of spare cash sometimes!!)

Thanks Lizzy, yes it is a massive relief - she's been a constant worry lately. And I knew quite a bit of it had to do with her weight which we've always had problems with on and off. Her rash is back (comes and goes every couple of months) so she's scratching like mad, and of course her old legs are stiff with the cold... But we are now on track with a plan to keep getting weight off (like to see her 24-25kgs at least), get her twice yearly Cartrophen injections to see her through the cold winter and of course her Cushings meds and supplements to keep her healthy and symptoms at bay. Just really happy and wanted to share because it's been a long time since I was so optimistic about her health!!!

As usual, Chloe is going in to have her regular Cushings test today - Im expecting it to go well as she is looking really really good - the best she has in quite a while. She still has some issues (skin complaints), her arthritis of course... but she is moving well, jumping around, cant wait to go for walks etc. At 11, after all the problems she's had I couldnt be happier with her right now. AND, she has lost over 2kgs!!! I'm so proud of her, and really happy and relieved (thought she may have thyroid problems as we couldnt shift any weight) - and I have no doubt this has contributed to her wellness, her overall happiness, and the fact that she seems freer in movement and looks so fantastic!! Should have the results of her test today, but I'm expecting a glowing report on my old girl WOOHOO, I'll get her into her old age yet, bless her smelly little paws!!!