Where To Start? Confirmed Cushings

[j]

Bugger Juice. Hopefully you get a decent result on Monday. It's hard when they say "test test test" but every single one is killing your bank account just that little bit quicker.

He looks like a lovely boy by the way

[Kelly_Louise]

We live and learn through this disease Juice - so don't fret too much.

Totally agree J, sometimes you feel you're at their disposal - and of course, to get the answers you have to have them tested... but you feel anxious as hundreds at a time float out of your bank account...

THAT'S probably the most scary part of it all

Chloe is going in for her ACTH stim test today, just to make sure that this new dosage is working out okay (which I think it is) - but better to be safe than have her become ill. We should get those results tomorrow afternoon.

[Red Dog NZ]

I have just come across this thread ... I usually am one of those just reading here but couldn't help myself from joining in here. As previously said there is a good yahoo group on cushings and there is also another group www.k9cushings.net which is fantastic (great to see you here Lorraine ... I am guessing who you are). Both of these sites have great resources sections. I have a nearly 11 year old Hungarian Vizsla with cushings and he has been treated with Lysodren for nearly two years.

With regards to tests ... my understanding is that the ACTH stimulation test is less likely to amount to false positives. However the LDDS (8 hour test) can have false positives particularly when there is non-adrenal illness present. Other things to look at are hypothyroidism and diabetes.

[j]

We live and learn through this disease Juice - so don't fret too much.

Totally agree J, sometimes you feel you're at their disposal - and of course, to get the answers you have to have them tested... but you feel anxious as hundreds at a time float out of your bank account...

THAT'S probably the most scary part of it all

Chloe is going in for her ACTH stim test today, just to make sure that this new dosage is working out okay (which I think it is) - but better to be safe than have her become ill. We should get those results tomorrow afternoon.

Good luck with the results!

My vet fees in the last month are pretty scary and I really don't want to actually add it all up but I'm guessing it's well over $1000 already (right on Christmas too. Ouch)

[Kelly_Louise]

Yep - try not to think about it J. I gave up the tally after about a month. It was too depressing

Chloe's Cushings journey would be close to, if not more than about $10k (including meds). Add that onto the $10k for leg operations - and she's the most expensive Australian Cattle Dog in history

If you're lucky and have a good run with it, the costs aren't too bad. It's just when dosage needs to be changed (or initial diagnosis) that costs the most, as testing is needed pretty close to each other.

Thank you J, I'm fairly sure her results will be pretty standard this time as she's really well at the moment - but it wouldn't be the first time I've been shocked with this disease

[j]

I have just come across this thread ... I usually am one of those just reading here but couldn't help myself from joining in here. As previously said there is a good yahoo group on cushings and there is also another group www.k9cushings.net which is fantastic (great to see you here Lorraine ... I am guessing who you are). Both of these sites have great resources sections. I have a nearly 11 year old Hungarian Vizsla with cushings and he has been treated with Lysodren for nearly two years.

With regards to tests ... my understanding is that the ACTH stimulation test is less likely to amount to false positives. However the LDDS (8 hour test) can have false positives particularly when there is non-adrenal illness present. Other things to look at are hypothyroidism and diabetes.

That www.k9cushings.net address came up as not found.

[Red Dog NZ]

Whoops. I sincerely apologise their old site used to be .net and I have bookmarked the new site and don't type it in.

It is www.k9cushings.com. There is a link on that page for the forum ... I have bookmarked this page www.k9cushings.com/forum. I have never actually read the first page. The site is new, however the old site had been going for years and the people there have great knowledge on cushings.

[j]

Thanks for that

Bit of reading there for me

[Kelly_Louise]

Chloe's test results have come back as way too low again (borderline Addisonian) - which means, stopping all medication again. She will need to be retested early next week for them to determine what condition her adrenals are in (whether they have stopped responding all together, or if the medication dosage was just too high).

Sigh... did I mention this disease is NOT fun

Everytime I feel that things are going well, we get surprised (not always good)...

Poor Chloe - but at least it was caught early before an Addisonian crisis. Which is why regular testing is imperative guys (even though it's financially draining )

*strapping myself in for the latest roller coaster ride*

[Red Dog NZ]

Mmmm been there done that. Sabre was low last year and was off Lysodren for four months but we have adjusted our dose and he is great now. I am sure that you will get it all sorted out for Chloe.

[Loraine]

I have just come across this thread ... I usually am one of those just reading here but couldn't help myself from joining in here. As previously said there is a good yahoo group on cushings and there is also another group www.k9cushings.net which is fantastic (great to see you here Lorraine ... I am guessing who you are). Both of these sites have great resources sections. I have a nearly 11 year old Hungarian Vizsla with cushings and he has been treated with Lysodren for nearly two years.

With regards to tests ... my understanding is that the ACTH stimulation test is less likely to amount to false positives. However the LDDS (8 hour test) can have false positives particularly when there is non-adrenal illness present. Other things to look at are hypothyroidism and diabetes.

Good lord what a small world it is. I found that group in the late '90's just as my boy was diagnosed. They offer the best support and resources.

[Red Dog NZ]

Loraine I was making a BIG guess but I thought I might as well make the guess. The group is absolutely fantastic support and knowledge wise. Your own knowledge just expands and you are also able to help others. I read daily and post occasionally to others and give them an update on Sabre when things change. You really become part of "the family".

[j]

Chloe's test results have come back as way too low again (borderline Addisonian) - which means, stopping all medication again. She will need to be retested early next week for them to determine what condition her adrenals are in (whether they have stopped responding all together, or if the medication dosage was just too high).

Sigh... did I mention this disease is NOT fun

Everytime I feel that things are going well, we get surprised (not always good)...

Poor Chloe - but at least it was caught early before an Addisonian crisis. Which is why regular testing is imperative guys (even though it's financially draining )

*strapping myself in for the latest roller coaster ride*

Bugger! hope all goes well

[Kelly_Louise]

She seems in high spirits today, and looks quite well... so hopefully it's just another temporary remission. My gut instinct tells me that her adrenals ARE still working.

The worrying part is, she really doesn't show 'obvious' signs when she's become Addisonian... so we need to be able to pick up on the slightest change. Having just an 'off' day (ie due to high heat etc) doesn't seem to happen with Cushings, it always means something is going on...

But at least she is doing okay - and test on Monday will give us an idea of what's going on now that she's come off her meds. Sometimes the financial strain can be really depressing, but when I see her smiling face and remember why we're doing it - it always makes me feel better.

How is Occy going J? What changes have you noticed since he's gone on meds?

[j]

Good luck with results today KL

I fed the dogs this morning. Occy didn't yip "Hurry up" to me once while I was preparing their food. I put the bowl down and he looked at it, then went and had a pee. Didn't even take one piece with him just in case he starved before he could finish peeing

His leg is looking really good too. He is bearing weight on it quite well when at a walk or slow trot. If he thinks he needs to run, he will still lift it, but mostly he uses it.

Maybe the confinement has helped.

[Kelly_Louise]

That's great news J - especially about the leg! Resting it seems to have done the world of good. At least you know that you can get him through several months or more without surgery while you are waiting for the Cushings issue to be sorted out, without him being in too much discomfort. It's just keeping him from wanting to do too much that will be the hassle!! Especially now that he will start feeling better and more comfortable now the Cushings is being controlled.

When does he go in for his next test?

Thanks for the well wishes... she's really looking very well today, so I'm fairly positive that her Adrenals are still working to some degree - just means she will have to stay off meds for a while till they start overproducing again. I wish the remissions were for longer - a year or so would be good - but we deal with what hand we're given and thank goodness she's still with us and still otherwise healthy (other than a few creaky joints )

[Loraine]

Kelly Louise I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome. I actually do not think the adrenals would stop working on their own (Chloe does have pit Cushing's?). The pit tumour sends the wrong signals to the adrenals to make an amount of cortisol - Cushing's is when the signals are too frequent amd the adrenals pump out too much cortisol. Of course I suppose that there is nothing to stop a dog getting an adrenal tumour too and then the adrenals will shut down. It is really difficult not to be a panic merchant and keep having the dog to the vet at the slightest change. If Chloe keeps dropping into Addison's have you asked the vet about maybe making her Addy and just giving a cortison tablet every day?

J - Occy seems to be responding well so far.

Red Dogs - I still look in at the other site and see what is happening.

[Kelly_Louise]

Hi Loraine, no we haven't discussed that, but it may be an option if she continues to go into Addy, considering she is on a much smaller dosage too... 15ml x 2, and it seems to be getting harder to get it right.

Does the medication do damage to the Adrenals that can cause them to stop working? I'm not sure, but the test today is to see what her adrenals are doing without meds. He is afraid her body has gone into Addy at this time.

She seems to be really well without her meds, so perhaps another remission is on the cards - let's hope a much longer one (wishful thinking of course!!!).

[Red Dog NZ]

Kelly Louise … personally I would not want to make a dog addisonian on purpose. I know of a few dogs that have gone into remission on trilostane … one of which was in remission for over two years – from recollection didn’t go above post of about 7 (about 200 nmol/l).

Lysodren erodes the adrenals but trilostane acts in a different manner. Here is a link to the product insert from dechra Dechra product insert

Does the vet or IMS check her electrolytes every stim test as well?

All the best

[Kelly_Louise]

Red dog, I'm not sure if he checks her electrolytes. He just lets me know what her levels are and if they are too high or too low and our plan of attack. I know he has, on occasions run other tests - but not sure if he checks her electrolytes. He is a medicine specialist, and he's done a really good job with her - so I have assumed that he's always run what is necessary to make the diagnosis. Chloe went into remission last year for about 1 month - we were hoping for a couple of years or even one year, but it wasn't to be unfortunately.

I will ask him though... can you explain why is the electrolyte count important in relation to Cushings - what impact etc does it have please? Just like everyone else, I like to know as much as I can so that I can understand, and so that if I need to ask further questions to ensure Chloe is getting the best care. I'm sure it will be important info for everyone else here with cushinoids as well!

I love DOL... always so much information, I'm always learning