Our 9 year old mutt, Penny, in the dx process - sweet Penny has passed

[trk_koa]

Aloha,
Finally got copies of her test results but they didn't send me the blood work from April.

UC:CR 44.2 range 13.6 - 49.2
Cortisol PRE 2.6 range 1.0 - 6.5
Cortisol POST 22.7 range 6.5 - 18.0

Her energy level seems better lately.

So the watch-and-see approach makes sense to me.

[jxeno13]

Hi Nancy and welcome! I'm glad you found the forum, and sorry your baby is having problems. Thank you for saving Penny! "Mutts" are the best! I wish the Vet had done the LDDS, before he had done an ACTH Stim on your Penny. It would have been a little easier to tell as well what is going on. Maybe they were just busy at the office with the weekend coming up? Just a guess. Anyway, I'm hoping it's not Cushing's at all. But with a watchful eye.....and more test results it should be easier to tell. Just post them when you can. My Eli who was pretty full blown Cushing's had a pretty normal Ultrasound as well. The only thing a little abnormal was a small cyst on one kidney, but his IMS said it was nothing to worry about.

Anyway....nice to meet you. Sorry for the circumstances and so happy you found us!

[jxeno13]

Aloha,
Finally got copies of her test results but they didn't send me the blood work from April.

UC:CR 44.2 range 13.6 - 49.2
Cortisol PRE 2.6 range 1.0 - 6.5
Cortisol POST 22.7 range 6.5 - 18.0

Her energy level seems better lately.

So the watch-and-see approach makes sense to me.

Watch and see sounds good as well to me. Cushing's is a slow progressing disease. Although, in some cases, such as Eli's, it can come on kind of all at once, just showing some subtle signs, that in the end, I put together like a puzzle. A surgery he had to remove a benign tumor, along with a tooth cleaning (at the same time) brought on the initial Cushing's full blown symptoms. ....My Eli was one of the dogs on here that almost died from an overdose on the Vetoryl. He is OK now...thanks to the great people on this forum...and is now back on a small dose to start again.

[goldengirl88]

There is nothing wrong with watching and seeing what goes on. Cushings is a very slow progressing disease so you have time to observe and see what if anything Penny is showing in the form of new symptoms. Blessings
Patti

[trk_koa]

Penny had follow-up LDDS test and blood work and the signs are there now along with more pronounced symptoms. Her excessive drinking has increased, now voracious appetite, pot belly and some signs of muscle deterioration.

Our local vet again consulted with the veterinary internist. We will be starting her on Vetoryl tomorrow and rechecking her blood work December 3.

Will keep you posted on her progress.

Aloha,
Nancy

[labblab]

Thanks so much for this update, and we will definitely be walking alongside you and Penny as you launch into treatment. You already know about our fascination with test results , so if you can post the actual numbers for the LDDS and any abnormals on the other panels, that would be great.

How much does Penny weigh, and what dose of trilostane will she be starting out on? I am hoping it won't be more than 1 mg. per pound since that is the initial dosing formula that is now recommended by many specialists as well as Dechra, the manufacturer of brandnane Vetoryl.

Welcome back, and good luck to sweet Penny!
Marianne

[trk_koa]

Penny weighs about 46 pounds and is starting with 30 mg Vetoryl. Had her first dose this morning with her breakfast.

I am watching her, probably too closely. She got into the garbage today. She is always so hungry that she is constantly hunting for things to eat.

She seems a bit off her usual self and a little bloated, so I'm not sure if she ate something from the trash or if it is the Vetoryl.

I got Penny's update via phone so I didn't get a copy of her lab work yet. I will post her numbers as soon as I can get a copy.

Nancy

[trk_koa]

Penny has beenn stable on 40 mg vetoryl for a year now. She is mostly asymptomatic except for hunger and dry skin.

Over the last few months she has developed a hematoma on her side. It was suspected to be a lipoma as she already has several of them. This lump got to be almost the size of a golf ball. We had it sampled last week and the cytology shows only blood and erythrocytes. No sign of any abnormal cells nor is it fat.

Our vet tried aspirating it yesterday afternoon and removed 7 cc of blood. By 10 pm it had refilled. Penny has also got another small apparent hematoma on her belly.

I have read that Cushings can weaken blood vessel walls. So I am concerned about her.

Anyone else have a dog with hematoma issues and if so, what if anything, did you do?
Thanks,
Nancy

[trk_koa]

Well. We had the hematoma removed and inside was a membrane encased mass. Turned out to be hemangio sarcoma. Ultrasound today shows an additional probable tumor on her spleen. The liver, adrenals, kidneys, heart and chest x-ray all look normal for a dog with Cushings.

So we are now waiting for confirmation of the diagnosis from a radiologist. We will most likely surgically remove her spleen some time next week.

Our vet said this is unusual but lucky in many ways. Hemangio sarcomas aren't often found until they rupture (spleen or liver) and the dog is bleeding out.

Penny wasn't happy about missing breakfast so we just fed her and gave her vetoryl. But she is a trooper - happy and energetic.

Time for a nap by the fire.
Nancy

[molly muffin]

We have one member, whos dog has a mass on it's spleen. Once the spleen was removed the cortisol went down on it's own and no need for cushing meds.

Something to keep in mind after the spleen is removed. It could be contributing to the higher cortisol levels. Or may not but food for thought.

Glad she is doing well and this mass was removed.