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Thread: Joined Today (Orlando has passed)

  1. #111
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Glen Cove, NY
    Posts
    1,941

    Default Re: Joined Today

    I bought mine from Petco and Gable uses it all the time.
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  2. #112
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    York, PA.
    Posts
    11,037

    Default Re: Joined Today

    If he doesn't like the cooling mat maybe a cooling vest/collar will work?

  3. #113
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    I have not posted for a while, and this is where we are right now. Since July 30, Orlando has had 5 stim tests, all fine by me. The situation became that his numbers moved into a very close to normal range and he appeared to be possibly showing signs of Addisons. His vet consulted with a specialist in Cushings and they decided that, while it is not done normally, we should give the meds every other day, 20 mgs total in a day 10 AM and 10 PM. Next stim test was similar to the one which prompted that decision but I remained uncomfortable with his outward appearance, especially remembering my last Cushings dog going into Addisons and then needing cortisone to even get up in the morning. Next thing we did was to run stim tests two days apart, the first one without having administered the vetoryl and the second after administering it. He was at 8 without the meds and 5.7 with them. The specialist brought up questions of adrenal necrosis, etc and it was decided to stop the meds completely and retest in about 2 weeks. This test showed pre stim at 6 and post at 11.2, both of which are in the normal range. However, to me Orlando is showing signs of Cushings....excessive panting ( we are still having warm weather out here), thirst, hunger, and lethargy. We are now back on the meds twice a week until the next stim which will probably be next week. His vet said that possibly this reading will show that the levels are back into the Cushings range, or at least equivocal range. I have no issue with keeping him on the meds, but am more or less seeing negative outcomes either way.

    I have delayed his next Oncept injection AND the vet has referred him to an optomological specialist because she is afraid that there is a mass behind one eye.

  4. #114
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Orlando's issues with the medication were resolved and he has done well for the past few months. He has been on Vetoryl for over 4 years now which is double the life span of my first Cushings dog. However, there is no doubt that he is slowing down and I cannot say that this might all be down to Cushings. His most recent problem has been with arthritis and pain in the shoulder opposite from the foot on which the toe was amputated. I think that he has probably overcompensated or adjusted and thrown the shoulder off. Subsequently he has been on Cosequin, Dasuquin, human glucosamine and MSM, and CBD oil not all at the same time or even in the same time span. I have also used some Tramadol but infrequently. About 2 days ago something happened with his rear legs, left more than the right. The leg seems unstable and he is not willing to put weight on it or senses that it will not hold him. Nothing in the foot and he does not react to it being touched. His mobility is entirely limited and I am using a sling to help him as needed but mostly he is just asleep for hours on end. Is the leg issue, muscle wasting or atrophy, connected to the Cushings? Is this an end stage sign or can it be treatable or reversible?

  5. #115
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Boy, I sure wish I could give you a definitive answer as to what’s causing the leg problem, but there’s a number of things that could be wrong. Without a physical exam and possibly some x-rays or other imaging, there’s just no way to know. It could be his hip, his knee, a ligament issue, a muscle bruise, an arthritic worsening, even maybe a back issue. Some of these things could be complicated by Cushing’s, but others could be totally unrelated. My own nearly 11-year-old nonCush Lab has suddenly started favoring her left rear leg, too. She’s stumbling at times, limping at times, and definitely favoring it. This all started for no apparent reason yesterday. She doesn’t react to me manipulating the leg, but something is definitely “off.” So if misery loves company, you and I are both suffering together tonight :-(((.

    If it keeps up beyond the holiday weekend, I’ll need to take her in to the vet for assessment. And I’m afraid that’s what you’ll need to do with Orlando, too. For both of us, it may just be a temporary issue that could be relieved with a limited course of an anti inflammatory, for instance. Regardless, please keep us updated, OK?

    Marianne

  6. #116
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Thanks so much. I have arbitrarily returned to giving him loading doses of Dasuquin and he is somewhat more mobile but the leg is still not right. You are correct in that he has to see the vet about this and that is my next step. Prior to returning to the Dasuquin I had been trying the CBD oil for the arthritis, not Cushings, and I am not sure that it did anything, but that is not a discussion that I need to bring up. I hope that your baby will be okay as well.

  7. #117
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    I have not been here for a while and Orlando has held his own. He has been on Vetoryl for 6 years now and his readings have been encouraging....but he will be 14 if he is still here on December 10. A few weeks ago his personal vet found a lump in one anal gland. We were referred to the Animal Specialty Group on LA where they did his melanoma treatment. We went and ran all preliminary testing which showed no metastases in any imaging or other testing but did reveal that the mass is very small and cannot be biopsied, so removal was suggested. As time has gone on, he has aged, certainly, and has been challenged with mobility. We added Tramadol and Rimadyl to his regimen and he seemed to feel so much better and was able to move a little easier, relatively to the fact that he is an old, heavy dog who has been affected by the missing toe.

    I hesitated on the surgery, but never made a decision. Today I planned to decide what to do but last night he suddenly could not get up. One front leg is affected by the loss of the toe and the stress that has put on his shoulder, but suddenly he could not get his back legs to work. Since then, I have been lifting him with a harness and supporting him when he walks. He is very stiff, cannot squat, cries for me when he needs to get up if I have not gotten him up before that, can stand on the legs but will only walk a few feet. He could not step up on a curb this morning when I took him out. Is rear end limb failure or involvement a sign that the Cushings is running its course? We used Dasuquin and Cosequin for a long time until it seemed as if it had done nothing but failed to relieve the pain he was in. I have used Adequan on other dogs; is that a possibility. I hate to say it, but my GSD before him had degenerative myelopathy and despite having no use of his rear legs he was easier to manage and struggling less than Orlando is now. At this point I am not going to proceed with the surgery. He is very sensitive to pain and between that and the new mobility issue along with 2 hours of anesthesia I just don't think that he will be able to run the gauntlet.

  8. #118
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Hello again to you and Orlando. I’m so sorry that you’re both having such a rough time right now. Unfortunately, it’s really hard for us to know exactly what’s causing these new mobility problems for him. It could be hind-end muscle wasting from Cushing’s, but it could also be caused by a different type of orthopedic problem such as arthritis, or hip degeneration, or ligament/tendon damage, etc. For those of us with big dogs, mobility issues such as these can be so very difficult to deal with. Unlike with the little ones, we can’t just pick them up and carry them to where they need to be. So it becomes a huge quality of life issue when they cannot move freely on their own.

    Last year I spoke about my elderly non-Cushing’s Lab girl who is still experiencing an overall general decline in her mobility. Before that, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to release her non-Cushing’s Lab sister when her arthritic hips grew so painful that she could no longer walk on her own, even with the help of a harness to try to hold her up. From these experiences, my heart goes out to you as you try to settle on the best path forward for Orlando.

    I do understand your reluctance to put him through surgery under these circumstances. I’d probably feel the same way. And as far as the rest of things, I’m sorry I can’t give you a definite answer. But I really can’t guess as to exactly what’s wrong. I’m afraid you’ll need to rely once again on the opinion and advice of a vet who can actually physically examine him and obtain any imaging or other testing that can give you a better idea about things.

    We’ll surely remain anxious to find out any news, and we’ll definitely be here to act as a sounding-board if you want to talk over any options that are presented to you. And we’re also always here just to listen. Please give Orlando a gentle hug for all of us here, and we surely hope a solution can be found that may grant you still more good days together.

    Sending healing wishes to you both,
    Marianne

  9. #119
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Thank you so much for your reply. I remember your previous comments on your baby and am sorry that you had to make that hard decision. Orlando is able to boost his upper body up, which is a help, and then wait for me to use the harness to lift him in the rear. Once he is up, he can walk a few steps and with a harness he can be assisted to walk a little further. He made one valiant attempt to stand up when I was in the shower and when I came out he was up, but too exhausted to move. At this point, we have reached a management "agreement" where he knows that he needs help and I am ready to help him, so it is somewhat like my first GSD. I will call the vet on Monday and let you know what I find out.

  10. #120
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    72

    Default Re: Joined Today

    Miraculously, Orlando is still here a year later. His right rear leg is weak and he struggles to get up and walk, but if he is alive on December 10 he will be 15 years old which is remarkable. I am with him all the time and we have a routine where I help him up and keep him clean as needed. His appetite is great and he had his last stim test a couple of weeks ago. I don't think that he has lot of time left, but he still has quality of life. This is the latest issue. His stomach is very black, the skin very thin and it is starting to split open. These are not exactly pressure sores but almost more like very thin skin as you see in the very elderly which snags easily and splits. However, they are from contact with the floor as he lays down most of the time. I bought pressure sore pads which did not stick, bandages don't stick, so I proceeded to home made wraps which also did not work as these are very low on his distended belly. I have belly bands coming from Amazon today and am cleaning the sore with Hibiclens and using Neosporin ointment. I called his vet and she suggested I try shorts, under pants, or diapers which are in the works. However, I am worried that this is not going to stop with one lesion. Do you have any suggestions for treating this or managing it?

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