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Thread: Penny has Cushings!!! — Sweet Penny is now free

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    York, PA.
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    11,037

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    I'm glad to hear that Penny's vet is open 24 hours, that hard to find these days, where I live almost all the vets close at night and in case of an emergency one has to take their pet to an animal emergency hospital.

    You're doing a fantastic job!

    Hugs, Lori

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
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    16,150

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    Hi Jeff and Katie and Penny and Bradley.

    Wow a 24 hour vet! Aren't you lucky. I have an Emergency vet that I can get to but sure wish my regular vet close by was open for full time care if needed.

    How is Penny doing now? Hopefully those night time wake up calls will be a thing of the past soon.

    And welcome to the forum too!

    Keep an eye out for any differences you might notice still, not eating, diarrhea, lethargy, etc. We never know how any dog will react, and even past that initial no allergic reaction to the medication, being vigilant about those key indicators can make all the difference.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  3. #13

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    Yes, we live on the edge of Philadelphia, USA...we have round the clock vets everywhere. It is quite the blessing!

    Any penny appears to be doing incredible! I took her for a drive last night and no panting! Usually, she couldn't be in the car without instantly starting to pant.

    Also, no night time accidents since the day we started the medicine. We actually got stuck running around yesterday and we were out of the house from 8:45 AM all the way to 5:45 PM...and no accidents!! Its really amazing.

    Her appetite has also came back to normal, she eats when we feed her and isn't randomly starving like has been going on in the past! It is amazing how blind I can go to subtle progressive changes until they go back to "normal". And her poop is most definitely solid.

    SO all signs are pointing up.

    Sending you all lots of love and positive vibes

    Jeff

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
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    16,150

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    That is great that you have plenty around you that you can go to if needed at any hour of the day.

    Glad to hear she is doing so much better too.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  5. #15

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    Hi Everyone.

    Just checking in. Today I should hear from the vet and find out when we are going to do the 14 day test.

    I continue to be amazed at the changes in Penny in such a short time. Her accidents have stopped (although she Did poop in the house two nights ago, but that was because rain and going to the bathroom outside has never sat well with her!). Her appatite has begun inching towards normal(she eats her food when we give it to her, and isn't begging for food regularly). The panting has stopped (unless she is REALL excited).

    The most shocking change has been her willingness to cuddle with the family. Usually, she would only sit on the couch when we were gone or occasionally just with Katie, but recently, she has just been hanging on the couch with the three of us. It has been a welcome change. It also seems like it is easier for her to step up onto the couch.

    Overall, we are all doing well. Spent some time looking through the forum this morning and saw how many people have lost their dogs to eventual, unrelated issues. It made me cry, and it made me happy. Too early for those emotions!!!

    Thank you all for everything!

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    rural central ARK
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    14,549

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    awwww, I remember when my Squirt started acting like her old self. Sure makes the heart Sing, huh?
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  7. #17

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    It is incredible. She is such a special girl.

    Here are some bonus pic's of her!



  8. #18

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    - Hi Jeff,

    Congratulations on your 3 years of sobriety, that is an awesome accomplishment!!!

    Dechra, the makers of Vetoryl, do recommend a starting dose of 1mg per pound of a dog's weight, so, for Penny's weight of 110+lbs her Vetoryl dose of 120 mg is reasonable. And generally, symptoms take about 2 weeks to improve so the fact you are seeing improvement so fast is a good thing, but do keep an eye on her for signs that her cortisol falls too low. If you see her having any one of these adverse effects: vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, lethargy, or she just isn't acting herself, stop the Vetoryl and get in contact with her vet. Vetoryl does have a short half-life so usually stopping the Vetoryl is enough; however if no improvement is seen after discontinuing the Vetoryl an ACTH stimulation test is needed. Did the vet give you a prescription for any prednisone? When a dog is showing symptoms of low cortisol prednisone is given because it mimics the effect of cortisol in a dog's system.

    Keep us updated, and I am sure in your very capable hands Penny will do fine.

    Hugs, Lori -



    Jeff, I'm reposting Lori's earlier post just to remind you how crucial it can be for you to keep a very close eye on Penny's demeanor as she seems to be amazingly receptive to Vetoryl. The only thing I'd add to the list of adverse signs would be hind leg weakness and swaying or wobbliness.
    It is awesome that she's responding to the drug so fast so good and we want to make sure that's where she stays from her on. I've read that large pups are more receptive to Vetoryl than small pups. Penny's dosage is quite close to 1mg/lb tho still a tad bit over the recommendation.
    I'm concerned for two reasons. I'm a born worrywart and I've seen too many pups (1 pup is too many for me ) initially doing 'Great!' and went into an Addisonian crisis literally overnight.
    In Penny's case I'd consider getting Penny's ACTH done on day 10 instead of day 14 to check the trend of her cortisol as it is recommended between day 10-14.

    Jeff, does Penny take her Vetoryl at night or morning? In your first post you mentioned she was getting her first dose that night. If she gets it at night that may create a problem for you on the day of ACTH as the test has to be completed in 4-6 hrs after Vetoryl (with food of course) even tho you have 24hr care available.

    Now I don't mean to be a buzz killer here. I just want you to be aware of all things, good and bad about this wonderful drug as our pup's safety is above all else. Please, keep us posted. Thank you, Song

    PS: Penny looks like such a good girl. I've never heard of a pup who voluntarily sticks their leg out to be poked.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    Hi again, Jeff! Penny looks like a sweetheart, as best as I can tell. But I am having trouble viewing your embedded photos . I can see them fine on my tablet, but at the expense of being able to easily view your written words. On my desktop, I can read the posts, but I can't view the photos very well because they end up being really oversized.

    Now I am the first to admit that I am a total technology stooge, so maybe there's something I could be doing differently, myself, to ease the viewing! But if other folks are having the same problems as me, one thing you could do would be to create a photo album on your profile page via your personal Control Panel, and upload your photos to your album rather than embedding them in your replies. Just a thought, but I'm thinking other folks may be experiencing the same problem. And we want to be able to both read your replies and see sweet Penny with equal ease!

    Marianne

  10. #20

    Default Re: Penny has Cushings!!!

    Thanks Guys: I will deff make a photo album soon. I have so many pictures I can share!!!

    And Song: thanks, I am very cautiously optimistic at this point. We have an eye on her when were home and a camera on her when were not! I have a lot of faith in my vet. I am assuming that the 1.1 mg/lb is within the vets comfort range. She is deff experienced and has a team of specialists and other vets who also reviewed the results. I will be getting the call from her today about when we are going in for the follow up. If the cortisol did crash, I would be at the vet almost immediately, so maybe that is why they are comfortable doing it the way they are.

    Either way, thank you all so much for the support and feedback. Its such a nice comfort to have this place.

    Jeff

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