I am glad Chance is doing well. Love the pictures of him! I just wanted to tell you, that Inu started drooling a lot aproximadeteley a month ago. She also is panting more, but I can't decide if this is because its getting hotter here and with her condition its affecting her more.
Awww Chance is a handsome guy and looks very happy to me.
Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)
Hope everyone is doing well.
Chance is doing pretty good, although on his last senior panel, taken on 07/12, he seems to be slightly anemic. His new vet, (she’s mobile and I really like her), said that it’s pretty typical for a dog with Cushing’s that is not being treated. Is this true? One good thing is that his Alk Phos is way down. I truly think this is due to the CBD oil he gets twice a day. It hasn’t been this low in at least 5 years.
So I just thought I’d ask you guys if anemia is common. Thanks!
P.S...if you need me to post his blood work from the 12th and also, for comparison, his blood work from March, I will.
Anemia is generally not seen in dogs with Cushing's since elevated cortisol increases the amount of red blood cells. If you would post those previous abnormal lab values with the reference ranges that would be great! And glad to hear that Chance is doing well!!
Thank you so much for your reply. Here is all of Chance's abnormal values, (in bold), from his 7/12 blood work:
RBC 4.94 5.39 - 8.7 M/µL L
Hematocrit 34.1 38.3 - 56.5 % L
Hemoglobin 11.5 13.4 - 20.7 g/dL
Glucose 59 63 - 114 mg/dL
Potassium 5.5 4.0 - 5.4 mmol/L H
Na: K Ratio 27 28 - 37 L
Albumin 2.6 2.7 - 3.9 g/dL
ALP 362 5 - 160 U/L
Here are his values from 3/23:
RBC 5.5 4.8-9.3
Hematocrit 41 36-60
Hemoglobin 14.4 12.1-20.3
Glucose 91 63-114
Potassium 5.4 4.0-5.4
K Ratio 28 28-37
Albumin 2.8 2.7-3.9
ALP 447 5-160 (His ALP was almost 1,000 in 11/17)
Thanks so much for your help.
His vet wasn't concerned at all. She said to have his blood checked in another 6 months. He's not being treated for his cushings because the meds made him very, very sick. He was on a super low dose, (trilostane 30 mg/day. He weighs 94 lbs.), so we decided not to treat. In fact, his symptoms have almost disappeared except for panting. Why is his glucose level so worrisome? I lost my female Golden to hemangiosarcoma and that's what scares me the most about his blood count.
Thanks for helping me and Chance out.
Was just reading about low glucose. I was so concerned about his blood count, I didn't even think about his glucose.
Do you think it has anything to do with his diet? He eats 2 cans of ID canned/a day. Free fed Lotus Senior Dry and he gets 4 tablespoons of pumpkin a day. He also gets Charlie Bear treats. If I vary this up at all, he gets horrific diarrhea. If I keep on this regime, his stool is perfect.
In some dogs, BG (blood glucose) levels can dip dangerously low at times. They are not necessarily diabetic or hypoglycemic. However, they may have periods of episodic hypoglycemia. This is often not caught at the vet because the BG levels when tested may appear normal, or slightly below, causing no red flags to pop up. My dog is a picky eater. She never eats unless she's hungry and often skips meals all together. This can cause her BG levels to drop. When this occurs, she becomes restless, agitated and shakes. Rubbing a little Karo syrup on her gums, settles her almost immediately. This helps to normalize her BG level quickly. Honey on gums will do the same thing, but be careful if your dog has severe allergies. It is very easy to check a dog's BG level. You can use a standard human BG monitor. Instuctions are available on You-tube. My dog's hypoglycemic attacks are rare now due to careful monitoring. If she hasn't eaten by bedtime, I will check her BG level and feed her a small snack. If her level is low, I will mix a little karo syrup into her snack.
FWIW... Chance's BG level of 59 might be one a time thing, but I wouldn't feel comfortable waiting to test again in 6 months. I would get a monitor and test it myself, for my own peace of mind. It is not painful for my dog. She barely notices when I do it. It takes only seconds.
Last edited by Budsters Mom; 07-23-2018 at 10:35 AM.
Kathy and Angel Buddy. The mightiest of all lizard hunters!