Re: Little Horace our Westie
Hi Julie, welcome to you and Horace!
Excitement shouldn't be an issue for the most part. If a cush pup has a growing pituitary tumor, called a macroadenoma, then that might come into play. BUT most tumors in cush pups with the pituitary form remain microscopic and cause nothing more than the typical cush signs, which are:
he most common symptoms include:
increased/excessive water consumption (polydipsia)
increased/excessive urination (polyuria)
urinary accidents in previously housetrained dogs
increased/excessive appetite (polyphagia)
appearance of food stealing/guarding, begging, trash dumping, etc.
sagging, bloated, pot-bellied appearance
weight gain or its appearance, due to fat redistribution
loss of muscle mass, giving the appearance of weight loss
bony, skull-like appearance of head
exercise intolerance, lethargy, general or hind-leg weakness
new reluctance to jump on furniture or people
excess panting, seeking cool surfaces to rest on
symmetrically thinning hair or baldness (alopecia) on torso
other coat changes like dullness, dryness
slow regrowth of hair after clipping
thin, wrinkled, fragile, and/or darkly pigmented skin
easily damaged/bruised skin that heals slowly
hard, calcified lumps in the skin (calcinosis cutis)
susceptibility to infections (especially skin and urinary)
diabetes, pancreatitis, seizures
You will notice that exercise intolerance is one of the signs listed so that may be what you saw in your sweet boy.
Can you tell us more about Horace? How did the diagnosis come about? What signs were you seeing or did the vet see that prompted testing in the first place? What tests were done? It would help us a great deal if you would get copies of all the testing done and post those results here. We only need to see the abnormal results from the test that shows things like CHOL, BUN, T4, ALP, and so on. Please include the normal ranges and the little letters that follow the normal ranges for each value posted.
Does Horace have any other health issues that you know of? He is taking any medications and if so what for?
Has he started treatment for Cushing's? Which drug is he taking if so? What is the dose and how often does he get it? How much does Horace weigh?
Are you tired of questions yet? We really aren't nosy - the answer to these questions will help us give you the most meaningful feedback.
I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more about your sweet Horace soon.
Hugs,
Leslie
"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.