Questions about Cushings - Charlotte has crossed the Bridge

[LaurieS]

My name is Laurie, I am new here and have some questions about Cushings symptoms and diagnosis. My Boxer Charlotte is approximately 7-8 years old (we don't know for sure since she was a rescue). We have had her for 2 1/2 years and she has always been healthy up until recently. Over the past few months her water intake has increased and for the past month it has been excessive. She is very lethargic and no longer acting like herself. She also trembles a lot and has a hard time staying warm even with her sweater on, which has always been enough when she is in the house. Her breathing is more labored but she isn't panting and she is ravenous all the time. She has always been a "chow hound" but lately it's been even worse. She has gotten into the trash and taken food off the counter when we aren't home. She also has eaten a roll of toilet paper. We have also noticed a little hair loss in areas where her hair has always been sparse. Other than that her hair coat looks pretty healthy.

A couple of weeks ago we had her blood work done along with a urine test and everything looked fairly normal. Urine was dilute but that was to be expected due to the large amounts of water she is drinking. We have seen 2 vets and both have said there are no indicators in the blood work that suggest Cushings (or diabetes which was another thought with her symptoms). She is getting worse and we have been made to feel like we are imagining it. The first vet took xrays of her abdomen and found some air/gas pockets and has put her on metoclopramide to clear it out. He thought maybe she was in pain due to gulping air when she eats. She has been on that drug for 2 days now and is about the same so far, except she seems to be trembling more.

My question to all of you is should we have her blood work and urine tests run again? Should we have a cortisol/creatinine test? How about an abdominal ultrasound? This is horrible timing for us as my husband is currently unemployed so money is tight. We will do what we have to do, Charlotte is a family member, but I hate to keep spending money and not figuring out what is wrong. I'm posting here only because her symptoms seem so much like cushings to me and I know Boxers are on the list of breeds that are higher risk for the disease. Any suggestions on how we should proceed will be greatly appreciated!