my 10 yr old pom kizzy with cushings disease

[jasmine1971]

hello cushings community im new my name is jasmine my k9 fur kid is kizzy 10 yrs old a sable brindle rarest color in poms but beautiful
she has had cushings for a few yrs my old ( trusted ) vet ignored it & her weight ect now im with a new vet she is not a tiny pom she used to stay around 12 pounds & has bolloned up to 17 .9 i was shocked i have multiple sclerosis & a back injury i can barely carry her
she has to be carried to potty & back cant walk far , she is a very special baby girl , i lost my mother 9 months ago & if not for my baby i dont think id of made it thru , of course my new vet wants to go the normal route with cushings id had my misgivings on that & not sure i want to put her thru it & not sure if i can afford it but thats seconondary , i been ding research & i bought a natural product called supraglan & im praying & hoping its the miracle we need i will post her progress today was day # 1

kizzy used to have chronic skin infections & was treated with prednisone a lot , i changed her diet to evo small bite no grains no more infections over 2 yrs , she has bumps on her skin fron cushings a weak back end , constant panting day & nite , with short rest periods inbetween , drinks alot i keep a closed bowl of water bedside & offer it thru the nite some nites we dont enough sleep
she consumes excess water & of course wen she pees its a puddle
she has been pad trained since 6 wks old but in last year she refuses to go on pad she will wait to go out side i had to pad train because of my m/s i cldnt walk for 9 months started walking with forarm cruthes wen i got kizzy so i couldnt carry her withher weigt gain its hard carring her , she has an odd texture to her hair vet said was related to cushings , she is graying more , her symptoms are constant , she has a big belly , in addition to her cushings
she has luxating p[atelas back knees pop in & out of place, she has a collapsing trachea , she has severe arthritis head to tail
if i could just decreasehe panting & water intake & get some weight off her & bet her back end stronger id be happy

does any one have tips on how to reduce weight in cushings ? & also does any one have any experience with supraglan natural cushings product ? im looing for a natural holistic , natural , homeopathy vet
i am in the area of ft worth texas i found a vet but she had a baby & not taking new patients ???? rrrr i highly reccomend get insurance on your dog wen a puppy , my vet said kizzy wldnt qualify because of her congenital diseasess ? i wish id not believed her on any thing , she ignored cushings for a few years i even brought it up a few x , also if any one knows of a good book ect on cushings let me know please jasmine i hope & pray all your babies do good !!

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[addy]

Hi and Welcome,

I am sorry to read about Kizzy's problems. I understand how much your pup means to you. We all do.

We usually ask tons of questions to try to better answer any questions you have.

I know you are hoping for a miracle, but if Kizzy really does have Cushings I just dont think Supraglan is going to help. Usually our pups need stronger drugs and we have yet to see any benefit from Supraglan. High cortisol is the culprit that needs to be tamed and usually that means Trilostane or Lysodren.

I know others will be along soon to welcome you as well and give you their thoughts.

I am glad you found us and you and Kizzy are no longer having to start this journey alone.

hugs,
addy

[mytil]

Hi Jasmine,

Welcome from me too. Sure am glad you found us.

I did want to make a comment on the prednisone. There is a type of Cushing's called iatrogenic Cushing's (basically means prednisone induced). Was she taking this when she was diagnosed with Cushing's? If so, any testing would be skewed.

Tell what symptoms you are seeing in Kizzy other than the increased water intake and food. Has she been tested for diabetes or thyroid conditions?

Regarding the supraglan, I have not seen any success stories on this. What the ingredients do is treat the symptoms and not the root cause.

Keep us posted
Terry

[jasmine1971]

hello pom mom im a pom mom too im 100 % sure she has cushings all symptoms except hair loss but dull coat 10 yrs dr wants to so a 2 hour test ? & then try trilo sm thing for cushings said it wld cost like 80m a month doesnt cause as many bad symptoms will this med or other help her to not pant & drink so much any more & help her lose weight ? please help

Here is some additional information about Kizzy
"no hair loss , she also has a clollapsing trachea all these are non cushing related , severe arthritis head to toes vet said by xray & , luxating patelas in bk legs &
she has never jumped on furniture ect ive had her since 6 wks old , my mom bought her & i kept her while she went out of town & fell in love & kept her she also can detect a seizure b4 i have one so she is more than just my pet & baby ,. my service dog medical alert
also i have multiple sclersosis & im on disability & the vet costs are atronomical , rt now she has severe cough vet put her on antibiotics zithromax & cough syrup hydrcodone each over 50 dollars & pain med mtecam over 50 too cost 183 for visit for a cough all liquids
this same vet ignored all cushings symptoms for last few yrs i had no choice but use same this time , id like to know if treated for cushings with this trili sm thing or other drug will it decrease her panting ? water intake . peeing , & hunger ? & will it cause her to lose weight ? , the wt is affecting her trachea ? & her legs for walking
these are the things i want to no if they will improve with what meds how much are cushings meds ? $$$ ? & with her constantly panting its hard for me to sleep or her , am causing her to suffer with this panting ? vet said no but i ? i dont want to lose her she is like having a disabled child i must get up each day & take care of i rarely leave her but i dont want to cause her pain & suffering i had to put 1 dog down this year due to cancer 15 yrs old big dog mom mom passed 11 months ago , i cant bear to lose kizzy ? thank you for any info greatly appreciated !!!"





(Admin note - I merged this post you had written up in Rebel's thread with your original thread just to keep everything together :) )

[mytil]

Hello again.

When you get the chance, please post the test results of the this test. Given the 2 hours, I would be it was an ACTH test.

How much does your vet propose to give your girl should the test be positive?

Keep us posted
Terry

[jasmine1971]

Hello again.

When you get the chance, please post the test results of the this test. Given the 2 hours, I would be it was an ACTH test.

How much does your vet propose to give your girl should the test be positive?

Keep us posted
Terry



she did not tell me that but i see her next tue to recheck kizzy for her cough due to collapsing trachea we assume ?
thanks for the info because i feel all alone in this & kizzy has been panting / drinking excessive for last few years urine cushings test was neg in feb 08 wen she was real sick with bladder & breathing problems some x her panting is soo bad i feel like vim allopwing her to suffer & it breaks my heart , i asked my vet & she said i wasnt but she has few rest periods w/ out panting heat intolerant , cant exersize i have to carry her , , & she has a stroller too it hleps her & me me with balance due to my m/s & not having to carry her at 17 pds , any how , i shave her & i have a window unit in my bedroom she stays close too it , i cant turn it off w/ out her having breathing trouble year rd its on 60 i just cover up if cold any scrafice to keep her comfy , i want the symptoms to go away but can any one tell me personal experience with the side effects of trilo ?

also if she gets to where she cant stand to go potty i dont know becausenow she just puts bk legs together & hops & does each & bk down that all she can do , she wont let me hold her up to go potty

i wont have the money for tests till july i will post them then

but can some one please tell me about the 2 hour test rather than th 8 hour ??? my vet said it cost more gave same results & less stress on her & not having to leave her there will help us both i rarely leave her , i recently started dating after 1 yr & i go out on friday nite for a few hours now & have a baby sitter she no's come sit with her , im very particular w/ her ive passed up several vacations but she is worth every scrafice ive made including money spent $$$$ i just dont get alot now on disability & w/ my mom gone she cant help me so its hard , but this same vet ignored this since o8 , wen i went in tue i told her i didnt care what tests b4 said i want to do a new blood cushings test & she said thats reasonable with her symptoms

[jasmine1971]

Hi and Welcome,

I am sorry to read about Kizzy's problems. I understand how much your pup means to you. We all do.

We usually ask tons of questions to try to better answer any questions you have.

I know you are hoping for a miracle, but if Kizzy really does have Cushings I just dont think Supraglan is going to help. Usually our pups need stronger drugs and we have yet to see any benefit from Supraglan. High cortisol is the culprit that needs to be tamed and usually that means Trilostane or Lysodren.

I know others will be along soon to welcome you as well and give you their thoughts.

I am glad you found us and you and Kizzy are no longer having to start this journey alone.

hugs,
addy




as for my $ 45 dollar bottle of supraglan yes i hoped for a miracle however i only gave her 1 dose & she panted more & i didnt give more ? i guess i should have asked on here if any of you had used it b4 ? i was swayed by all the good reviews , but july she will have a blood cushings wen i have more money i just spent 183 tue on her cough & i only have enough for phone bill & sm groceries left so i have to wait

[jasmine1971]

as for my $ 45 dollar bottle of supraglan yes i hoped for a miracle however i only gave her 1 dose & she panted more & i didnt give more ? i guess i should have asked on here if any of you had used it b4 ? i was swayed by all the good reviews , but july she will have a blood cushings wen i have more money i just spent 183 tue on her cough & i only have enough for phone bill & sm groceries left so i have to wait

i dont mind any questions ask away i need any info & help suggestions ect

[jasmine1971]

Hi Jasmine,

Welcome from me too. Sure am glad you found us.

I did want to make a comment on the prednisone. There is a type of Cushing's called iatrogenic Cushing's (basically means prednisone induced). Was she taking this when she was diagnosed with Cushing's? If so, any testing would be skewed.

Tell what symptoms you are seeing in Kizzy other than the increased water intake and food. Has she been tested for diabetes or thyroid conditions?

Regarding the supraglan, I have not seen any success stories on this. What the ingredients do is treat the symptoms and not the root cause.

Keep us posted
Terry



excessive water intake & urinating of course , constant panting , radid wt gain 13 pds to 17.9 pds weak back end cant walk now never got on furniture , recurrent infections bladder , skin ect
dull coat off feeling , skin bumps , hyper pigmentation on tummy only , pot belly pig tummy , hungry , but wen full will turn head
heat intollerant b4 wen she cld walk ahe was reluctnt to exersize those are the symptoms i can think of rt now she has all the symptoms except hair loss ,

can any one give me an idea of the cost for trilo for her at 17 pds ? per month ? & how often will the retest with dex test ? so i know aprox cost to expect thank you & ps i will post all test as soon as i get them / can afford them
ps no thyroid test has never been done it will be soon , she is going to have a cushings test & a full blood panel incuding tyroid , she was tested for diabetes & heart worms a while bk & neg & neg

[jasmine1971]

excessive water intake & urinating of course , constant panting , radid wt gain 13 pds to 17.9 pds weak back end cant walk now never got on furniture , recurrent infections bladder , skin ect
dull coat off feeling , skin bumps , hyper pigmentation on tummy only , pot belly pig tummy , hungry , but wen full will turn head
heat intollerant b4 wen she cld walk ahe was reluctnt to exersize those are the symptoms i can think of rt now she has all the symptoms except hair loss ,

can any one give me an idea of the cost for trilo for her at 17 pds ? per month ? & how often will the retest with dex test ? so i know aprox cost to expect thank you & ps i will post all test as soon as i get them / can afford them
ps no thyroid test has never been done it will be soon , she is going to have a cushings test & a full blood panel incuding tyroid , she was tested for diabetes & heart worms a while bk & neg & neg

ps she has ben on steriods in past yrs for skin infections & supposed allergies , not in last 3/4 years so it wld be natural induced cushings she is 10 a female & a small dog a pom

[jasmine1971]

Hello again.

When you get the chance, please post the test results of the this test. Given the 2 hours, I would be it was an ACTH test.

How much does your vet propose to give your girl should the test be positive?

Keep us posted
Terry

what is the acth test ? & is it good enough it cost 156 & 45 for injection ?

[Sugar]

[kizzy for her cough due to collapsing trachea ]

The collapsing trachea is part of Cushings Disease. My little girl Sugar had a strong heart and good numbers on her last Cushings test but died in my arms of collapsed trachea. Cushings destroys muscles and the trachea is a muscle. She had been on vetoryl for about a year and a half. Before treatment, she had an enlarged area over her shoulders that disappeared after taking the drug. I would strongly suggest getting some weight off Kizzy to take the pressure off the trachea. Good luck and God Bless you both in this journey.

[lulusmom]

Hi Jasmine,

I see that you have several questions so I thought I'd try to answer some of them. I have two poms with cushing's who have treated with both Trilostane and Lysodren so I am very familiar with both drugs and Pomeranians in general. I also have two Maltese boys who have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and one with tracheal stenosis.

Please see my comments in blue below:



hello pom mom im a pom mom too im 100 % sure she has cushings all symptoms except hair loss but dull coat 10 yrs dr wants to so a 2 hour test ? & then try trilo sm thing for cushings said it wld cost like 80m a month doesnt cause as many bad symptoms will this med or other help her to not pant & drink so much any more & help her lose weight ? please help

Trilostane is a very effective drug for the treatment of cushing's. Most dogs respond rather quickly and pet owners see improvement in symptoms like drinking, peeing and appetite right away. The weight loss and regaining muscle wasting will take more time. As for the panting, as weight is lost and muscle mass has improved, the panting will also improve.

Here is some additional information about Kizzy
"no hair loss , she also has a clollapsing trachea all these are non cushing related , severe arthritis head to toes vet said by xray & , luxating patelas in bk legs.

Does Kizzy have a heart murmur and is she on any heart meds like enalapril or lasix (Furosemide)? When was she diagnosed with collapsing trachea? I saw a list of meds she is on but I didn't see is a bronchial dilator, which can make a huge difference. My dog was originally prescribed Aminophylline but it didn't sit well with his stomach so we switched to Theophyllin, which he has tolerated well. I noticed that Kizzy is on an antibiotic. Why was this prescribed?

You mentioned later in this post that Kizzy is on Metacam. Did your vet prescribe for arthritis pain? If Kizzy has arthritis, I doubt that it is bothering her right now. Cortisol, which is the adrenal steroid that is elevated with typical cushing's, is our body's natural anti-inflammatory. When a dog has an excess of circulating cortisol, they are basically self medicating themselves. Once treatment brings cortisol down to a therapeutic level, the arthritis is usually unmasked. Most pet owners don't know their dog has arthritis until this point.

she also can detect a seizure b4 i have one so she is more than just my pet & baby ,. my service dog medical alert
also i have multiple sclersosis & im on disability

This is awesome. I met a lady on the train a few years back who had a 12 year old Shih Tzu who was her service dog. She too would warn her master when a seizure was on the horizon. I think that is amazing!

& the vet costs are atronomical , rt now she has severe cough vet put her on antibiotics zithromax & cough syrup hydrcodone each over 50 dollars & pain med mtecam over 50 too cost 183 for visit for a cough all liquids
this same vet ignored all cushings symptoms for last few yrs i had no choice but use same this time , id like to know if treated for cushings with this trili sm thing or other drug will it decrease her panting ? water intake . peeing , & hunger ? & will it cause her to lose weight ? , the wt is affecting her trachea ? & her legs for walking
these are the things i want to no if they will improve with what meds

With Kizzy going from 13 pounds to almost 18 pounds, I think it is safe to say that she is obese and you need to start working to get her weight down now. Cushing's affects the fat metabolism and for some reason, fat is redeposited in the thoracic area, which is not good. This, the muscle wasting and an enlarged liver, are all bad for a pup with a narrowing trachea as it all puts pressure on the trachea. Dogs with cushing's should be on a low fat, good quality protein diet. I personally prefer grainless feed, especially with a dog who has a weight problem.

how much are cushings meds ? $$$ ?

If you tell us what dose your vet has prescribed, we may be able to help you with price comparisons. I can tell you that I recently got a quote from a reputable compounding pharmacy for 45mg capsules. The 60 count was $57 plus approximately $5 shipping. I believe that price would be much cheaper for Kizzy because at 18 pounds, I wouldn't recommend starting her on anything greater than 1mg per pound.

& with her constantly panting its hard for me to sleep or her , am causing her to suffer with this panting ? vet said no but i ? i dont want to lose her she is like having a disabled child i must get up each day & take care of i rarely leave her but i dont want to cause her pain & suffering i had to put 1 dog down this year due to cancer 15 yrs old big dog mom mom passed 11 months ago , i cant bear to lose kizzy ?

Unless a cushdog has a complicating concurrent condition, most are not only not in pain, they feel pretty good. I think it is worse for us, having to look at our dogs, who are no longer recognizable as the little one we used to know. The good news is that with treatment, we do get our old dogs back, maybe not 100% but we get them back.


she did not tell me that but i see her next tue to recheck kizzy for her cough due to collapsing trachea we assume ?

Be sure to talk to her about a bronchial dilator.

i feel like vim allopwing her to suffer & it breaks my heart , i asked my vet & she said i wasnt but she has few rest periods w/ out panting heat intolerant , cant exersize i have to carry her , , & she has a stroller too it hleps her & me me with balance due to my m/s & not having to carry her at 17 pds , any how , i shave her & i have a window unit in my bedroom she stays close too it , i cant turn it off w/ out her having breathing trouble year rd its on 60 i just cover up if cold any scrafice to keep her comfy ,

I sleep much better in the cold than the heat so can I come sleep with Kizzy? :D

i want the symptoms to go away but can any one tell me personal experience with the side effects of trilo ?

I can't really share any personal experiene with side effect of Trilo because my dogs did quite well on it. My dogs' IMS is extremely knowledgable of the drug, plus I educated myself on how it works, how it is dosed, what side effects are common, what to watch for should cortisol drop too low and how to properly monitor treatment. I can tell you that the most common side effects, should cortisol drop too low, are lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme lethargy and in extreme cases, inability to walk. If your vet is experienced and you do your part, Kizzy can stabilize on treatment and be on her way to a much better quality of life.

also if she gets to where she cant stand to go potty i dont know becausenow she just puts bk legs together & hops & does each & bk down that all she can do , she wont let me hold her up to go potty

i wont have the money for tests till july i will post them then

but can some one please tell me about the 2 hour test rather than th 8 hour ??? my vet said it cost more gave same results & less stress on her & not having to leave her there will help us both i rarely leave her

If other members haven't answered this question by the time I get back later, I'll try to answer this as well as your questions below. I apologize but I have to get to the train station. Glynda

, i recently started dating after 1 yr & i go out on friday nite for a few hours now & have a baby sitter she no's come sit with her , im very particular w/ her ive passed up several vacations but she is worth every scrafice ive made including money spent $$$$ i just dont get alot now on disability & w/ my mom gone she cant help me so its hard , but this same vet ignored this since o8 , wen i went in tue i told her i didnt care what tests b4 said i want to do a new blood cushings test & she said thats reasonable with her symptoms

[frijole]

but can some one please tell me about the 2 hour test rather than th 8 hour ??? my vet said it cost more gave same results & less stress on her & not having to leave her there will help us both i rarely leave her


Since Glynda is commuting home I will attempt to fill in for her. :D There are two tests used to diagnose cushings. The two hour test is the acth test. It measures cortisol. (when dog's produce too much cortisol due to tumors it is caused cushings)... so this test is to determine your dog's cortisol level. Yes it is quick but please know that even if it came back positive you'd want to do additional tests as cushings is difficult to diagnose.

The 8 hr test can actually diagnose cushings and determine which type of cushings it is. (yes, sorry there is more than one type) Most vets recommend this test. Its downfall is that there can be false positives , normally when something else is actually going on (non adrenal illnesses)

Like I said, most vets will do one or both of these tests as well as an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. An ultrasound gives you a big bang for the buck because it takes a look at the organs and can uncover other things that are causing cushings like symptoms.

I hope this helps. If you want to read more I will link you to a couple sections of our 'cushings library'. Kim

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2231