Buddy, The Mighty Lizard Hunter - Suspected Pituitary Macro Tumor

Hi Kathy,
Don't know if all vets draw blood from the same place but when Trixie had a check up and they took blood it was on her leg above her paw...just before the knee joint if I remember correctly. Maybe the injury to the pad is a small cut from something outside? I hope it's not bothering Buddy. How's the little lizard hunter been doing??
Barbara

Ladies,
it depends upon the blood test which I never knew until recently.

Once, the vet took Daisy in another room and I overheard him tell the tech to take the blood from her jugular.

Harley got his ACTH stim tests taken from his neck, I believe because that vein was always so easy to see and get to.

Hi Kathy,

Haven't posted to you before as I have been a bit absent of late :o but it sounds like you are really on the right track with Buddy! It's great to hear that things are going so well for you both at the moment, his energy is back up and the fur regrowth is fantastic!

I too am a teacher and fully understand the hassle of taking a day off work to visit the vet, but I've come to terms now with the fact that my my boys are more important to me and as long as I can get a decent sub, the kids will cope. :p It has to be done! (i took friday off last week for an ACTH in fact!)

So just wanted to stop by, say Hi, well done and keep on hassling that vet. I caught mine in a serious blunder that she refused to admit, finally took the issue to her boss instead (after transferring treatment to an IMS) and she was told in no uncertain terms that she stuffed up. The fact is, they do stuff up if they aren't willing to admit they don't know everything, so as I said, keep on at her. It's worth it in the long run.

So on that note, good luck and I'll look forward to hearing about more of the little milestones Buddy recovers in his journey :D

Hi Naomi,:)
Thank you for the support, kind words, and teacher's perspective.
Yes, you are right!:D The kids were absolutely fine! I was just feeling guilty because it was only the second day after I returned from spring break. I had planned to get it done during break but, a series of errors caused the change.

Hugs to your boys. I hope that your little Cush pup doing well,

Kathy and Buddy:)

Hi Kathy, the paw blood could be from stepping on something or maybe he got lucky and caught one of those lizards even. Give it a good wash down and then see if it starts to bother him at all. Make sure no pine needles broke off in there (that happened to molly once). If he licks at it you'll know it's bothering him, it he leaves it alone then its probably just fine.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi,:)
I've asked before, but I'm going to try again. Since Buddy's liver numbers are so incredibly high, and his liver is very large, I am interested in starting him on Denamarin or just Milk Thistle. I did ask his vet, but as usual it was of very little help. She said that Denamarin was to help with liver disease, not for Cushing's related treatment. I can get milk thistle without an RX. My concern is Buddy's allergies. Do any of you have Cush pups with allergies and are using either of these supplements? I finally got his allergies under control since his cortisol dropped. I am concerned about milk thistle causing a problem all over again, or him having an even worse reaction. Thank you,

Kathy and Buddy:)

Hi Kathy,
Trixie is on Denamarin. Did your vet say no to prescribing or just didn't really respond to your concern?
Trixie went on this after her first blood test showed high liver levels. It lowered her levels after just 5 days. She was off it for about 8-10 days and her levels went back up..this was prior to our Cushings diagnosis. Once we had a positive on that the vet put her back on the Denamarin and he said it was fine to take along with the Trilostane. The vet said it's very good for the liver.
I have seen info online about making a tea of the milk thistle or getting capsules but I would think it best to have the prescription stuff so you know the dosage level is right. Maybe ask again and perhaps the vet would know about allergic reactions to milk thistle or is that hoping for too much?
I just looked online and Nutramaxlabs.com has an "ask a vet forum" on their site--they make Denamarin so maybe you ask there about possible allergic reactions.
Hope Buddy is feeling good!

Barbara

Hi Kathy,

According to Holistic vets Susan G. Wynne and Barbara J. Fougere in Veterinary Herbal Medicine, those with allergies to the Daisy family of plants (Family Asteraceae) may have an allergic reaction to Milk Thistle. David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG in Medical Herbalism, the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine states no reported side effects or drug interactions. However, Milk Thistle can reduce the amount of insulin required for diabetics. Denamarin contains silybin which is part of the active component of silymarin in Milk Thistle that works on the liver.

Milk Thistle can do wonders for liver toxicity and improve function for those who can take it - Squirt cannot even tho she has never had allergies until recently. It has always made her vomit no matter which form or method I tried. She is in a very small group of pets who sadly cannot tolerate MT.

Hope this helps!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Thank you Leslie and Barbara. :)

Allergies have always been a challenge for Buddy. He has Skin, food, some medications and environmental allergies. I am concerned about Denamarin and milk thistle because he is so highly allergic. That is my dilemma. Do I try it? It could greatly improve his liver function, but at what risk?

Kathy and Buddy:)