Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

Patti,

as luck would have it. I am super sensitive to Benadryl and can't use it.
It's been beautiful here the past few days with little humidity. I hope that it stays away for Tipper's sake.

Hi Everyone:
Tipper had a fair nite last nite with some breathing issues and wheezing, but not a lot. She got up at 6am today her regular waking hour. I was glad, and she had no stomach ache either. This is her second day on the 20mg of Vetoryl. She is not panting or looking for food, but did want some extra nuggets for a snack. I took her out on the porch for a while yesterday. While petting her I noticed a raised like area on her back right side up onto her back. I felt it and she doesn't have it on the other side. It is not a lump per say more like a 2'' area that feels like a big bump, like swollen. It is right above where her right kidney would be and this made me very nervous, because of the ultra sound and what the Dr. said. Tomorrow when I take Chance to the Vets I am going to have the him look at it. I will have a chance to grill him about Tipper then. I need to get these two straightened out before fall as I don't want to be traveling back and forth to Pgh. in bad weather with them. I am hoping her Vetoryl comes by Tuesday or I will have to buy some from the vet, which I do not want to do. Chance was not hiding this morning, but none the less had to be prodded into eating. I need to catch a break here as this is draining all the money I saved for Tipper. Blessings
Patti

Hi Patti,

I hope you can get some resolution for Chance tomorrow. I'll be waiting to hear how the appointment went. I know how worried you are about Tipper's adrenal gland. Hopefully the bump has nothing to do with that.


hugs

Dear Patti
thank you for your post. I know to we'll about the worry and finances.
I will pray for you,Tippy and Chance. Try to take care of yourself during all of this. It overwhelming and exhausting. I have no regrets for trying to safe my baby.
Hugs Sonja and Angel Apollo

Sonja:
Thank you for thinking of Tipper. I know you are having a hard time, and I understand completely how you feel. God willing it will get easier for you. Blessings
Patti

Hi Everyone:
I missed my morning post. I researched all weekend and talked to some vets. After doing so I decided to cancel Chance's appointment at the vet today, and have Tipper seen instead and use the time to talk her case over with my vet.
I made a discovery after calling back to my vets office on Friday and talking to the tech that handled Chance last week. After thoroughly interrogating her (very nicely) I came to a conclusion of what happened to Chance. The vet tech had tried several times to no avail to get blood out of Chance. In the process I surmised that she hit his muscle with the needle. This can cause a great spike in elevation in the CK. I went over this with my vet first thing when I got into his office. He told me I was absolutely right, and he was glad I thought of it. He offered in 2 weeks to redo the blood work for free. I told him I felt a disease process would present differently and be more gradual in the elevation, which he agreed again. He always does my cats himself, and because there was a critically ill dog needing attention, I begrudgingly let the tech do it. I made an agreement with him that he is the only one who will do the cats blood work form now on. Chance will be retested in two weeks by him personally.
Then onto Tipper's dilemma. I showed him the area sort of right above her flank where your kidney would be and he felt it. He said indeed it was a good observation on my part, but that it is a fat pad underneath the muscle. Cushings sort of took it's toll on the left one, but the right one was still intact therefore when comparing and feeling both, one seems highly exaggerated, and appears problematic, but is not.
Tipper will stay on the 60mg ursodiol for now. He wants to speak to a colleague that has done several articles on the nodules on dogs livers and see if he has any ideas we could use to benefit Tipper's situation. Until then I am to stay with the ursodiol as is, because I questioned him on the correct mg she should be taking as I know it is higher than my cat Lucky's, and she is using his pills for now as I just ordered more.
The bad part is we have to have a redo of the Ultra Sound with him present. Tipper has to be fasted, and possibly an enema. He explained that he had gone over her results with the Dr. and he said sometimes when a dog has eaten, things can show up that shouldn't and can look like other things. He said this should be a clearer picture of what is going on with the adrenals. I asked him if it turns out that her adrenal is swollen up that large is there any chance it would rupture??? He said no, and I was relieved as I was really concerned about that potential situation. If it is the right adrenal and it is swollen, I want to see if the left is shrunken down so much that it caused this. I was too stunned by all this to ask when at the US. So Wednesday at 8am we do it again and I am hopeful it gives a true picture, and I pray the right one is not that large object the Dr. showed me on the screen.
I also made some headway on the Vetoryl. I called the girl in my vets office that handles all the drug orders. The one that refunds me when they over charge me and I find out. She saw how cheaply I can get the Vetoryl for at Lambert she said she would match the price. So now I can get it there. This is great as I need some on Wednesday because my vets regular girl did not send Tipper's RX in to Lambert last week, and I would never get it in time now. None of these people do their jobs it is unreal! So now I can get it when I go there. What a relief. I got a lot of things taken care of with my vet visit and all.
So the synopsis is I am glad I relied on myself and my judgment again. I did not have to pay an office visit for my cat, and Chance is definitely ok with that as he hates to go there, and it is less stress. I got the problems solved about Tipper's lump, and the rest I will have to wait it out until Wednesday. to see about. Plus Chance gets his blood test free and that never happens in my vets office! We will see if he charges me for a second Ultra Sound, as it is not my fault he was not there to see this and it has to be repeated. I am not happy to put my girl thru this again, but we have to know what is going on for sure, as my vet will call and consult with Dechra's Dr. Fox. So on we go until tomorrow. Blessings
Patti

Wow! Sounds like a productive day! Good for you! I hope the new US is much clearer and brings you much needed relief from worry.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

A very good day all the way around it sounds like.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Thanks Leslie and Sharlene. I did the best I could, so I think it worked out ok. Blessings
Patti

Wow! I am impressed! You got a lot done in one visit! Way to go Patti!:D