Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

Happy Thanksgiving Patti!

We are all grateful for you too Patti. It takes all of us, working together to make this community work. Some days are happy, some are sad, some are easy and others down right hard. Through it all though, we have each other to support and care no matter what.

Last night on one of those video shows (of which there seems to be a ton now) there was a video of a jack russle, attacking balloons and making them pop. I jumped up and yelled, that's what Tipper does! hahahaha Then had to explain who Tipper is. I just say dog forum and everyone knows though. LOL It was hilarious to watch.

I hope you have had a relaxing day and enjoyed some much needed rest.

Happy Thanksgiving
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Patti. I am grateful for you being on this forum and the support you give to all of us.

Hi Everyone:
Well turkey day is officially over and the babies and I can watch all the shoppers getting into fights over store deals!! Seems counterproductive to me. I gave Toby some of the chicken I stuffed and gave Tipper her regular chicken and she thought she was eating what Toby had, so all was good. My old neighbor fellow came knocking at the door and brought me some ham from his daughter and the turkey. She thanked me for caring for her dad and always watching out for him, and said she was glad to give me something for helping. I told her I didn't do it to get anything, I did it because I wanted to. She said she is glad he has me for a neighbor as she lives 2 hours away. She is staying until Sunday so next week I will make the turkey and make some meals from it for him. I am trying to read the information for Tipper's new diet she will be starting as it is quite detailed and complicated to see at first. It is scary for me to do this, but she needs it so I must get it done. Leslie will help me if I mess up so I am very thankful for her. I never attempted to feed any of my animals home cooked food and it is a rather daunting task to start. I have gone to the nth degree to give Tipper every advantage to fight off this disease that I could, and this is the last thing I need to add to what we are already doing. I feel good nutrition will help her lose some weight, and get healthier. I have pushed myself to the limits to help her and feel this will maybe get her vitality back. I got Toby a new ball, as he just about has his old one ruined, and I looked online for an exact replacement. It came and Toby is not thrilled with it. It could be the smell. So, you guessed it Tipper saw it on the floor grabbed it and is playing with it constantly. She is only doing this to spite Toby you understand, as she has her own private ball and no one better touch it! If Toby even looks at it she will got nuts, and all this when they are separated by a gate! Tipper really had the tremors last nite, across he chest and her whole body moving. When she puts her feet under me to stop her legs form moving it wakes me up when I feel her legs starting to move. Oh well that's ok as long as she is with me I'll put up with anything for her. She is miffed as there is no walking this morning as it is back down in the teens. She is pacing letting me know she is bored and annoyed that I am doing something. Hope everyone that celebrated had a wonderful day yesterday, and leftovers so they don't have to cook today. Blessings
Patti

Hi Patti
Do you mind saying who you used as a nutritionist to get your meal plans for Tipper? I've always wanted to try using one but I don't have anyone local to go to. Did you do it on line? Right now I'm using Freshpet. I think it's a good food and Buddy loves it but I did like the fact that he was on homemade food. He just got picky and didn't want it anymore. Freshpet is expensive and if you have a small dog like I do and can't use the whole roll it goes bad fast. You can freeze it but you don't get the same texture after freezing.

Sure no problem the nutritionist is Cat Lane her website is thepossiblecanine.com. Have you ever made your dogs food before? I think when a dog is seriously ill, they need good nutrition to maintain their current state even. This disease really makes for havoc to their whole bodies. I feel bad for you and dear Buddy and hope you can get him on the mend soon. Blessings
Patti

Hi Everyone:
Tipper has been restless the last few nite moving about the bed again. I am not convinced that she is being controlled on the current dosing of 20 Vetoryl in the morning and 7 trilo in the evening. I am running out of options here. I am probably going to have to go for another ACTH test here in about 2 week to check these numbers. I either have to raise the trilo to 8mg or give both doses together in the morning all at one time. I may even have to go to 8mg trilo and still give it altogether at one time. It seems that when Tipper was on the 30mg Vetoryl one time a day this was not an issue. She is having hunger issues also. I am not sure if that is due to the diet change or if it is the cortisol creeping up. Not sure where to go with this so I will have to tuff it out until another ACTH. I hate to see her like this though. Maybe I should skip tonites dose and give her both together in the morning??? I need some help on this so if anyone can help please do. I am also getting increasingly nervous about her tremors and the skin quivering on her side, and her side kind of jumping when she sleeps. I have been noticing it also affect her eye area as her eyebrow will move rapidly like twitching. When I call her she wakes up and it immediately stops. I pray to God this is not the work of a pheo. I swear this is just non stop worry on this journey. It is in the teens again today so she will not be walking until it goes above 32 if in fact it does. Another day with a bored Jack Russell on my hands. She will definitely be pulling naughty out of her bag of tricks today! Blessisngs
Patti

I found all the supplements online and the food items in the local grocery stores with no problems. I hope you find the same is true with your experience. Once you get the actual diet, things will fall into place as you work with it a bit. I'm here if you need me! Don't forget to have FUN with this. ;)

I really wanted to have time to go back through the dosage history of Tipper.

What dose was she on when she went to low? and what dose was she on, right before that?

Didn't you go to twice a day because you thought that she wasn't controlling at night? Something to think about is tweaking the morning dose to a tad lower and up the evening dose, keeping it the same dose.

Another thing is to try giving it all in the morning and see if it controls her throughout the day.

I'd think both of those would be options.

Hang in there! You're doing great.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

I think may be trying to even out the doses may be beneficial Patti. I am worried too about Zoe with her 30/10 not holding her cortisol under 5 post, but I wanted her to spend some time with her cortisol going up at night so I could evaluate her symptoms.

It may be you are able to do 30mgs if the dose is split 20/10. Tipper's pre was low not her post if I rememeber correctly. It never is an exact science which makes it so dang hard and expensive:(

Oh Patti... I sure hope Tipper can settle down and you can get the dosage so it works for her.

I read your updates everyday, and on my thread too, even though sometimes I just don't get the chance to post back.

Hope tomorrow you can get out with Tipper and get some exercise and a change of scenery.