Printable View
Ok I just got off the phone with the Doctor. I have to get ready for to. So I will give more info when I get up in the air, but Tes is Okay, NO tumor in the adrenal... A very small one in the pituitary, he wants to put radiation on it. What do you guys think???? gota go
Dottie, you need to find out how large the pit tumor is. Radiation is usually done for pups who have what is termed a macroadenoma. The great majority of pups with Pit Cushing's have only microadenomas. The other thing to consider is radiation treatment can be be very hard on a pup, much harder than treating with either lysodren or trilostane. The big question that needs to be asked of this vet is why do they want to do radiation? Is the tumor big enough to be considered a macroadenoma?
The best thing I can do for you is to refer you to the following link. It is Serena & January's story, in the archived part of the forum. Serena went through radiation about a year ago, but she also had a macroadenoma.
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/show...=9620#post9620
Serena's current thread can be viewed here.
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609
You might also want to take a look at Lucygoo's thread. She has actually had very successful surgery to remove a very large macroadenoma, but don't get your hopes up about this kind of surgery for Tess. It is still in the clinical trials stage in this country ONLY.
Debbie
Hi Debbie. When I see the New Vet this Wednesday, I will ask him those questions. Tomorrow I will read those links. We got stuck in N.Y. nothing new about that, but I wont be landing tell about 1:30 A.M. home about 2:00 A.M... All I remember him saying after he said all the doctor words was it was a very small tumor and that radiation would work great. Tes is going to be 13 years, with very good heath except being over dosed. She has never been sick with any thing. I don't want to lose her now. Hubby said she ate her normal amount of dog food this morning with out any coaching, so she is getting back to her old normal self. Debbie TY for the links and now I will be searching for any thing on this subject before I do any thing.TY you again:)
Hi Dottie,
I just wanted to join in and "second" the information that Debbie has given you regarding radiation treatment for pituitary tumors. Our typical experience here in the U.S. is that radiation treatment is recommended only when a tumor has grown to a size that is large enough to risk putting pressure on other areas of the dog's brain. This is largely because the treatment is both very expensive and also means subjecting the dog to general anesthesia for at least a dozen times (the dog must be totally "knocked out" for each radiation treatment, and typically there are at least 12 treatments over the course of a month).
We have read that some researchers are suggesting screening every Cushing's dog for enlarging pituitary tumors, with the notion that early radiation intervention can stave off the future development of more serious problems. But our "real-life" experience here has been that only a handful of Cushpups actually undergo the treatment at this time. So I will be really interested to hear more about your vet's recommendation for Tessie -- the reason for the radiation right now, and the proposed treatment plan, especially given her age.
I am backing up a little bit, but can you please tell us what symptoms Tessie was showing back when you and your vet first decided to test her for Cushing's? I think we were all pretty worried about the crisis with her overload when you first came to us, and that was what we were all focused on. But I'm not sure whether we ever really had a chance to talk about her symptoms. So can you fill us in a bit more about that, and also tell us how her symptoms are doing now?
Thanks so much, and big ((hugs)) to Tessie,
Marianne
Dottie,
I'm quite sure that when your vet told you the tumor was "very small", he meant in relation to treatment. Meaning Tess would do very well with radiation. I was reading through your thread, and a lot of the symptoms that you report with Tess sound very familiar. I'm sure that she has a macro. My Lucy had a very large tumor and shared some of the same symptoms. Your vet would not recommend radiation otherwise.
If Tess is in otherwise good health, and you can afford the radiation, I would definitely consider it. Consider yourself lucky that the tumor is still small, and radiation is an option.
However, I would ask your vet how long Tess has without radiation. Seriously. If he says a year or two, then obviously I wouldn't do it. Also ask him exactly how big the tumor is measurement wise. Is it under 1 cm? These are all things to think about.
Gina
Dottie, for a pit tumor to be considered a macroadenoma, it should be > 1 cm. in diameter by most textbooks, journal articles, etc. that I have read. If Tess' tumor is smaller than this, you really need to ask why they are recommending radiation.
Debbie
Dottie...
Debbie is right. You need to get the exact measurement of the tumor. I doubt he was recommending radiation if it's under 1 cm., though; and it sounds like she's already having neuro symptoms. It's good that she's still eating.
Gina
Hi Dottie,
:eek: So sorry that we missed Lindie's 7th birthday. :eek: So.....:D:)
Happy Belated 7th Birthday to Lindie. :D:)
I hope your day was as special as you are.
Love and hugs.
Lori and Harley
Hi every one sorry I have been gone so long. Had to fly my trips, took Tessie back to the New Vet. Did not get back to the web site to ask him all theses great questions. Tomorrow I will be doing that. I am on the aircraft coming back from New York has I type. At 2:30 A.M. of the 2nd of Aug, Tes and I were laying on the bed, she was sleeping. She looked over at me and I thought she wanted to go out side. So I got up and called her over to the side of bed. She tried to get up, but was pawing at the air. Now I have a dog that has seizers, so I know what they look like. This did not look like one. I got her up, held her, her eyes were just staring straight ahead. I laid her back down, she sat up but leaning. Got on to the phone to the New Vet. They are open 24/7. I described what was happing. They said she had a stroke. They new she had just been there with all the test. I said if you tell me to take her to ER-Vet I will do it, but what are they going to do for her. They said not much and I had just read that strokes are survivable and they said yes. We hung up, I put her down on the floor, she slept a little, when she went to go pee she curled right paw under to hold her self up, but other then that she was as hunger as a horse. I called back to the New Vet, had them document every thing. Again they said it was a small stroke. About 4 years ago, I noticed one of Tes ear's did not stand up and point. I think you can see it in her photo here. They said that was from a stroke. Its her right ear. Today I spoke with Hubby she is fine.
There was a question about why I took her to my Old vet and he found out she had cushings. I have blood drawn once year on all my furry children. Its there check up. He found that a lab number was to high. I think I posted that Lab report. Then he did more testing and told me she had cushings.
I will find out how big the tumor is. I will have them fax me the report. My New doctor is not in tell Wednesday. I wanted to hold off in giving Tes cushings medication, until the radiation was over. They want to 10 rounds M,W,F. I would like to see a M,F tell 10 rounds were completed. They have Tes on antibiotics for the impacted tooth and gum. The medication is for 14 days and then they want to see her. Before she was over dose, Tes was 25 pounds. After she was 23, then 22.8 now 22.7 she is starting to look pretty skinny, but could eat 24/7 her dog food, but not her dry dog food. I think she has lost her smell a little. Her earring is fine. I think during the stroke it might of made her blind for a few sec.
Thank you all for caring so much. I promise I won't be gone so long with up dates. I also got up on some much needed rest. Oh that tumor they thought she had in the adrenal. They did the CT scan. She does not have one. They think it was just built up fluid. They did a FREE Ultra-sound. compared it to the one that made them go ahead to do the CT and it was gone and both adrenal are evenly enlarged like a cushings dog would be.
The doctor called me on layover on my last trip, I was hugging strangers I was so happy.
Okay i think thats it. bye for now:)
Hi Every one. I got the month of Sept off form work. So Tessie starts her radiation treatment Sept. 4th, 8,911,14,16,18,21,23,25 then they will re check the tumor. Doctor said she will be fine. Then we will finale after all of this get to the cushings. I have to have Tessie at the vets at 5:00 A.M. and I get her back at 8:00 or 9:00 A.M. This will be different seeing day time people. Its 5:15 A.M. right now is Southern Cal I am getting ready to go bed LOL WOW better get on the day shift fast. LOL Ok I will check back let you all know how it went. Other then that flying a lot, getting tessie fatten up for this. Had a Birthday I am now 55 years young. I will change my photo so you can see what I look like. So thats it. Bye for now Dottie:o