Calcinosis Cutis and Cushings (Peety has passed)

I am so glad to hear that Peety is getting his fur back!!! YAY!!! That is the best news and yes, it sure does sound like it was the prednison, which is very possible. I'm just thrilled for both you and Peety! :) :) :)

Yes, it is very sad when we lose one of our furbabies. :( Some days are not good ones, but then other days we get good news like yours and that makes everyone smile.

HUGS
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hey Pat

Just wondering how you and the little man are?

I have been away and juts caught up to see he has fur growing, that must have been such a happy moment for you. I can't tell you in words how pleased I was to read this.

Big hug to you and sticky kisses for Petey

Mel
Xxxx

We are doing good. Peety has an apt Wed to have Dr. Morgan look at his eyes. His cateracts are getting worse and I can tell he is going more on sound (although that is limited as well) than sight. But I don't know if there is much that can be done. I'm also going to ask if there is anything else that can be done for the black skin. The hair is coming back but the black skin is not bugging. Otherwise he is a happy boy so that makes me happy.

Except tonight when I just read about Ugga. I am so sad. This site is helpful and heartbreaking at the same time. Thanks for your concern about Peety. On days like today I just hug him a little tighter.
Pat

Some days are quite hard. :(

I'm glad to hear that Peety continues to do well. Poor guy, eye sight and hearing. Sucks getting older, some days more than others. Dogs are pretty adaptable, better than people, so I'm sure that he will continue to be happy and will figure out how to manage if it is worse eyesight and hearing.

Molly is so tired of me hugging on her, she is getting grumpy about it. :D

hugs,
sharlene and molly muffin

Hi! Just wanted to check in and see how you and Peety have been.

Hope that all is going well.

thinking of you
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Dawn, I am a member but have not been active for a while. Thought I would look in and see how everyone is doing and see new members and their concerns with their fur babies. So sorry your lil one has CC. It is horrible, We were first introduced to it Jan 3rd of this year. Peety is not Cushing's and we just recently did blood work again with no positive results in that area. Thank God. The CC was dormant for a few months, by that I mean no new break outs and the ones that were there turned into black hard calcium that would not budge and still haven't. About 1 month ago the CC flared it's ugly head again and worse this time. He now is covered with calcium sores, but not open and bleeding. His hair is coming out in clumps. You can see from his album the CC from the first go around. About 2 weeks ago the worse nightmare, Peety's tongue turned white and was hanging out of his mouth. I freaked. The Vet told me his tongue was dead???? and could not offer any reason other than she thought the whole CC thing was probably responsible. Dead, I immediately knew in my gut that he would die from starvation. She put him on antibiotics by syringe and I was feeding and hydrating by syringe just to keep him alive. He lost 5 lbs. I took him to another vet that did not know either what would cause that to happen to the tongue but he showed me the end of his tongue was gone, but it wasn't dead. The color had returned to a normal pink and the swelling was gone. He said there was only a small place that looked like it was healing still. For a few days he would go to his water bowl and just stand there and look at it, but he must have known his tongue was to sore to use. I cried all weekend and had to force feed him, but I was determined he was not going to starve on my watch. I did a lot of praying and we did get a miracle, he started drinking on his own and now he is eating on his own. He has regained almost 2 lbs. One theory is that the calcium that appears on the outside of his body may have manifested itself on the end of his tongue and it just fell off. But I don't really know. I know when I have had a sore tongue how it hurts to eat. So he knew that and now that it is almost healed he has learned to eat and drink again without the tip. He still will not play with his toys but I am hoping after some time he will see that he can. They bring so much joy to him. Apparently the CC is not the only problem. His blood work shows some kidney issues. So we are transitioning to a more appropriate diet for the kidneys. For his CC I am just bathing him in Hibiclens and I use Neosporin on any bad places. He is back to wearing his cone and t-shirt. But I try to leave the cone off as much as possible. His hair had almost grown back from the first go around, but I may have to cut if off again just so I can see all the places that need attention.

Hope you are able to get to a point where the CC subsides and Butters is more comfortable. It really is horrific and this round is worse in that it covers more area, but the sores are not open and bleeding. What are you using to control it? Anything your vet recommends? I actually could not rely on their knowledge, so I just do my own research. I know when Peety is uncomfortable and I will do anything I can to make him comfortable.

Blessings to you both. Pat, Peety's #1 fan

Administrative Note: Reply copied from its placement on another member's thread so that members can reply directly here.

Hi Pat, I saw you just posted about Peety on the cc thread. Oh dear, I wonder, did you ever take him to the University to see if they had any ideas? Dawn is taking Butter to University Davis in California, where they did radiation treatments on the pituitary tumor so we are all hoping that the cc will get more under control as that comes down.

Thing is that Not just cushings can cause the cortisol to go. If there is anything else wrong, kidneys, etc, the cortisol can raise and cause the same problems or high intermediate hormones too. So those are things to maybe look into.

I'm so sorry that Peety had another outbreak and then the tongue problem too. :( such a little trooper. You know you are family Pat, so you Can come in any ole time you want to have a chat.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Pat, I too am so sorry to hear about Peety's new ourbreak. But like Sharlene, I am hoping you will finally look into a consultation at UF at Gainesville. I will be very anxious to know what the numbers were for this most recent Cushing's test. But I remain puzzled as to why your vet never believed that the May testing was consistent with Cushing's when the ACTH result was abnormally elevated and Peety also exhibited so many other lab abnormalities that are consistent with the disease. But at this point, if the ACTH is still not convincingly high, if it were me, I would opt for the 8-hour LDDS test. It is much less likely than the ACTH to "miss" the diagnosis in a dog who has Cushing's.

This is the thing, since the CC has been definitively diagnosed by the derm vet, it will never come under consistent control unless cortisol levels are also consistently managed if they are elevated. I know there was some thought that perhaps Peety's CC was the result of prednisone use early last year. But it has now been nearly a year since that time and Peety is now having an outbreak severe enough that he has actually lost part of his tongue. There has to be something else that is currently fueling the CC, and until proven otherwise, Cushing's still seems to be the likely candidate -- especially in view of his elevated ACTH last May. And how about his kidney testing? That was also worrisome back at that time. Has it been rechecked?

Can you please get us the numbers for any recent labwork that has been performed? And truly, if he was my boy, I would try to get him in to be seen at Florida so that you can finally get to the bottom of what's going on.

Marianne

My heart is broken today, because I lost my love, my sweet boy. He died in my arms earlier today. I will forever be thankful for his sweet lil personality and the joy he brought to my heart and life. I am amazed at the patience he had with me when doctoring his sores and caring for him. The Dr had told me his recent blood work had showed kidney disease and I knew that we were dealing with more than just the cc. I transitioned him over to a bland kidney diet and he was doing okay with it but he was dehydrating and we were going to start fluid injections tomorrow. I cannot believe he is gone, my world has now become just a blur. I don't know what I am supposed to be doing. I don't have any strength to think, I just keep reliving that moment when his lifeless body was all I had left. I know he is free of pain and suffering, but oh how I wish I could rewind the clock to a day when he was healthy and happy. My precious lil boy will always be in my heart and I will miss him forever.

I am so very sorry to read of your baby's passing.