Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

I can't agree more with Sharlene's post. That is excellent advise for ALL of us to remember - each of these pups is a unique biological system and what works for one may not work for one single other pup. ;) Personally, I would leave the diet recommendations up to the nutritionist period. What she recommends are the ONLY things I would attempt right now. You've paid good money and she is highly qualified in this field. ;)

I also want to say that we are working on assumptions here with Tipper. We do not KNOW she is hypothyroid; we do not KNOW she is having seizures. These are just POSSIBILITIES at this point - not confirmed facts. So from this stand point I would not in any way be trying to treat or address issues that are a "maybe". ;) That is getting the proverbial horse before the cart. FIRST comes the diagnosis THEN comes treatment. So for today, work ONLY with the known facts....and maybe in the process save yourself some stress and worry. As I've told you, I am very worried about you and your health with all this stress, honey.

As for the melatonin, I wouldn't increase it just yet. Keep giving the 3mg once at night for a couple of weeks and see how she does. Squirt (at 14 lbs) was taking 12mg a day at one point per her IMS for her intermediate hormones so you probably have some room to increase IF NEEDED. One night is not enough time to know, tho. I would also talk to the vet about this when you discuss the thyroid and seizure possibilities.

I do know one thing - if there is a problem or problems beyond what is already known with Tipper, you will figure it out with or without vet support. You are a great mom and Tipper is lucky to have you on her side. Just please don't forget to take care of Patti along the way.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Patti - I couldn,t agree anymore with Leslie,s post it hits the nail on the head.

You have to take care of yourself (yeah I know pot kettle black lol) as you will be no use to Tipper otherwise. One thing this has all taught me is sometimes you have to take a big deep breath, and enjoy your pup. I completely understand that you want the best for Tipper and I know you will get to the bottom of these "tremours" but please don,t make yourself sick in the process.

You too are a strong woman like many of us on here, we,ve had to be with what we go through daily with our pups, hang in there Patti you are doing a wonderful job :D

Hi Everyone:
I am still working on a plan for Tipper with the nutritionist. Hopefully she will soon be eating healthier than she is ,which is all I ever wanted for her from this. As for her tremors the vet did call me and he believes from all I have told him, from what he has seen, and from talking with a colleague knowledgeable about this that this is a high possibility that Tipper does have this. He wants me to try and video it on the phone as I have been and he wants to see it and have the other Dr. see it. We are not doing anything here until we absolutely know for sure. I don't have the kind of vet that does things on his own to help my dog so what ever help Tipper gets is left up to my own devices. I am proactive and have been my whole life. It has helped me avoid many bad situations where I could have been reactive instead. Where Tipper is concerned I will not leave any stone unturned, her loyalty to me all these years had no measure, and I owe her more than that back. That is what drives me, my deep love for her. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her that I did not give my all on. She is counting on me. I know it can be stressful and I try to keep a lid on it when possible, but I also know I get little or no help from my vet. So Tipper's well being rests with me. I do not take that responsibility lightly. It would be more stressful for me to lose her to one of these issues that could have been corrected and should have been diagnosed by my vet, then I would never get over that. So I move forward trying to help her in the hopes of keeping her quality of life good or better than it is now. I will use Addy's drawer for the rest of the day and play ball with my girl. I do spend a great deal of time enjoying and loving her, but also know that I desperately want her with me for as long as her quality of life holds out. I must depend on myself as I have no one to depend on and help me. Tipper can be an odd kind of case with things and can be the exception to the rule in many things as I have already learned from Dr. Bruyette. I hope to hear on her diet today, and get moving on that , and as for the stress, I thank you all for caring as I have no one else to do that, and look after me. I am still praying for Woody and hope all will get worked out, hope we hear something concrete soon. Blessings.
Patti

Hi Patti... I can't add anything to what everyone else has said. You are doing all you can for Tipper, and nobody could possibly do any more then that. You are a great Mom.... just make sure you DO look after yourself. Without you the babies wouldn't make it, so you have to keep healthy.

good to hear that tipper is ok with her tommy and bowlmovements. hope you can find a good diet for her and that the 2 of you have a good night sleep together. good to hear that the temperatures will be up, so you can walk the dogs again.

Hi Patti! I couldn't be more thrilled than to hear that you are taking some time today to put things in a drawer and just enjoy the day with Tipper and the rest of the gang.

I really do agree with that approach and sometimes that will allow us to come back to the situation with a clearer head and less anxiety, enabling us to deal with what Is much better.

I hope you do remember to do that every so often. For yourself and for Tipper. Don't worry we are here to remind you when needed. It's what we do, we all stick together.

Of course you are proactive, you have to be and you do a darn good job at it too. It doesn't hurt to say so though now and then :)

So, enjoy today. Tomorrow is still another day and I'm sure that with a fresh head and heart, you'll be right back at it with all the iron fortitude that you have and a new determination to get this figured out. That is what it is a renewing of determination with a freshness and strength to see it through.
So there you have it :)

Oh if you have anything going that needs doing, sounds like we might have another storm moving in. They are talking ice here. UGH snow, rain, ice, more snow...sounds like a bloody mess, so get done anything you need done so you can stay inside and hibernate! (you'll get it before us)

Cheers and hugs.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Everyone:
I used the melatonin with Tipper again last nite. It does take about 2 hours to work on her. She still has the seizures all nite long, but not as many. I think it does help her rest more. My vet oddly called me last nite. We talked for a long while. He told me to keep trying the melatonin, but beware it will grow hair on her. I said that is ok as she can use some. He said if need be he has a neurologist in Akron I can take Tipper to, but keep trying to get the video. I tried last nite when she started having them and had the tap lite ready and my phone and the batteries went in the lite. I is like there is some force stopping me from getting this for some reason. I opened up the lite this morning and found it corroded from battery acid. I had not changed the batteries as I seldom use it. I tried to use a flashlight and the beam was not spread out enough. I'm still working on a lite source now that does not wake her, as I put new batteries in the tap light after I cleaned it and it will not work now. I don't even know if they still sell them, I may have to get another one as that was the best lighting and did not wake her up. She seems to be going into a much deeper sleep now and it is hard to wake her , maybe the melatonin?? The vet gave me a hard time about sending Tipper's sample to Jean Dodd's. He gave me many reasons not to send it there because of the distance and problems occurring with the sample. He said he has always used a thyroid team of Dr.'s at Michigan State and they are wonderful. Does anyone know of them, as it seems he will not send it to California and I he has to draw the blood so I am stuck again in a dilemma. Maybe if they find nothing I could send her the report???? I have to go out and get some food in as we are to get back to back storms this weekend and I do not want to travel in them. My Christmas is just about having Tipper with me. I am so blessed with her I don't care about anything else. I will make some candy for some of my elderly neighbors, and some of the vet techs that have helped me. I need to save all the money I can as Tipper goes to Pgh. for her tumor and heart check January 15th, and if she must see a neurologist I will have to find a money tree. Maybe my vet will let me pay him in payments for the ACTH, Early Detection, And Thyroid we must send out??? I hope so I am really struggling to keep up with this. Will make it happen for her like I always do. I guess I will get cleaned up and see if I can get Tipper's sitter. I do not want to leave her as she has not been good, but I need to get this done quickly and get back to her. Blessings
Patti

hi patti, i thought that the weather was getting better in the weekend, but now i read otherwise. were you able to take tipper out for a walk or is this still not possible? if i find someone who knows how to grow a moneytree i will send you one [and myself too]. flynn is using his sore leg a little bit more and i have stronger painkillers now. not good for his liver but he needs them for now. hope you managed to buy your groceries and don't have to drive in a snowstorm.
here it is like spring when you look at the temperature..............no winter yet.

Hi Patti,

Historically, the lab at Michigan State's vet school has been a premier center for analysis of thyroid function. In the past, that's where I have requested to have my Peg's thyroid samples sent for analysis.

Marianne

Hi Patti
Maybe I can put your mind at ease a little bit.
I wanted to send my thyroid panel to Dr Dodd also after reading about her website but decided to let my vet send it to her place. She uses Michigan State university also. Here is what they checked for on Buddy's thyroid panel.

Total thyroxine TT4
Total triiodothyronine TT3
Free thyroxine FT4
Free triiodothyronine FT3
T4 autoantibody
T3 autoantibody
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
Thyroglobulin autoantibody
They also give an endocrinology interpretation of the results for you on the report.

After I saw the report I was pleased that everything was tested. Hope this helps