Ugga-7yr old french bulldog (calcinosis cutis)(Ugga crossed the bridge)

I know next to zip about calcinosis cutis so I have just been reading along but a thought kept occurring to me so I did some checking.

Talk to your vet about trying some Chamomile, either as a tea or essential oil. I can be used internally and externally, and has been shown to be effective for several skin problems including wound care, pruritis and allergic inflammations. Whether it could help Ugga or not, I can't say but I have used in on my itty bitty girl for itching and it did help. I made a tea with it, bathed her as usual, then rinsed her in the tea and left it to dry. She stopped scratching - but she didn't have a problem like calcinosis cutis, pruritis, etc. either. But it may still be worth a consideration so talk to your vet and see what they think.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Well the Benadryl is helping a little. He's no longer rolling around like a maniac so that's good. However, he's still acting strange. He's trembling in his sleep and he's stretching A LOT. He's going back to the vet first thing tomorrow am. Hopefully we can figure out what's going on. Oh and the oatmeal bath... terrible idea. It irritated him something awful and he's bright red again. I really thought that would help him. Poor Ugga bugga :( I'm definitely going to ask about the Chamomile tomorrow. There has to be something out there that will help soothe my little man's skin. Hugs,

~Jackie and Ugga

Ok, back in business :). Gave 25mg of Benadryl at 11:30pm and everyone slept through the night, yay. We took Ugga to the vet this morning, got a new med for pain (Gabapentin 100mg BID) which also has some anti-seizure properties (bonus) and a topical spray (Humilac) to relieve the itching and soften his skin a little. Believe it or not, the calcinosis cutis seems to be healing (yay) which in turn, is causing the discomfort (:(). He is resting comfortably now :)

A nite's sleep! YAY!! :) Always good for the spirit!

I'm so glad to hear that his current discomfort is a result of healing. I hope this trend continues and he is feeling more and more like his old self in no time!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Thanks Leslie, me too!

Hi :). I just wanted to give a quick update on Ugga. He's been on the Trilostane a little over a month now (30mg once a day) and is doing pretty well. ACTH stim went well I guess, we're keeping everything the same dosage wise. He's still drinking/peeing a normal amount and he's back to his old self again :D We've weaned him down to half his regular dose of the Phenobarbital and still no seizures which is AWESOME!! The calcinosis cutis is still an issue. It's not really bothering him which is good and the originally affected areas are healing. He's not hard to the touch anymore and it seems like the calcium deposits have broken up. They're still there but they've changed and we (hubby, vet, and I) think these are good changes. His hair is even growing back in a little. It's a different texture and it looks pretty patchy, but it's growing in nonetheless. I want to get some updated pics on his profile but my new iphone is too advanced for my mac right now. I'll have to update my software and that's not exactly high on my list of priorities. I may be able to download them (pics) from facebook or something, I'll have to tinker around with it. Sorry, getting off topic a little. Anyway, just wanted to pop in. Hope all is well with all the cushpups (and their parents) out there. Hugs, Jackie and Ugga

Yay, great update, Jackie. Thanks for taking the time to let us know that Ugga is doing so well. Please give Ugga a big hug from his Auntie Glynda. :D

Jackie

Great update on Ugga! Yes the calcinosis cutis takes time to sort itself out. Good to hear that it has broken up ... this didn't happen in Sabre's case but he just lived with it. Yes .... the hair does seem to grow back irregularly and in Sabre's case rather more coarse and longer - we no longer had the short haired Vizsla but more of a labrador coat!

Angela and Flynn

Hello All!
I am new to this forum and since I am at work can only ask a quick question here. I will introduce myself and go into greater detail regarding my dog's medical issues later when I get home.
Willow is being treated for Cushing's. We believe it to be pituitary based. Willow has had the ACTH tests and an ultrasound.
She is being treated unsuccessfully with Lysodren. She also takes phenobarbital for seizures. You mentioned that you are weaning your dog off of phenobarbital. What is your dog taking in it's place?
I intend to call my vet on Monday (because I'm sure the continued use of Lysodern is a waste of time, money and effort). I have mentioned to him numerous times that I have read that Lysodren and phenobarbital do not work well together. I want to ask him on Monday if we could try a different medication. I am interested in finding out what meds you are using.
I am really going to assert myself regarding the phenobarbital issue because I'm sure this is the root of the problem of her not showing any signs of improvement.
Thanks to all for any help you can give me.

Hi Ginger :). I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, I don't visit as often as I used to. Ugga takes Potassium Bromide in addition to the Phenobarbital for his epilepsy. We weaned him to half of his original pheno dose but we're VERY hesitant to wean him off completely. His epilepsy was rather severe and it's been under control for 3 1/2 years...we just don't want to risk losing that control. We are treating his Cushings with Vetoryl and it is working amazingly well. He also takes Gabapentin but I think we'll be stopping that soon. That one was for the pain associated with the calcinosis cutis. It also has anti-seizure properties so we're not really in a hurry to stop it but his skin is almost completely cleared up now and we don't want him taking something unnecessarily. He goes back to the vet for another stim test/checkup in 2 weeks. How are you making out with Willow now?