Buddy, The Mighty Lizard Hunter - Suspected Pituitary Macro Tumor

You do listen! You video-ed your baby so you can now show it to whatever vet you end up and you also already had the episodes all logged. You are doing everything right - you will find answers I just know it. Kim

Thank you Kim. That means a whole lot!!:):)

Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy:cool:

You are an exceptional advocate for Buddy and he very lucky to have you as his mom.

Love and hugs, Lori

Hi Kathy
I hope today is a better one for your boy! It must be so scary seeing him have the shakes. I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. Least it is Friday today and you will have the weekend with him to look forward too, like you I hate to go to work when they are unwell so hopefully today speeds by if you cannot manage to take the day off.
Big hugs to you super Mom! xxx

It's 4:42AM. I haven't slept much. Buddy has been awake licking at a raw spot on his thigh. He scraped it a few days ago and I was hoping that he would leave it alone. That didn't happen.:( I got up and washed it really well, then put on Bacitracin. It is not at a place where it can easily be bandaged, so I had to cone him. It is small and should heal quickly if left alone. Well, that did it! I can't go I work with him coned and possibly having tremors. That's too much stress for both of us. So, I'm staying home today. That means, I'll have to take him for his ACTH test tomorrow (Saturday)instead of Monday. I can't take off Friday and Monday. I am going ahead and pay for an office visit along with the ACTH, so I can tell them about the tremors returning and show them the video. They will probably be clueless regarding the tremors, but I need to tell them first before looking elsewhere for help. I am stressed and tired and Buddy is miserable with the cone on. Isn't life fun sometimes?:(

Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy:cool:




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Kathy:
God Bless you for having to work during all of this. I am sorry Buddy has to have the cone on. That darn thing is miserable. I stopped using the cone with Tipper a while back because of her trachea. I got one that is soft with no rim, the other one digs in their neck. You blow it up. I think it was on Amazon. I definitely would be showing them the tape with Buddy having tremors on it. Tipper is really getting the muscle contractions at night worse than before. I wanted to video her at night doing this too, and making the bad breathing noises, but it is too dark and she won't sleep if it is light. I have to figure something out- may have to resort to night vision ha!!. I hope this stops for Buddy as I know how sick it makes you feel when it happens. God Bless You Both.
Patti

oh my gosh Kathy. I too wouldn't ever want to make you cry. Sweetie, it's time for a great big HUG

Okay now I'm sure that IMS is wonderful, the worlds best even. But not affordable to most of us. As Kim said there are many IMS that are affordable and that is what we need to find you. Teaching hospital (vet) anywhere around you? What about a Vet ER hospital (that is what I use) a bit more expensive than my normal vet but not out of range of the regular joe. And who knows, your vet Might have an idea too. Not know the protocols of cushings testing, doesn't mean dufus in all areas. So, when you go, take the list of when the tremors started. Seems to have been around the time of the voimiting and weakness. All of which is not passed, but the tremors have not. Which for some reason made me think immediately an inflammation somewhere that is affecting either nerve endings, but that is just my thought (after I got passed an allergic reaction which could still be a possibility). But I think that might be areas to start in.
Reverse sneezing causing my molly to go into a panic and be terrified. She'll come right to me, like, make it stop mom, and I just calm her and pet her till it is over. It doesn't happen often and we can't figure out the trigger of it either, but doesn't seem to cause her any pain. I only recently learned it was called reverse sneezing. Anyway, I digress.
I do have high, high hopes that this isn't causing any harm to him, but does need to be figured out.
So, got your new homework assignment. Talk to vet about tomorrow, see if teaching hospital or Vet ER, ask your vet if they have no ideas for a referral to a good, reasonable priced IMS.
(3000 for an MRI is not reasonable!)

HUGS, you're doing great Kathy!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Lori brought up something that might need exploring - blood sugar levels. I looked at the times of the shaking you listed and they seem to be mornings and evenings - can you tell us whether he had eaten before the trembling started or not? How many times a day does Buddy eat? I am wondering about hypoglycemia instead of diabetes, tho. Hypoglycemia is the opposite - the blood sugar drops too low. Pups can get a tumor on the pancreas that will cause hypoglycemia because excess insulin is secreted, lowering the normal blood sugar levels in the body. Hypoglycemia is more common in puppies, tiny breeds and working dogs who are overly stressed but can occur in other dogs as well. Unless the sugar is tested during one of the spells, it won't be caught as low more than likely. The next time the head starts to tremble, try putting a little bit of Karo syrup or even honey on the gums and see if that helps.

my ipad timed out and i lost a very long message answering all of your questions!! Frustrated will try later!

Buddy is miserable. :( He won't leave bed because he is coned and furious with me for putting that darn thing on. I stayed home to be with him today and he shunning me!:(

Leslie - most of the morning tremors have occurred upon arising, before breakfast. Most of the evening tremors have occurred an hour to an hour and a half after dinner. Stress can trigger short mini-tremors. Those usually occur during grooming of some sort, or anything Buddy doesn't want done to him. Those stress related mini-tremors occur frequently. Those I have not documented, just the ones that come out of nowhere. Regarding Hypoglycemia, Buddy went for weeks without a tremor, could it be hypoglycemia? His meals are very controlled due to allergies. He hasn't eaten anything different! I am afraid to put anything on his gums during a tremor due to allergies.

Sharlene -I don't know of any teaching vet hospitals in the San Diego area. There is an excellent emergency pet hospital about 15 minutes away. It's about as close to me as his regular vet, just in a different direction. Buddy was sent there during his emergency for spinal rads and a ultrasound. It is more expensive than his regular vet, but not anywhere near as expensive as the specialty pet hospital, where I went for his neuro consult. I think they had solid gold water bowls there, but I can't be sure! :D LOL I don't know if Buddy needs to see an IMS, a neurologist, or both?:confused: I don't think I'm going to come out as fortunate as Patti did with a skilled vet that waves all of her fees!:o

Thank you lovely angels for all of your help. :) I noticed that this forum is approaching it's 4th Anniversary. That wouldn't be possible without you love, help, endless hours of research, support and your precious time, which is priceless. ;)

Hugs,
Kathy and Buddy:cool: