14 year-old Shih Tzu With Recent Cushing's Diagnosis

Just by way of a short(ish) history:

Jack started showing signs of back pain after a five-day trip we took by car that involved a lot of driving and some hiking. But Jack's exercise tolerance had never been normal. When we adopted him at 1-1.5 years old, he was tired and ready to go home after 30 minutes of mild exercise at the dog park. Not at all typical for a young border collie.

After the trip, he was limping badly. Vet examined him and he showed signs of pain at the mid-back and also some poor reflex responses. The x-rays confirmed the two bad discs. He was put on Metacam and rest for a couple of weeks and seemed to recover.

A few months later, though, he started showing signs of pain again and his exercise tolerance dropped to just 15 minutes of walking, after which he acted like he'd run a marathon.

So we started exploring potential causes.

We knew he had the bad discs so we had a consult with a neurologist but at the time Jack wasn't showing much signs of pain.

Late fall it was worse and we tried some acupuncture, which seemed to make it worse still. Jack's an anxious dog and I don't know if it was the stress of the acupuncture visits or whether it was just getting worse regardless of the acupuncture. So we stopped the acupuncture and went back to the neurologist.

Given that we knew he had a couple of bad discs, we tried some medications geared more toward back problems. The first was gabapentin, which treats nerve pain. Jack was not better on Gabapentin than on Metacam. So then we tried him a course of prednisone. Unfortunately, he responded very badly to the pred. He was peeing a gallon every hour. We tried going to methylated pred, which can sometimes eliminate the urination. It was only slightly better than the pred and didn't seem to be helping his back any.

So at that point we just went back to Metacam and went back to more thorough diagnostics.

We had that comprehensive set of x-rays I'm suggesting for Hannah done. The vet x-rayed EVERYTHING! I'm tellin' ya! Our vet's only fault may be that he gets a little carried away with the x-rays! LOL

That told us that the only sign of a problem anywhere in his spine and joints was in the discs. No joint dysplasia, no arthritis, no bone cancer.

So then we went back to the neurologist. He did a very thorough exam after we had taken Jack off of the Metacam for a full week. Took him outside and watched him walk and run. Twisted and bent and extended and poked and prodded every inch of his spine, hips, knees, ankles. And he had the hospital surgeon also do an exam to try to identify any soft tissue injuries. Nothing found. No flinching, no obvious signs of pain, no tension.

At that point, basically the neurologist's feeling was he did not know why Jack's exercise tolerance remained limited and he was not necessarily in favor of doing the MRI. His approach is that by the time he does the MRI he generally knows what he's looking for and with Jack, he didn't.

But our approach was different. We had saved up the cash for it, had pet insurance that would help pay for it, and ultimately we didn't want to find out ten years from now that all along Jack had had some problem we could have fixed and prevented him from experienceing all that pain. We knew the chances were slim that would be true. But he's a young dog with a lot of days of chronic pain and chronic NSAID treatment ahead of him. So that's why we chose to do the MRI.

And the result was not conclusive as to what causes his pain. But we ruled things out. No discs pinching the spinal cord, no nerves into the leg that bothers him being pinched, no other discs that have problems.

We know there's no surgery that can cure his pain and we will just have to manage it. Which we are doing with daily Metacam. He tolerates it really well and it does provide some relief.

I haven't gone with Cosequin because his stomach didn't seem to respond to it all that well and he doesn't have any signs of arthritis or joint damage that are the kinds of issues that Cosequin is good at targeting.

We don't give Tramadol because Jack also takes Prozac and there is a concern, from human medicine, about seratonin syndrome when the two are used together. He's managed well with Metacam so no need to risk it. That could eventually change and if it does, we will reconsider it.

Jack's stable and is managing 20-30 minutes of mild to moderate walking a day. He gets a lot more sore if he does any running, jumping, or twisting so we don't do much of that - just chasing toys around the house, never out on walks. The neurologist wants us to avoid stressing his back because those discs could slip and start pressing on the spinal cord. So strenuous exercise is out for good for him.

I think it's the kind of thing that if he uses his back in certain ways it starts to really hurt for a day or so and as long as he doesn't do those things he gets by pretty well.

In the end, the MRI was really for our peace of mind. We sure were glad that we bought pet insurance! It's a medium policy. Didn't cover it all by any means but it helped a lot in making the MRI possible.

Natalie

(Okay, I've done my best to out ramble you! ;) )

Hi Everyone-

I just wanted to give a quick update on Hannah. She seems to be doing much better. She had her third (and last, for now) acupuncture appointment last Thurs. and he felt she was doing much better. She had much less tension in her back. He said he doesn't need to see her again and we can return if I feel she needs a "tune up." He encouraged me to take her for short walks (even if it is just a few houses) and to let her decide when she is done. He wants me to get and keep her moving. We are supposed to continue watching her carefully for the next 6 weeks or so and not allow stairs or jumping up or down. I plan to try to keep it that way forever. She is starting to trot more on walks and in the house, and doesn't seem to be in pain. She is not taking any painkillers.

I have also decided to slowly take her off the Anipryl to see how it goes. I am tapering her off over the next few weeks. We will also test to see how her ALKP level is (since it dropped so much when she started it). If it is higher and I am not noticing Cushing's symptoms worsening without Anipryl we will try something else.

My only real worry now is that she is desperately in need of grooming. She was due about 3 weeks ago when she hurt her back. The acupuncture vet does recommend she get groomed. I decided to take her to the groomer located at our regular vet office this Thurs., and I am paying for a vet tech to assist so they can be careful with her back. I am looking forward to her getting cleaned up, but I am definitely worried about her back. The acupuncture vet doesn't seem too worried-he just said they should use good common sense about a dog with a history of back problems. I'm hoping that goes well. I left a message for my vet, asking if he thought there would be any benefit in sedating her slightly to do it. I just want them to be able to clean her up since she licks so much. She has some small tangles on her tummy and inside her back legs and my regular groomer usually shaves that out. I just hope they can access the area without too much trouble.

Anyway, that's about it for us. I have been busy with parent-teacher conferences, but I try to read and stay caught up when I can. I always have you and your dogs in mind and am sending positive thoughts to all of you.

Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,

I understand the grooming worry I just went through it with Zoe. I spoke with her regular groomer so she understood and actually Zoe did really well, no problems.;););)

I am so glad Hannah is feeling better and I hope your anxiety is better too.

Love you both,
addy

Julie - just checking in - glad to hear Hannah is doing better!! Poor little ones with the back and pain issues - hope Hannah keeps improving everyday - Penny is finding it so difficult to walk - he back and legs alo - appt is on Wed - hope they can find some relief for her - I hope the grooming appointment goes well!!! Hugs!

Natile - I read both the post to Julie - Penny has all those back and legs issues - I assume the Metacam is like the Rimadyl?? I am going to the vet Wed so I will find out exactly what the back issues are among other things - but bone spurs - arthristis and stenosis is for sure

I hope it goes ok at the groomer Julie. Judi

Me too, I hope Hannah comes home clean and cute as a button with no ill effetcs.

love,
addy

Thanks so much Addy and Judi-and everyone else who checked up on us. Hannah survived the groomer and is still moving at a good pace, too! She was there for 4 hours, but the groomer gave her lots of breaks to rest. She looks good too! Now I think I can finally relax for the weekend!

Julie & Hannah

Julie - So happy all went well at the groomers!! You enjoy your weekend and give Hannah a big hug for me and Penny is sending a big lick!!:)

Hi-

I thought I would post an update on my Hannah. I was so relieved she made it through her grooming appointment with no issues. She also made it through a jump onto the couch (she snuck up on me) so those two things were a relief. She did end up with a little skin infection near her groin. The groomer thought it was just irritated from some little tangles (since she has allergies and licks a lot and was overdue for a groom because of the back problem), but it was looking pretty bad so I took her in, and sure enough, it was an infection. Luckily, it is clearing up really well and we're on day 6 of antibiotic. I also have a medicated shampoo we use twice a week. She is feeling much better. I am so glad!

We are two weeks into the process of gradually taking her off of the Anipryl. She did every other day for two weeks, and now we're on every three days for a couple of weeks, then done. I have noticed no change in drinking, eating, or urinating. Also, she is trotting along at such a quick pace when we go for our 2 block walks! I am thinking her back must have been bothering her for MONTHS before it got really bad, based on how slowly she was walking. I just thought she was getting older...it's amazing to see how she moves now. The acupuncture really did help.

I am cherishing these good times because I know the roller coaster ride will continue. I am just ecstatic to see her doing and feeling so well. I keep the rest of you in my thoughts daily, and am always hoping for the best for your little ones as well.

Julie & Hannah

Julie, I am so glad Hannah is feeling so much better!!!!!!:D:D:D

Keep up the good work,
Addy

Woohoo!!!!!!
So glad things are looking up!!!!

So glad Hannah is having some good days!!!! I know how much that means!!!!!! Hopefully the roller coster ride will calm down for awhile:)xo

I love hearing when dogs are doing so well. Yay for you and Hannah!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I am so thankful for the knowledgeable and helpful people on here who have helped me to make decisions for Hannah. Thank you most of all for all of your support. Without the people on this forum I would not have made it through all of this with my sanity! I am so thankful my little Hannah is still here with me and doing well today. I am thinking of all of you and your dogs, those still with us, and those who are not. I hope you have a peaceful Thanksgiving.

Julie & Hannah (& my non-Cush pup, Izzy)

Julie - praying for good results for Hannah tomorrow - thanks for checking in on Penny - yeah better days - you never know with this disease - but she just looks so much happier - she use to have the dazed look now its a happy look - finger crossed it last --- let me known how Hannah makes out -- give her a kiss for me and Penny - love and prayers and hugssssssssssss xo

Hi Everyone-

So Hannah had a blood test today to check her ALKP level to see if it had increased since going off of Anipryl. I believe they call it an NSAID profile. Hannah's initial ALKP value was 1700 something when she was diagnosed with Cushing's. It then dropped to 300 something after Anipryl. I weaned her off of it and today it was 424. 17-220 is the normal range. So it has gone up about 100 since August (she went off Anipryl throughout the month of October-I weaned her).

My vet's recommendation is to check it again in January (about 6 weeks) to see if it is the same. If not, he would like to put her on Denamarin. I am fine with this.

He also said her BUN is slightly elevated. It was 33 and the normal range goes up to 27. He said he is not concerned because her Creatinine level is normal. Last time it was 1.4 and now it is 1.3. I'm not sure what the normal range is. He said if her Creatinine level was high he would be concerned about kidney disease. He told me that if she didn't drink much water this morning it could also be from dehydration.

I tried looking up some info. online, but I never know how valuable that is. Do you think this is something to be concerned about? It seems like some sites say this could be early kidney disease. My vet said I would notice increased drinking with kidney disease too.

Here's the thing. Hannah doesn't even seem like she has Cushing's anymore. Her water intake is normal for the most part, and she seems to drink a lot in spurts. Actually, I feel like she has decreased her water intake recently. Now I am a bit concerned about that. Should I be worried? I asked them to fax her results from her last two tests to the IMS we saw in June and put a call in for her to get back to me with her opinion.

I just don't want to let a new problem get worse before we do anything. I will see what the IMS says, but I am wondering if any of you have insight into this. Would you recommend another test? A urinalysis?

Thanks!
Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,

My dogs have had elevated BUN on their bloodwork and like Hannah, creatinine and everything else was normal so even though I pretty much knew the answer, I asked the IMS anyway. Like your vet, she wasn't concerned because the dogs were fasted. By the way, one of the dogs doesn't have cushing's but not sure that matters. By the time we get to the IMS they've panted their way into dehydration. :D I think you can rely on your vet's opinion.

There have been so many things about Hannah's diagnosis that don't add up for me. The lack of symptoms, a completely normal abdominal ultrasound and belly hair that started growing back rather quickly after the ultrasound. It's possible the diagnosis was correct but it's equally possible it wasn't. I think waiting until January and retesting liver values is a good idea. In the meantime, you could always catch a morning urine specimen and have a uc:cr done. If it's normal, then it is highly unlikely that Hannah has cushings.

Glynda

Thanks, Glynda. I'm concerned because Hannah also is on a Rx food for urinary issues (Royal Canin SO) because she had some crystals several years ago, so I am wondering if this could have anything to do with that problem. I'm not always sure my vet has her whole medical picture in mind (or even in front of him because we talk so often), and I didn't think of that until after. I'll talk to him, if necessary, after I hear from the IMS.

Also, Hannah's appointment was at noon today, and we were up at 7:00 and she had breakfast around 7:30. (I do put warm water on her food and mix it with a little canned food, so there is some liquid that way). There was no panting on the way there, so I am worried about why she would be dehydrated.

Here is the craziest thing of all....I have not seen or heard her get a drink today (although I have not been with her at every moment) and now I want her TO get a drink, whereas before I cringed when I heard her get a drink. I am worried that the drinking seems to have decreased. She did go potty this morning, at 1:00, and at 5:00, so I'm hoping that means she is okay.

There was one night this week when she didn't potty before bed (around 10:00) after going around 7:00 that night. That is uncommon for her. I tend to worry whenever something is off (in case you can't tell!) but I have told myself that she cannot have severe kidney problems if her kidney values have always been normal and were totally normal in August. There may be a problem, yes, but it can't be that bad. I have to talk myself through things because I tend to jump to worst case scenarios.

Anyway, I'm hoping I'll hear something from the IMS soon. If anything, I'm thinking I could have them do a urinalysis to be sure everything is okay.

Thanks for hearing me out (and offering your advice, if you have any)!

Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,
I'm hoping you hear from the IMS soon and it is good news. Every thing that is "off" makes us jumpy, boy I know the feeling.;)

Here is a hug (((((())))))))) and prayer for good news!!!!!!

love,
addy

Julie - I hear you - its never easy -either they are drinking to much or not enough - Penny was drinking so much I couldnt keep water and her bowl and if was empty she would head to the bathroom to try to flip the lid open on the toilet!!! Now its normal drinking - go figure - thanks for your post on my thread!! Nice to have good days - but you never know what tomorrow brings - so one day at a time - hope the IMS gets back to you soon - hugsssss for now - will check back x0

Hi Julie,

thinking of you and Hannah

love,
addy

Julie - Just checking in - Hugsssssssss to you and Hannah xoxo

Hi,

Thanks for checking in, Cindy. Unfortunately, the IMS didn't get my message and doesn't work until Wed. so she will call me then with her advice on Hannah's blood work. I talked to my regular vet again and he said we could recheck her BUN/Creatinine again soon if I want to. Or we can wait about 4 weeks and recheck all blood work. Or we can do a UA. He said that a dog with kidney issues can't concentrate its urine. Since that is also the case with Cushing's, I'm not sure how much that helps us.

Regardless, Hannah has been licking her "privates" or vulva, I guess, frequently and I can see that it is really pink on the skin around there. She doesn't want me to look at it, so I know something is up. A few weeks ago we just finished a three week round of Clavamox because she had this rash all over her abdominal area. It did clear up entirely. Since it is pink again and she is licking a lot, we are going into the vet tomorrow. They want to do a UA this time too. Last time I remember them telling me if there was a UTI the Clavamox would clear it up anyway.

She was just acting off tonight and I was worried that her back was causing her pain again too. She was standing funny, had her tail down, just acting off. We went for a really short walk (it's freezing and the streets are snow and ice covered) and she wasn't moving very fast at all, but then trotted when I asked if she wanted to go home. I don't think she sees much at all, so I think walking in the dark is not appealing to her.

She did trot around the house when she couldn't find me, so hopefully the back is okay and it's just this rash that is bothering her. If I rub back there, she'll eventually let me peek, and feel the area. It does feel a little bumpy, like maybe there are some small pustules in the pink area.

Ugh. If it's not one thing, it's another. I guess we'll see the results on a UA now because of this, but I don't know what it will tell me anymore because now the potential lack of concentrated urine may not be indicative of Cushing's.

I just hope I can have two happy, healthy dogs for the holidays...

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

Julie & Hannah

not sure if you have read everything i did with my little girl, and I am one who wants to make certain i have everything covered...everything....and if there is chance of one tiny spec being missed i want to do whatever i need to cover that. So sometimes i feel its better to just start over from scratch....do another complete cbc, biochemical, UA (cysto) pooh sample, UPC and creatine ratios, etc. and redo ultra sound and even full pancreas check. and even hormone check. Its like okay....lets see what we have, where we have been and where this is heading, i even went as far as to graph things out....(i know i know) and grouping symptoms together and then seeing what all these symptoms link back to, what do they all have in common. When i stress i cant sleep, the angels here can sure vouch for that one as the hours of my posts would come in at all times. lol
Hope you and your baby are doing okay.....sending warm hugs your way.

Hi Julie,

i am going through the same thing with Zoe with the vulva licking and her paw chewing has worsened much more that it usually is. She was cleared for UTI a month ago, we did culture too, nothing there. I think Zoe needs an anthistimine.

I'm telling you, I think Zoe and Hannah are related;););)

love,
addy

Hi Julie I had missed your update. Is Hannah feeling any better? It seems to be an awful year for allergy type stuff. Judi

Hello Everyone-

I want to write an update about Hannah. First, she is scheduled to have another NSAID test in mid-January to see how her ALKP level is, and to see if her BUN level is normal (since it was slightly elevated a few weeks ago). I am also debating the UCCR test with her, since she doesn't show a lot of signs of Cushing's.

We were back at the vet today with another skin issue. A couple of months ago she created a skin infection from licking her groin area. It cleared up, and then came back again, just by her vulva and I caught it early. We treated that for two weeks (she was done with the antibiotic on Tues.) and last night I noticed a couple of scratches and scabs on her chest. There is hair missing in that small area (she scratched it off). She has been itching there lately. It didn't look too bad, so I was just planning to wipe it with the Chlorhexidine wipes I have.

Anyway, today, I noticed that she was bleeding on the back of her front leg. I couldn't find the source of it so we went to the vet. I suspected she scratched it until it bled, but the vet said it looked like an abrasion. I have no idea how she would have gotten that.

They cannot figure out what all of the itching is about. Since it hasn't been very cold here, we wonder if it is still allergy related. She has never scratched herself to the point of injury before. For now, the vet is taking a conservative stance and we are doing a different antibiotic for ten days (Clindamycin), Benadryl three times a day (we did that in the summer) , and the Chlorhexidine wipes twice a day on those two areas.

She said if she is still itching a lot tomorrow, she recommends Gentamed, an itch spray. It does have a steroid in it, but they said they feel comfortable using a little bit topically, in a Cushing's dog (especially one with very mild symptoms). Any thoughts on this?

The next suggestion is a skin scraping to see if she has mites, since they had a case of mites a few weeks ago without typical signs. She also suggested I get Hannah's thyroid tested when I have the NSAID done, just to see if she has any thyroid issues, since that can cause skin trouble.

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Would this be any symptom of Cushing's (lots of itching and skin issues)? My vet said it really isn't.

Also, I noticed the Clindamycin says to use with caution in dogs with liver or kidney issues. They were not worried about the very slight elevation in her BUN, but I am wondering if this is concerning with an ALKP of 400-something. I am hoping not, since I have it, but we saw the vet that is less familiar with Hannah's Cushing's issues/blood tests.

I still have been trying to check in on all of you, and now that I am on winter break (from teaching), I hope to check in more often. I hope you are all doing well.

Thanks for any suggestions you have!

Julie & Hannah

Julie: Jenny got kennel cough from her vaccine and it took 6 weeks of antibiotics to get rid of it. Her vet prescribed something stronger than amoxycillan then left for the weekend. When I googled it, it said it was not recommended for dogs with liver problems.

I got more amoxy from Jenny's regular vet and gave her that instead.

When I told this vet about my concerns he explained (and I already forget) that the liver warning are for dogs with chronic liver problems and the drug he had given me, doxycycline, would've been ok for Jenny and her elevated liver issues due to Cushings

When I started this post I thought I remembered what he said, obviously I"m losing my mind. these skin problems sound miserable though. I hope she gets some relief soon!

Thanks, Judi! I assumed it is probably okay, but now I am ALWAYS worried about my girl (who is currently barking at me and scratching my leg...why, I'm not sure...that's my Hannah). I appreciate the info.

Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,

Sorry to hear about Hannah. We seem to be in the same boat though Zoe does not yet have the skin infections. Cush dogs can have frequent infections. My IMS discussed the use of topical creams with a steriod. She did not seem super worried about it if we have to resort to one down the road for awhile. We just have to know it may increase her cortisol.

I would wonder about the mites as well because in Cush pups they can be a problem. I have that in the back of my mind for Zoe. I had pretty much decided on my own to do what your vet just told you to do. I have some amoxicillin that I may or may not try depending if I can get a handle on Zoe without antibiotics. I think the night before Zoe had potty problems because the benadryl gives her a bit of dry mouth and she was drinking more water that night.

Does Hannah have dry skin? Our IMS wants us to use a moisturizer on Zoe. This morning I distracted her with a Kong. I let her chew and lick that when she started on her paws. She is better on the BID benadryl. I just wanted someone to be home to make sure it was not a problem for her taking it so close to her Trilostane.

I am hoping the wipes, the 3x benadryl and the antibiotic helps poor Hannah. Try distracting her with a chew toy too. It helps Zoe and if some of this is obsessive complusive chewing and licking along with allergies, it can't hurt.

Love and hugs,
Addy

P.S. OMG You are coming to Wisconsin? I wish it was close to Milwaukee, we could visit:D:D

Hi Julie,

With so few symptoms commonly associated with cushing's, I personally wouldn't consider treating and if that would be your decision too, save your money for testing if and when Hannah developes more symptoms.

Per our PM's, I think it is a very real possibility that Hannah has Sarcoptic Mange and I personally would forego the skin scrape and get some Revolution on her and Izzy now. As a rescuer I've dealt with it a lot and am currently dealing with it with my own dogs. They were exposed two weeks ago to a friend's dogs who woke up one morning scratching and biting themselves bloody. It hit all four at the same time so my friend was going what the heck? My dogs spent the day with her dogs two weeks ago. No scratching yet but I contacted my IMS and my gp vet and both said get Revolution on them now.

This is the worst and most intense itch a dog can have which is why the lesions are usually from self mutilation which is also why it can easily turn bacterial from the dog's saliva. The carrier in my case is a little shelter rescue who had two skin scrapes by two different vets and no mites were seen. Unfortunately, more often than not, sarcoptic mites are tough to find unless you scrape their whole body. For this reason, it's usually recommended that you treat with something like Revolution and see if it helps. If it is scabies, you'll notice a small improvement rather quickly and within a few days, you'll see a vast improvement.

I realize Hannah has skin problems but there are too many coincidences to be an unseasonable allergy. As I mentioned, sarcoptic mites like areas that aren't too furry like the chest, abdomen, knees and ears. Hannah, has missing hair from her chest and a lesion on her elbow. Those are two primary areas of infestation.

Lesion on dog's elbow
Attachment 639

Exposed dogs don't start scratching for a few weeks so the exposure at your vet's office, areas affected (lesion on the elbow and hair loss on chest) and the sudden intense itching all track. If I were you, I would contact the vet today and ask for some Revolution. If Hannah has scabies, it will get worse without appropriate treatment and I promise you that Izzy will start scratching at some point too so both need to be treated. All of my dogs and my new foster got Revolutionized last night. :D The day my friend's dogs started scratching was the day she did too. She had bites on her middle torso and behind her right knee. I'm hoping I dodge the bullet because I hate being itchy. With people it is self limiting and no treatment is necessary.

Good luck.

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With people it is self limiting and no treatment is necessary.

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I am going to have to respectfully disagree with this. Gia brought scabies home from school when she was in the second grade - we both required prescription shampoo and body wash. Everything washable has to be washed in extremely hot water and I used some of the shampoo as well. Things that are not washable need to be sprayed with the same things used for lice.

I have had scabies more times than I care to remember - all from dogs except for that first time. The last time I got them, I had picked up the only surviving puppy in a flooded drain ditch, held him close in my lap and against my chest to warm him up on the ride home. Within days, I was covered in the little boogers to the point I couldn't wear clothes. I spent 3 days naked on an air mattress with stinky crap all over me. :p Lucky recovered much more quickly than I did! LOL

Scabies in humans is usually easy to see. The mites move under the skin in a fairly straight line so you will see little red bumps in lines that itch like mad. I hope if this is scabies, you are spared the misery!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

There are different types of scabies and the type humans can get from dogs is self limiting. Jenna's had it multiple times, I've had it once and now Brenda has it. We did not require any treatment and it went away within two weeks.

Excerpt:

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In other animals
Main articles: Sarcoptic mange and Acariasis

A street dog in Bali, Indonesia, suffers from sarcoptic mange.Scabies may occur in a number of domestic and wild animals; the mites that cause these infestations are of different scabies subspecies.[3] These subspecies can infest animals or humans that are not their usual hosts, but such infections do not last long.[3] Scabies-infected animals suffer severe itching and secondary skin infections. They often lose weight and become frail.[9]

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P.S. I forgot to include my friend, Ellen, who has had scabies multiple times from her rescues. Since the bugger that started our problems was her rescue, she reminded me that should I get them this time, it's not bad and will go away on it's own.

Excerpt from WebMD

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Scabies in people can produce an itchy rash, typically found at the belt line. This rash is caused by insects that have transferred from the dog. Scabies mites, however, do not live on human skin for longer than three weeks. If the problem does not disappear in three weeks, look for a continuing source of infestation.

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Hi again-

I talked to my vet's office today because they called to see how Hannah is doing. I asked about the mange. The vet tech said she thought the vet was more suspicious of demodectic (sp?) mange. Hannah has had some form of skin issue going on for over 8 weeks now and Izzy shows NO symptoms. I also frequently find chunks of Hannah's hair on the carpet (that come out when she scratches) and that has been for years--not new with this itching. She wasn't wearing her sweater for a few days after a bath and this is when I found clumps of hair and then a scratch/scab on her chest.

Anyway, they told me they could scrape her today if I wanted, but I said I wanted to try the weekend with the wipes, antibiotics, and Benadryl. She is so weird because she only itches at times. It is not constant. For example, I woke up with a headache this morning and had to go back to bed for three hours and she slept in her bed with no itching the entire time. The only thing she has done so far today is lick her front feet and rub her face across the floor (usual Hannah things).

Also, I can't even find the spot on the back of her leg anymore. How weird is that? Yesterday I couldn't see the origin either-just the blood on the hair, but I can find nothing today. I just wiped the whole general area with the wipe. The spot on her chest looks almost gone. I can't see the larger scab at all anymore. It looks back to normal color. I don't get it.

Glynda-I'm confused about what you mean about the timing of the vet saying another dog had mites. Do you think Hannah caught it from that dog being at the vet? Or you just mean it was in the area? That dog was a dog that goes into the woods, but we weren't there around the same time.

Thank you all for your input. Since Hannah seems pretty content and someone will be with her for the next 10 days (my husband and I are both teachers and are off for winter break) I am comfortable watching her habits for a few days before heading back to the vet.

Take care everyone-
Julie & Hannah

Glad Hannah is content right now


Merry Christmas - love and prayers xoxo

Hi Julie,

I hope you had a wonderful time visiting Wisconsin. I also hope Hannah is fine.

I had a quick question. How often are you using the wipes a day?

Love,
addy

Hi Julie,

I am allergic to mold so I have been suffering as well. I had to double up my nasal spray, asthma meds, etc and I am just barely maintaining so I know what you mean:)

The wipes finally arrived today, HURRAH!!!!! So we will give it a whirl if she will let me wipe her potty:eek::eek::eek: Zoe is very, well, she deems what behavior is appropriate in her book and does not mind letting you know when she thinks you are out of line:rolleyes::rolleyes:
Koko, would not dream of that:rolleyes:;) Funny, how different the two are. I should have named them Spunkster (Zoe) and Sweetie (Koko).:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Julie, did you use the wipes on Hannah's paws?

Have a great night,

love,
addy and the kids

Hello-

I am being my normal, worried self tonight. Hannah didn't go potty very much today...only three times: 8:00 a.m., 4:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. We tried to get her to go at 3:00 and she didn't want to, and then we were out with friends from 6:00-10:00 and let her out when we got home and she didn't want to go. It was like a fight to get her to go. We went outside three times, tried a walk once, and then she finally went. When I am working, she holds her urine during the day, but since we are on vacation this week, she would normally go more often.

Here are some possible reasons I can think of for why she didn't go at 10:00: she didn't drink while we were gone and just slept in the kitchen, she can't see very well and doesn't like to spend a lot of time outside in the dark, or....something is wrong. I don't know why this is bothering me so much, but it is. It makes me worried because I know her BUN level was high last time (I think 33 and 27 was normal), but her Creatinine was normal, as was her specific gravity, apparently. My vet thought this rise could have been due to dehydration, or the fact that she had eaten that morning (something about protein). She was not fasted before the NSAID monitoring because I wasn't told she should be. She ate at about 8:00 a.m. and we went in around noon. He was not concerned and said we would recheck in 6 weeks (so mid-January).

Well, I called the ER vet to see if there was any possibility that Hydroxyzine (for her allergies) or Clindamycin could cause her to urinate less, and the tech said that she didn't know of any reason that would happen. She then recommended that Hannah get checked by my vet tomorrow to see if her kidneys are working okay, and explained that with kidney failure, they eventually stop wanting to or needing to urinate. I assume that is when it is very advanced and not that it would happen all of a sudden one day, but I assume they want to be careful.

Hannah is otherwise acting normal, and I realize that she did urinate roughly every 7-8 hours, so maybe I shouldn't be panicking. She is sleeping a bit more (probably from the antihistamines), so maybe she is not drinking as much. It is so weird to go from worrying about the increased drinking/urinating to not enough urinating. She isn't drinking excessively either, and my vet said I would notice increased drinking and urination with kidney disease as well.

I don't know that I should actually take her in tomorrow if she urinates in the morning. The ER vet said they are concerned when it has been 12 hours, which we didn't get close to. For some reason, she now sent me into a panic. I read some things online that calmed me, and others that made me nervous. I did feel/push around on Hannah's abdomen before she finally did urinate, and felt nothing strange and she didn't react.

Am I just freaking out??? Ugh.

Thanks,
Julie & Hannah

Hello!
how is the weather there? is it raining cold muddy or are any strange sounds happening at time of potty breaks, or perhaps has a visitor been in yard that has her upset and not wanting to go?
could she possibly have UTI and that she is holding it because it hurt? (although they usually go more often than not...but you just never know) have you monitored her water intake? food intake?
check her capillary refill.......press on her gum and see it go blanch it should return to good color within 2 seconds and also see if her gums feel tacky.
have any stressors been happening at home? sometimes when they get stressed they cant go.
just tossing things out there for you............i am thinking of you and hannah...
and since she is going.......at least here is not an obstruction so that is a plus.
if you can catch a urine sample to check its color.....and oder
sending hugs and love