My Pug Scoop (Precious Scoop has passed... )

Love the avatar photo. Those two are just the cutest!
I think that Support is one of the things we need in the most when trying to help out our little ones. It's all so scary and we worry till we feel sick and cry so many tears we end up with headaches. It Does help to have others to talk to. I'm glad that we are all there for each other.
Vicki, I think that you are much stronger than you realize. You have already gone through so much and done so much for Scoop. So many in this world would not do so, because it's just too hard and too overwhelming.
Just keep hanging in there and doing what you can. It's all that anyone can do actually. You are giving your all and that is awesome!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

It is so very hard to watch our pups change so rapidly, it is a loss indeed for us and we mourn each loss in anticipation of the final loss we dont want to bear. As hard as it is for all of us, we must stay in the now and celebrate each small thing every day. I used to tell people to come on their thread and post one good thing each day. After all, ultimately it is all in God's hands. Dont dwell on what was or what may come tomorrow.

So find one good thing each day, no matter how small it is and we will celebrate it with you.

Let's all post one good thing each day, come on guys, I know you all can do it:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Vicki.. I am so sorry that you & Scoop are going thru this. I know it has to be difficult. :(

Thank you so much everyone. Your love and support is awesome.
Addy-I know you are right. I never did like change. Scoop is having a BG curve today. Hopefully that will be something good for today. We'll see at the end of the day.
Sharlene- The picture of Scoop(fawn) and Raleigh(black) is from 2010. Scoop has changed so much since July. I must get other pictures loaded into my computer. I do wonder if some people think I shouldn't be putting Scoop through all this. I feel I must try to help him any way I can. I love him and Raleigh so much.

Hi Vicki, I'm sure some might think you shouldn't be putting Scoop through trying to get him better, but then again, do those people have the same sort of bonds with their dogs as you do? What would they do if Scoop was theirs? It's easy to say something when it's not you going through it. Here is what I Can tell you...
there isn't anything I wouldn't do to try and save molly if it were her, or to get her better. That is my decision just as helping Scoops is yours. I think that we know when the point is reached that we can't do anything to help them and that they are tired and are ready to go on to something else. I think they tell us those things in their own way. So.. don't worry about what Others think, this is your life, your Scoop and only you know how he is, how he responds, and what you should do and when. So, lets just leave that alone until you want to talk about it. Okay? :)
We're here with you. Now what was your One good thing today with Scoop?

hugs,
Sharlene

I was hoping is BG curve would have been the good thing today but the vet increased his insulin one unit. I guess she didn't like the numbers. I didn't think his numbers were too bad except for the last one. The vet told the tech to tell me to increase it and she would call me tomorrow. See what she has to say about it. Each day with Scoop is pretty much the same except when he has a vet appointment. Just the fact that he is here with us and we can love him makes the day special. I just love to sit with Scoop and give him an ear rub and talk to him.

Did the vet call today? What did she say?

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sharlene-Scoop's BGs yesterday were in the low to mid 200s and then the last one was in the low 300s. The vet said they weren't too bad but she would like to see them more around 150. She never said that before when he had a curve. Sometimes I am confused about things.

Scoop seemed to be finding his way around a little bit better today. He was still bumping into things but it seemed like he was trying to be a bit more careful and wasn't bumping as hard. Sometimes he would find his way to his water dish just like he could see it and other times not as good but the good times are encouraging.

justs checking in on you and your babies ... {{{hugs}}}} patty and meka xoxox

HI Vicki - glad to hear Scoop is getting around OK... have a good weekend :)
Trish xx

Checking in on you and Scoop, did anyone give you the scent tip and the rug tip? Changing the texture from room to room or to his water dish can help Scoop find his way. Also altering the scent in rooms help.
I'm sure you already know this but thought I would mention it just in case.

Jenny and Judi can help you with tips as well as Leslie.

Zoe can still see shadows but she cant hear very well any more. I use hand signals and get as close as I can to her, I touch her alot so then she knows to follow my scent.

You are doing great, you really are:):):):) hug that Scoop for me:D

Hi Vicki!
Merry Christmas to you and Scoop!!!!
Have a safe and wonderful holiday! Thinking of you!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi everyone-haven't posted on my thread for a while. Wasn't on the computer for a couple of weeks over the holidays and lately I've just been reading others threads. I've wanted to write but it gets so late. Tonight I'm so upset I need to talk. I try to be aware of Scoop at all times. He had an accident in the house on Christmas and another within a week after. My husband told me we can't have him peeing all over the carpeting. Tonight after my husband went to bed I dozed off on the loveseat. I usually try to be where ever Scoop is. He was on the floor sleeping. I just feel so guilty that I wasn't there for him. I shouldn't have dozed off. I feel like it's my fault for falling asleep. He usually is good for those hours till I take him out. I just don't know what happened. I woke up and saw a wet spot on the living room carpet and Scoop was in the kitchen. After he eats his supper at 6:00 he goes out and then usually sleeps the rest of the night except for moving to a different position. I then take him out again around 10:30-11:00. This happened before 9:00. I feel horrible! I scolded him. I didn't yell but I still feel so bad. I just said he was a bad boy and he shouldn't do that. Now I feel horrible. I love Scoop so much and I know he's sick and doesn't mean to do anything wrong. I guess I was scared because I know my husband doesn't like it. Scoop is not a bad boy. I'm always telling him what a good boy he is. He really is very good. He has been through so much lately. My husband used to always say to him that he is the best dog ever. I know Scoop's days are few with us but I don't want anything like that to make it shorter. I hope he doesn't hate me for scolding him. I feel like the bad guy. I give him his shots, eye drops, take him to the vet. I do that because I love him. I hope he knows how much I love him. I feel like I can't deal with this cause I don't want to lose him. I feel like I'm losing it. I hate that horrible Cushing's tumor! It's taking my "baby doll" away from me. He's been having problems with his BG levels being up. The vet increased his insulin. She said maybe he is becoming insulin resistant. But I don't think that is going to matter because I think his tumor might be causing problems. Can't say for sure but I have a feeling it is. I asked my husband if he would consider radiation but he said no, you're just delaying the inevitable(sp?). Has anyone on here had any success with radiation for the pituitary tumor? I have been so upset lately knowing what is coming and knowing that the radiation might help but can't do it. Scoop does a lot of trembling. It's hard to tell with the neurological signs because of Scoop's blindness and hearing gone in one ear. The neurologist told me we wouldn't ever know for sure which it is. Back in Nov. when Scoop had his MRI, the neurologist told me that the tumor wasn't big enough to cause any problems and I said so it's not a macro and he said no, micro. Then when the surgeon was optimistic there was no tumor in Scoop's ear canal, I was so happy and so optimistic Scoop would improve after the surgery. Maybe head tilt would improve, maybe his balance and being tol his tumor wasn't a macro. Well a few days later that changed. I found out after reading the radiologist's report for the MRI he called the tumor a macro and said it wasn't affecting any tissue at that time. I questioned the neurologist. He said that it would be months and months before it would affect him. Then I questioned the size and he said to the best of his ability with their equipment it was 8mmx3mm. I questioned him about the size and he said it is large but not as large as a lot of others he has seen. I wanted to scream and still do. The first day he lead me to believe the tumor was smaller than it is. I guess in his eyes it was. My heart is just breaking. It is so, so hard. Then after Scoop was home only a few days after his surgery he started with the corneal ulcer. We don't leave Scoop home alone. We didn't want him hurting his eye. Now I'm afraid he might hurt himself. There are times he can get a drink of water with no problem and a few times he has stumbled when he gets to the dish and has fallen or stepped into it. He stands at a wall or kitchen cabinet with his head up and "stares". I'm afraid to leave him home alone. Ever since he went totally blind he has changed. I think that was back soon before his surgery. So don't know if it's his lack of sight or the tumor. I know he doesn't have quality of life, he doesn't bother with toys but as of now he still anxiously(sp?) awaits his food and he loves his ear rubs. He still gives kisses once in a while when you ask him for one. Today he enjoyed a chew for a while. He loves laying next to my husband on the recliner and sleeps. I know I'm being selfish but I can't imagine life without him. I just cry and cry. Thanks for listening.

I have seen it mentioned on here that Vetoryl can cause the pituitary tumor to grow faster. Is there any proof to back that up? Just wondering how that is known?

Oh Vicki, I am so sorry for everything you are going through. Scopp knows you love him and you are under a lot of pressure. There was a point last summer with my Zoe and all the meds and expense and every week driving out to the specialists and changing hours at work and missing work, I thought Zoe was coming to the end of her journey. Somehow we adjusted to it all. Each loss of Zoe's health, we adjust somehow. She has accidents in the house sometimes so we try to keep her on a schedule, when we miss it, we just clean it up. The carpeting, well, someday we will replace it.

Will Zoe be the same as she was before this started four years ago? No, but you know what, I am not the same. I mourn the loss of her good looking coat and hair and tail and then I look at photos of myself from 4 years ago and gosh, have I aged;) I cant do things I did 4 years ago so I accept it and now have to accept Zoe's losses.

I used to cry driving home from work every night, to get it all out because I did not want to cry with my dogs. They are so happy when I am happy.

You are experiencing anticipatory grief and it hurts and it is real. I used to open the glove compartment in my car and yell "Damn it Cushings get in there, I am locking you up now."

Vicky, try to lock it all up once a day and force yourself to go do something you used to enjoy, even for just an hour. Try to change the message in your head and take it one day at a time or one morning at a time. Sing a happy song to Scoop even if he cant hear.

Most of all, please come here, like you now did and let it all out. We have some pretty good shoulders to lean on.

Hi Vickie,

Unless they have changed the guidelines, a pituitary tumor isn't considered to be a macro until it reaches 10mm is size. At 8mmx3mm, Scoop's tumor has a way to go to qualify as a macro. It may be possible for the neurosurgeon to know somehow that Scoop's tumor would grow to a size to qualify, but if so this would be the first I recall ever hearing anyone having that ability.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...roadenoma.html

As a Pug, Scoop is unfortunately one of the breeds prone to this type of tumor BUT that does NOT mean he has or will develop one. All pups with the pituitary form of Cushing's have a tumor on the pituitary gland but they rarely grow to a size to be considered a macro. If this is a serious concern, then you can have subsequent MRIs to see if it is growing and if so how fast.

It may take Scoop a while to adjust to being blind. He can't be expected to act like he used to for some time, if ever. There ares some things you can do to help him adjust.

• Don't rearrange furniture, etc. Leave everything where it is, put ti back in place if you do have to move it.
  
  
• Keep his food and water bowls in the same places at all times.
  
  
• Leave his bed(s) in the same place at all times.
  
  
• Get some cheap little rugs with different naps (textures) and lay out paths to each of his spots. Use the same nap for his food / water, a different one to his bed, and so on. Use different naps for each path but keep each path uniform in texture.
  
  
• You can use different scents for each room to help him oreint. Put vanilla in the bathroom, cinnamon in the kitchen, and so on.
  
  
• Start building his confidence by calling him to you over short distances in the house. When he comes to you, be sure to praise him a great deal and offer a good treat every time.
  
  
• Get some bubble wrap and wrap the corners, furniture legs, etc that he can run into and bash his head.
  
  
• Foam pipe insulation will work well on corners of walls.
  
  
• Devise games to play with him that don't require him to see. If he will accept, play tug-of-war with a soft toy, things like this that will let him know at all times where the play field is. Trinket plays "bulldozer" - she comes to my side and starts pushing against me. I respond by pushing back gently and this is her play.
  
  
• Brick plays when I tap the floor with my nails. I will move my hand around in a very small area (he weighs 5 lbs) tapping the whole time and he will chase my hand. This is his play.
  
  
• Don't expect him to handle steps / stairs like he used to if he will attempt them at all. You can retrain him by teaching him "up" and "down" while tapping the step you wish him to move to but don't push him. This is a very scary thing for them as they don't know how far they are being asked to step up or down so be patient. He may never be willing to take steps on his own.
  
  
• If you decide to teach him steps, start with the direction he seems to have the least fear of and perfect that direction before learning the opposite. ie if he goes up better than down, concentrate on getting him comfortable with up first.
  
  
• Bear in mind, even a threshold in a doorway may present a fear response.
  
  
  
• Make noise so he knows where you are at all times. You can wear bells / jingling jewelry on your ankles / wrists but wear the same ones every day so the sound is the same day to day to day. One of my pet peeves used to be to hear someone dragging their feet when they walked - now I do it on purpose so my babies can find me. I talk out loud and sing a lot as we walk around outside...and I just talk out loud anyway inside and out. :p
  
  
• If Scoop is fearful outside, he may feel more secure on a lead and in a harness. If he has a fenced area walk him around and around his area on a lead so he can adapt and learn his space again without his sight. Again, leave things outside in his area in the same places at all time. Pick up any limbs / twigs / etc that could poke him in the eye or otherwise harm him.

I hope this helps a bit and if you have questions about blind babies, I will try to help in any way I can. Just remember, he is probably very frightened and a bit depressed right now and will need extra TLC to help him adjust and gain confidence.

And tell your hubby that I said carpets can be replaces but Scoops cannot. :mad: How dare he treat you in a manner that would make you afraid enough to treat your baby in a way you feel badly about. :mad::mad:

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scoora

Scoop's vet called me with his ACTH results today. His pre was 9.3 and his post was 10.1 She is not increasing his dose because his blood sugar has gone up and she increased his insulin so she wants to get that straightened out if possible. What happened is Scoop lost some more weight so she increased his caloric intake and I guess that raised his BG. She thinks if the BG gets better than the cortisol might get better. Then there's the eye ulcer, who knows what that's doing to him. His post number is better than his last one...

---

Oh Vicki, my heart aches for what you are going through. I know how sad and upset (make that distraught :o) I was when I saw changes for the worse in my own Cushpup. One thing that caught my eye, though, was your previous reply giving us Scoop's ACTH result back in December. Is your vet aware that Scoop is starting to have accidents in the house? With an ACTH result that was above the recommended therapeutic range at that time, I would think that it may now be reasonable at this point to go ahead and increase his trilostane dose a bit. That may result in a decrease in thirst and urination that can make all your lives easier, at least in the short run.

As far as the long run, I do understand your worries about the tumor. You have asked about evidence that trilostane can cause pituitary tumors to grow more quickly, and there is at least one research study that documents this possibiity. I will track down the link and post it for you later on. As Leslie says, the only way to know for certain if Scoop's tumor is growing would be to repeat the MRI. But I know this is a very expensive procedure that requires anesthesia. If Scoop's tumor is indeed growing to a point that is placing pressure elsewhere in his brain, I think you will increasingly see more neurological symptoms, just with your own eyes.

We have had a few dogs here who have had their pituitary macrotumors successfully reduced by conventional radiation therapy. But it is not a "forever" cure as the tumors inevitably grow back after that treatment. There are other, more experimental surgery and radiation approaches that are now being attempted at some select veterinary centers. But all are major undertakings, and very expensive. My own boy suffered from what we believed to be an expanding macrotumor, but we did not believe that he nor we were able to able to proceed with radiation treatment due to his compromised physical state, the emotional toll on us all, and the cost of the treatment. And so my heart also resonates with your torn feelings about that, too. It is so hard when you feel helpless to make things better for your baby.

But as I said above, I do think you and Scoop might get some relief with his urination by increasing his trilostane dose. And that might make things easier for you all right now, and allow you to regroup a bit. You are dealing with quality of life issues right now, and even if the trilostane may end up hastening the tumor growth, the time you have with Scoop right now may be made more comfortable if the thirst/urination is lessened.

Above all, I am so grateful that you feel as though you can share your struggles with us. I truly hope that it can help to lighten your burden a bit by allowing us to help you shoulder the load.

Sending many loving hugs to you and to sweet Scoop,
Marianne

Hi Vicki, I cried when I read your post this morning. It just breaks my heart for scoop, for you, for your husband.
Leslie has given you some excellent tips on the blind issue.
I agree with Marianne, that an increase in his dosage for cushings might help with the accidents.
My biggest tip for that though, is to say, the Bissel green machine. It's a hand held little machine, that you put cleaner on one side and water on the other and you can use it on any spot or accident area. It will completely take the urine up. We have one as Molly is an "attitude" accident, waiting to happen. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we have some very expensive wool rugs and carpet on stairs up upstairs, and it was driving my husband nuts. Thunder, piddle, another dog in the house, piddle, that kind of thing. That Little Green machine, saved me many times. It's worth it.
That will solve that problem for you. (you can find them at Walmart usually)

I wish I could give you a hug and make all the anxiety go away. The worry, the fear, the hurt and grief, is all there and those things can get in the way of just trying to enjoy each day you have. As Addy said, throw it in the glove box and don't look at it too often. Also, create a safe place for Scoop to be so that you can maybe go out to dinner with your husband or do something else just for a little bit. It doesn't have to be long, but I think you both might need something like that. Or even get a sitter. :) Like having a baby.

thinking of you!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Addy, Leslie, Marianne-Thank you so much. Your kind, loving, helpful words mean so much. I know all of you have gone through some tough times and I appreciate you sharing your experiences and knowledge with me and everyone else on here. I am so glad I have a place to say how I feel. I talk to my daughter who lives at home and she understands. She loves our "boys" so very much. She became a vegetarian because she loves animals so much. She listens to me. I know this is all hurting her. She just doesn't express it like I do. She doesn't take after me. I know my husband loves Scoop and Raleigh too but I don't think he understands exactly how I feel. I don't tell him everything like I do my daughter and all of you.
Addy- we try to keep a schedule to take Scoop out. Like I said, he usually sleeps through the evening. I like the glove compartment thing and the happy song. I asked the vet if she knew anything about radiation treatments even though my husband said no to the idea. She said she didn't know much except she said Scoop would not be the same as before. I knew that. That's not what I am looking for. Like you said we all change. Before he went blind he at least seemed "happier". The opthamologist said older dogs can have a harder time adjusting to blindness. We thought maybe after the corneal ulcer healed maybe we could see about cataract surgery for the one eye but when I showed her the MRI report she said the tumor could affect his vision then the surgery would have been for nothing.

Leslie- I knew about not changing anything so when we rearranged the living room furniture for the Christmas tree, I was worried. He did go to where he thought the recliner was and wait. We knew what he wanted. We have a small ranch so there's not much room to get lost in. Scoop hasn't been able to jump up on furniture since he started with his head tilt and being off balance in July so we also have to watch if he is on furniture sleeping that he doesn't fall off if he gets up. We have carpeting in the living room and it goes into the dining room then the kitchen is linoleum. I think that helps Scoop. The frige is on one side of his water bowl and a dog bed on the other so if he bumps into them he usually knows where the water is. Sometimes he misses. Sometimes he trips on the bowl and falls. Sometimes he just stands at a wall or at the dining room window looking up. I try calling him to come at least in my direction but he usually looks the wrong way and just stands there sometimes turning his head back and forth. I try to let him know where I am if he's awake. He sleeps a lot. I talk to him loads. Scoop has had a hard time with his balance since his head tilt started so we have been very careful outside. With his lack of balance and weak muscles he's not too steady in the yard. We don't have a fenced in yard so we have always gone out with them. Scoop's calcinosis cutis is bad under his front legs and at first they were oozing and wet so the vet said try not to use his harness. Right now they are dry and I put a coat on him so I use his harness again. His back legs are weak with the muscle loss so when we didn't use the harness we just would pick him up and carry him in and out. Now he's used to that. Everything just has worked against Scoop. I like all your suggestions about the bubble wrap and everything. I'll have to write them down. You are right, carpets can be replaced, our babies can not. Looking back at what I wrote, I made it sound like my husband said that after the accident at Christmas. When he said it, it was before then. I'm not very good with my writing. I think, I hope he was referring to him just losing control all the time at the end. Me, I don't care how many times he has an accident. So please don't think badly of my husband. He is not a bad person. He loves Scoop, too. I just get so paranoid. I worry about everything. I guess I worry that the end might be close and I see the accidents as that being a start to it. I am such a mess. I worry about everything. I wish I was a stronger person. We have a large carpet cleaner. I was wondering if anybody has one of those small Bissell ones that you use for spots. Maybe I could suggest to my husband about getting one of those.

Marianne-I did tell the vet about his two other accidents so she ran a culture to check for UTI but there was nothing. I did take notice sometimes when he pees he seems to start to walk away maybe before he is completely done. The one day he went pee, then poop, then went pee some more. That made me think he wasn't completely done at first. I said to the vet about doing an ACTH because it's been a month. She said let's see if his BG levels get any better first. He's struggling with them right now. Scoop takes a nice, big drink after he eats and sometimes in between but I don't think his thirst is out of control. I would be interested if you could track down the link for the info about trilostane and the tumors. I appreciate it. Was your cushpup on trilostane at that time? If I may ask, what was his physical state that made you decide not to pursue treatment? Is that in your thread somewhere? I could look it up. You mentioned more experimental approaches. Is there some info somewhere that I could read about it? Is there research being done on Cushing's? I would be interested in reading about that, too. Why do so many of our babies get this horrible disease? It's so sad. I wish I could afford to get another MRI done. The first one was $1600. I wish this whole thing was just a nightmare and I would wake up.

Thank you again for all the support and the shoulders to lean on and to cry on. Love to all of you and your babies.

Sharlene-Thank you too for your love and support and the kind words. It's wonderful knowing so many people care about us. It took me a while to type my last response so I stopped for lunch then came back to it so I didn't see your post till I was done with that. It's funny cause I asked about the little Bissel and here you have one. I saw on Amazon that they sell ones that say about pet instead of green machine. Do you think it's the same one? They were around $150 then you could send for a $20 rebate.

You are so right. I don't remember when I had a "happy" day last. Probably before this past July. That's when everything hit. The holidays were ok but thinking this is probably Scoop's last ones with us made it hard but I was happy he was here with us for these.

We have a daughter, her name is Molly, who lives at home. So she stays with Scoop while I go grocery shopping on Sat. mornings if my husband is working. Then when he comes home if we want to go out for lunch, Molly stays with Scoop again. So there is some extra help. I have to think and talk to my husband about that "safe place". We want to make sure Scoop can't hurt his eye with the ulcer either. During the week I just stay with him all the time.

Thanks for your kind and loving words.
Hugs right back to you and your Molly

Hi again, Vicki.

Here's a link to a summary of the research study you were asking about:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19041802

My own Cushpup (the yellow Lab who is my avatar photo) was treated with trilostane for about seven months before he started exhibiting worrisome neurological problems. He started to stumble and lose his coordination, at times paced endlessly around the house (went off into rooms by himself and just kept walking around, even into closets), he just wasn't "himself" when we'd talk to him or try to engage him, initially got really picky about eating, and finally stopped eating and drinking entirely. It seemed as though he was hungry and thirsty, but when he went over to his bowls, it was as if he couldn't remember how to make his tongue and mouth work anymore. :(

As you can imagine, this was so painful to witness, and things really got very bad very quickly. He was at a stage where he would have needed IV nutrition and hydration to survive, and this in conjunction with being taken to a university veterinary center away from our city had we pursued the radiation. Traditional treatment consisted of radiation three times weekly for at least a month, and each session required a general anesthetic. He had always been terrified at being left at the vet's for even an hour, so the notion of him being hospitalized for a month away from home -- with all those treatments -- was not something that we felt we could subject him to, even had we been able to afford it. So we instead made the decision to release him from any further suffering.

On the flip side, we have had members who have successfully pursued this type of radiation therapy and received some extended quality time for their dogs. And we have also had a genuine pioneer -- one of our members was the first dog to undergo a cutting-edge surgery for tumor removal in Los Angeles. There are also some centers around the country that are experimenting with shorter and innovative courses of treatment, with mixed results so far in terms of our few members who have pursued them.

At this point, though, I think it's hard to know whether or not Scoop's problems are really associated with an enlarging tumor or not. And I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable enough about the interaction between diabetes and Cushing's to know whether it makes more sense to leave a trilostane increase on the back burner for the time being. My own thought was that perhaps the glucose levels would be more manageable if the cortisol level was lower, although your vet seems to be suggesting the reverse. So is it the chicken or the egg -- I don't know...:confused:

Anyway, wanted to let you know that I'm still thinking about you guys and hoping that things start straightening out before long.

Marianne

Hi Vickie,

Hope you and Scoop are both having a better day today.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi Vicki,

If you have any luck finding a good deal on a green machine or similar, let me know:):):)

We bought a regular carpet cleaner and I wish I would have purchased the smaller one Sharlene was talking about. It seems much easier andmore handy!!!

Leslie-Thank you very much.

Addy-Sharlene gave me a link to the Bissell little green machine on Amazon. It was $80.99. I haven't look anywhere else.

Scoop had a BG curve yesterday. His numbers were high, one high 200s, rest 300s. The vet said even though they are high he didn't have any huge spikes like last time. Boy, is this confusing. Now because they are more even she wants to do an ACTH which he is past do for but she wanted to wait to try to get the BG's better. Will the ACTH give a true reading with high BG's? I know this isn't the site for this but this whole BG thing is crazy. Two curves before this one his numbers were lower but she raised his insulin one unit to try to get them a little better. Then his numbers went up and she raised his insulin 2 units. This time she didn't change it. I posted Scoop's numbers on the diabetes site. I'm just so... I don't know what word to use.

Hi,
Thank you for sending me good wishes for my little pug. And please give Scoop and kiss and a hug from me.
I was curious about something: You mentioned that the vet removed Scoop's ear canal. Could that be affecting how he responds when you call him? You said he often faces the wrong direction when called. Also, maybe his unsteadiness is in part to loss of hearing on one side?
My little pug lost sight in one eye first and someone told me that when you have only one eye you lose depth perception, so it becomes difficult to navigate. Close one eye and give it a try. Just a few thoughts, but this may shed some light on a few of his behaviours?

BugsMum-Thanks for the kiss and hug for Scoop. Yes, I talked to Scoop's neurologist about his behavior. He said it could be because of his blindness and not being able to hear on the one side and not too good on the other side that could be the reasons for the way he is or if it is the tumor. He said we will probably never know. Also, he has had problems with his balance since last July when he had Vestibular disease and he never lost the head tilt. He also has weak back legs from muscle wasting. He also has arthritis in his front legs. He is pretty steady in the house but in the yard is a different story.

Marianne-Thank you for the link. I wanted to respond to you before but when I read your post about your lab, it's been hard. It makes me cry. That is so heartbreaking. So sorry you and your pup had to go through that, Scoop's vet said we will probably just have to go by when he stops eating to tell he's had enough.(I don't mean food) She has him eating so much of the W/D food I think he might start getting tired of it. The other night he stopped about 3/4 of the way through. I got scared and my husband said he is probably sick of all that crappy food. I mixed a teaspoon of Raleigh's food in it and then he finished. I just get so scared over everything. You mentioned about centers that are experimenting with shorter courses of treatment. Are there some threads or links to these? I'd be curious to read about them.

Does anyone know of any research that is being done on Cushing's? Since nobody seems to know what causes it, I was wondering if it is being researched. Why do so many dogs get this horrible thing?

Vicki:
Thanks for reading my post on Tipper. I am with you on the research. I have suggested before we all need to band together and get a research project started on this. It is the most heartbreaking of dog diseases because of the lack of research on it to provide good solid answers. I will help do it if anyone else wants to try to get this started. Think of all the dogs going undiagnosed and pet owners think it is old age. Many could be helped by this research development. Think of all the dogs that will get this disease after our dogs. There are so many with this disease I am shocked nothing real gets done about it. After researching the subject I was shocked and the numbers of dogs with this disease.

Tipper's mom-When Scoop's vet went to a conference months ago she printed out some notes for me. It said that between 90,000 to 100,000 dogs are diagnosed each year with Cushing's. That is so unbelieveable.

Wow, are you kidding me? I would never have dreamed it was that many dogs.:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

That is really sad. I wonder too though how many of those are inaccurate diagnosis due to thyroid, diabetes, or other illness. My friend said her dog was diagnosed with cushings, turned out to be a mass on the liver, that once removed her dog was fine. This was early last year. No problems since. It's only because they pursued the ultrasound that the realized the diagnosis was wrong.

I told her at the time, that cushings is like the new "it" disease for dogs. Just seems to be everywhere or maybe I'm just sensitive to hearing it now. :((

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

A couple of months ago I saw my dentist and his wife at Scoop's vet. Their one dog has Cushing's along with a heart problem. They told me they are not treating for the Cushing's. Too many babies with this terrible disease.

How many furbabies are on twice a day dose of Vetoryl? I saw the article where Dr. Peterson feels diabetic dogs should get twice a day dose. What I wasn't sure about is the amount. Does he believe in splitting the dose, like Scoop is taking 40mg., so would he get 20mg morning and 20mg at night? The IMS that Scoop saw in Nov. said she gives higher. I don't remember if she said 40mg morning and 40 at night but I think that was it. Just seems like too much. I just wonder if the split dose would help his BG levels. Any thoughts?

Do you think Scoop's high BG's will have an affect on his ACTH results?

I know they must have food with Vetoryl before ACTH. Do you feed the regular amount of food or a smaller portion? Just wondering what everyone does.

From my reading splitting the daily dose is better for dogs that have diabetes and cushing's. I do believe that uncontrolled diabetes can skew ACTH stim results.

Addy-I saw the little green machine at Target today and it was $99.99. I did not see it at Walmart but that's not to say one around you might have it. I just looked back at the one on Amazon. The price went up. It's now $89.84.

Harley PoMMom-Thanks
I was hoping to hear if someone has any experience with diabetes and split dose of Vetoryl.

Hi Vicki,

I don't have a diabetic dog myself, but from my reading, most experts do recommend twice daily dosing for diabetic dogs. What this means, though, is giving approximately half of the once daily dose at twelve-hour intervals -- not doubling the once daily dose.

If I remember correctly, though, you're about ready to perform an ACTH test to see whether or not the current daily dose of trilostane has been high enough?

Marianne

Marianne-yes, Scoop is scheduled for an ACTH tomorrow(today), Tuesday. I'm worried because his BG's have been high. I hope that doesn't affect the results. Just seems like nothing is simple and easy.

I'm worried about Scoop. Tonight he was restless so I took him to the kitchen to see if he wanted a drink(he's been drinking pretty much lately). He stood at the water dish and did not take a drink. He then started to breathe real fast for maybe about 10 seconds. He stopped so I picked him up and I could feel him trembling. I was scared. Don't know what to make of it. Any ideas?

Hi Vicki. I'm sorry I don't have any ideas for you, I just wanted to see how Scoop was feeling now. I hope all goes well with his testing today. *Hugs*

~Jackie and Ugga