New to Cushings

Hi Karen. Excessive thirst and panting are common symptoms of elevated cortisol levels associated with Cushing’s. I don’t believe the panting reflects pain, per se, but instead is a response to the body being in a consistently “stressed” state due to high circulating cortisol.

In Annie’s situation, however, it’s hard to know exactly what may be triggering the panting. It’s possible that her cortisol level has indeed been creeping up during the course of her illness. Or it may be a side effect of some of her medication. Or it could be pain still related to the surgery. If she’s sleeping comfortably, pain seems less likely. However, if the panting subsides subsequent to taking the pain pill, then discomfort does seem to be a more likely cause. Perhaps her higher degree of activity and jumping around is making her feel more sore or irritating her staples. Was the surgeon pretty insistent about keeping her as still as possible right now? If so, maybe you could set up a temporary pen within which to confine her for the time being. It sounds like it’s pretty hard to keep her quiet right now, but putting strain on her incision could definitely cause pain and set up additional problems for her. I’m guessing she won’t be very happy to be confined, but it might be necessary to allow that incision to fully heal.

Well, I talked myself off the mountain and called the clinic in Chicago where Annie had her surgery. They immediately put me through to a tech who helped take care of my baby and she told me that panting is an indicator of pain. I feel so guilty because I had cut her pain meds down from 3 a day to two because she was so groggy. Welll, when I dumped out the remaining Tramadol, I was in shock to see I only had enough left for one day. So, there I am back on the phone with the specialty clinic in Chicago and I was told to take a big deep breath..........why do people keep telling me that?

Anyway, they said they would work with my doc at home and if he did not have it in stock, they could call a local pharmacy so we could have it on board tomorrow.

I sincerely appreciate the universe for letting me vent, screem cry,sob, whatever I need for my little miracle pup. Right now I have no numbers on anything...... I ‘m just glad my little baby is alive with her 33 staples. I need to send out special blessings to all of you out there who may have been cheering us on....remember this, I hold your pups in my thoughts and prayers every day. We are a family here and you all have taken care of me and somehow, I hope to pass it forward . Blessings to you all and your pups. Karen

Oh Marianne, you are correct on all levels. She was so sedate until her dad got back from his fishing trip. She’s always been a daddy’s girl—can’t blame her for that. The pain pill helped her a lot and i’m going to add that third pain pill back on th list for tomorrow. I had taken one out—probably too soon, hence the extra activity, etc. In almost 50 years of pups I ‘ve never had to deal with anything like this. My little Annie is the engine that could and she won’t take NO for an answer! Would I have it any other way? No! Just please don’t tell me to get over myself and “breathe “.

I am concerned about her cortisol and bg levels, but nobody else is right now. So maybe I just need to breathe. Blessings, Karen

Yes, panting may very well be the result of pain. I am with Marianne on this one. Allowing Annie to jump, even once, is dangerous. It's not about what Annie wants at this point. They don't know their limitations, so you have to set them. Pain meds are a double edge sword. They help and are needed, but can also help the pup feel like they can do more than they should. Pen her as soon as possible and keep her penned for the duration. I have a soft sided play yard. It works great for when I have to curtail my pup's activity. it is almost impossible to be right there with our babies every minute, while they heal. Penning will force her to rest, while giving you a much-needed break, knowing that she's safe . If I had just spent thousands of dollars on surgery, my dog wouldn't be jumping at all! It is the middle the night here on the West Coast, I apologize if this message does not come across as sensitive as it should. Penning is a must at this point.

Oh my gosh—when two of the most respected people on this forum tell me the same thing, it’s time for me to listen and send the hubby to Petsmart when they open this morning. The surgeon did stress the no jumping low level activity stuff but I guess I really wasn’t able to translate the information into reality at the time. I have no problem with penning her her up for a few days until the staples come out....it’s her dad that’s going to be the problem.

I’m really glad you were able to make contact with the surgical practice. And I’m totally in favor of sending hubby off to buy that pen first thing today. He needs to understand how risky it is for Annie if that incision is compromised or if an incisional hernia were to develop. The last thing you want is the need for another surgical repair. So you’re going to have to draw the line with them both — no jumping until the surgeon gives the OK. I know it may be hard, but it’s necessary. Good luck with them both!

Keeping them from doing what they usually do is really hard, especially when they seem to be able to. I have a hard time doing it, too, but you really don't want that incision to open up. When Sibbie was spayed I didn't put a collar on her because I didn't want to see her uncomfortable, and she didn't seem to be bothering it. Then I noticed she was licking at the stitches the minute I wasn't watching. I ran right out and got a soft collar.

Annie will get used to being penned. Put her toys in and some special treats, and it's probably movable so you can put it wherever you are. The pills will help to make her sleepy. And like Kathy said, it will give you a break too. It's exhausting watching them all the time...

Miss Annie is now the not so proud owner of her own personal play pen/jail cell plus she has her soft e-collar on all the time except when she eats. Now here is what she is doing. She has been been constantly standing up on her little thin back legs ,grabbing the netting with her toes saying “Get me outta here! “. Now I’m worried she’s going to stretch her little tummy and pop something doing that. She has her favorite two toys, access to fresh water, and she can see us wherever we go. Now what do I do?

I keep going over to her and placing her feet on the carpet and she just gets right back up on her hind legs wanting out. This is actually turning out to be more work then when she had free range. She would jump on the couch or chair and she would stay there for hours. Help from anyone will be appreciated. Blessings to you all and your pups. Karen


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She's pulling at your heart strings, which is exactly her goal. Standing up is not as dangerous as jumping. When she does it, she's getting attention, so she'll keep it up as long as it's working. I would try another route, by acting like you don't see her standing and fussing. Reward her with attention when she's down and quiet. This is new for her. She doesn't like it, but will eventually adjust once she realizes that this is the new norm for now. In order to make this work, Everyone around Annie (Particularly Dad), need to hang tough and follow the same plan. If Annie senses that someone is about to cave under the pressure, than it's all over. You can do this!

Another option would be to leash her, keeping her with someone ALL the time. I would not personally choose that option. Pet parents need breaks too. Surgeons/Vets often recommend crating/penning, knowing that the pup will most likely fight it at first. That means standing, whining, crying, pawing and even trying to chew their way out. If you hang tough, it'll get easier. This is more about you and hubby and less about Annie's reaction. Many of us have had to pen our pups. Newsflash!!!, Not many are happy about it.

So to recoup.... My opinion is to tough it out with the pen! Good luck!!

STOP THINKING ABOUT THE PLAYPEN AS A JAIL CELL!!! This is a good thing for Annie!!!

I'm going to tell you a true story that will scare you :( but also make you understand how important it is for Annie to be limited in her movements right now. One of our Admins had her new rescue dog spayed. Simple, ordinary operation that happens at least a thousand times a year. Nothing as serious as what Annie has been thru. Her baby decided to tackle the steps soon after and before her mom could stop her, she had done just that...apparently with no harm done. However that night her mom heard her whimpering in her bed so she got up to check on her....and to her horror found her baby covered in blood because the incision had burst open and several of the organs were outside the body. They rushed her baby to the ER and thankfully the dog survived. But it was not an easy go for either of them. And her baby only did that ONE time, once. But once was all it took for the stitches both internal and external to come undone. Please steel your heart and protect your precious baby girl from herself. If necessary get a carry case which won't allow much movement at all. Annie will be fine....pissed maybe but alive and unharmed. And you won't have to face the nightmare our Admin did with her baby girl. This time will pass much more quickly than you think and soon she will be able to run and jump and carry on to her heart's content....but for now she must be protected. :)

Hugs,
Leslie

Thank you everyone for your help advice and support. If I could teach middle school/junior high kids for 18 years one little bitty pup is just going to have to tow the line too. Blessings to you all. Karen

When my molly hurt her back, she wasn't allowed to jump or do stairs for 6 weeks. Talk about trying to keep a good dog down. It was impossible and we too invested in a doggie playpen for her and it helped a good deal. She wasn't thrilled but she did much better because of it. Then we got stairs to the window seat so she wouldn't jump up there either. The stairs really came in handy when she could no longer jump due to the cushings and still wanted in Her window seat. So you never know how things will work out. I also loaned that playpen to a friend when she got her new pup.

Hopefully she will be feeling better and healing well in no time at all.

I work in a SDC (Special Day Class). I have worked in my local school district for 27 years. I have had classes ranging from preschool through 8th grade. I am now in a 4/5/6 combo. Having said that, dealing with my own family, and fur child, is tons harder. As much as I care about my students, I don't take them home with me. So, I do understand how this is difficult for you.

Hang tough and know that you are doing the right thing for your sweet girl.

Hi Kathy, I just don’t know how you all work and have families plus everything else it take just to manage daily life and then add a Cushpup into the mix it is just mind boggling to me. I loved teaching but I ‘m very thankful to be retired. Both Gracie and Annie were a handful even before they got sick. Blessings to you all.

Annie has finally given up the whining, crying, climbing, barking and anything else she could think of to just hack me and the hubby off to no end. The first night, Jerry slept on the floor next to her play pen and I slept in the recliner. Last night he said he couldn’t take it, so he moved the recliner next to the pen and I slept out here in the living room by myself next to the baby. She whined a little because she’s such a daddy’s girl, but finally gave up. I can be the bad cop when I have to be. Thursday can’t come soon enough!!! That’s when the stitches come out. Blessings to you all and your pups. Karen

Could you possibly move the playpen into the bedroom at night so that both you and hubby could get some sleep?

We thought about it but decided that a consistent spot would work better for her. Plus she’s used to sleeping on the bed with us, pre-surgery, and thought that might be harder on her. Last fall, I had to have two spinal surgeries within five weeks and had to wear a neck brace for two months—basically my own e-collar and had to sleep in the recliner so a couple more days are no big deal. Thanks for thinking of us though! Blessings, Karen

I'm glad she is accepting her limitations and hope you and hubby can find a way to be comfortable while watching over her. I bought an air mattress after Squirt had her surgery and slept on the living room floor with her so I would be close so I understand the need to be with her very well. Soon this will be in the past and she will return to her normal routines...and so can ya'll! You're great parents and she is so lucky to have you both!

Hugs,
Leslie

I have been sleeping on the couch since Gable started showing symptoms and was diagnosed so that I hear him get up when he needs to go....over a year now...I miss my nice, comfy bed. Hopefully after we see the specialist next week we will all be more comfortable!

I've been thinking about you and Gable and was glad to see your post. Is his appointment on the 6th or 9th? At any rate, Annie and I have been counting down the days with you. At one time or another, I think we all have spent nights sleeping on something other than our beds for either kids, grandkids or pups. But in this case, you need a big trophy for first place couch mom:o! Blessings to you, your pups and your couch. I'll be thinking of you and Gable from my recliner tonight. Karen

LOL! It's the 9th, and a recliner sounds awesome...I've got Sibbie on one side, Cooper on the other, Gable next to us either on the floor or ottoman, and Doree on her chair with the space heater on to keep her warm. I need a full night's sleep!

Surely thinking about you guys today and hoping that those staples will soon be out with no problems!! (And that now everybody will be able to get back to a good night’s sleep ;-))))))

OMG—I couldn’t decide whether to post this update here or on my gratitude thread. THE STAPLES ARE OUT!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, ����������, there were only 32 instead of 33��. Most important, the baby is out of her play pen. I apologize for the sarcasm and the fact that I figured out how to use the smileys—just can’t help myself.

Now for the official update...saw Doc this afternoon and the techs removed her 32 staples and I made sure that I received all of them. ( I’m thinking about making them into some kind of necklace or bracelet ). Annie was also supposed to have a complete CBC done, but after Doc looked at it he came in the exam room with the sample and told me he couldn’t even spin it because of hyperlipidemia(sp?). She had not eaten anything since her breakfast at 8:00am this morning and he drew blood about 4:15 this afternoon cst. It really did look like a pink milkshake. Anyway, her dad will take her in tomorrow morning early for a fasted blood test and hopefully it will be ok. The plan is to take her back in next Tuesday for a glucose curve and a stim test. He was asking me about her eating,drinking....yadayadayada...telling me that she was doing ok and could probably wait on the stim test. I said “Hey Doc, remember who you are talking to—-can we get a stim test done—I really don’t care what your schedule says how this should be done, I need to know what her numbers are if it’s feasible at this point”. He just took a step back and said, OK.

Moving forward with our visit. By now, Annie is at the exam room door wanting out—I would want out too at this point, but once again, we had drawn a small crowd from the office in addition to a vet intern from Germany working with doc for a few months. So Annie gave up and found solace near my right leg as I sat on a hard bench in the corner. I flat out asked him in over his 25 years as a veterinarian if he had ever had a success case like hers. He was actually quiet for almost a second, and all he could do was shake his head no. He told me with everything against her, cushings, diabetes, pancreatitis, he would have told me to put her down. My reply was, “Doc, I looked in her eyes and I knew it wasn’t her time.” I think he got it. The problem is he deals with people all the time who just give up on their pets, dogs or cats and has never run into a “me”. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m a retired teacher, grandmother—nobody special. I don’t dress up or down, I just throw on whatever feels comfortable for the day and I gave up social circles with the first husband.

Continuing on...Doc’s intern from Germany was asking me questions about Annie’s prior health and she didn’t have much knowledge about cushings but I don’t know exactly how far she is in her vet school. Back to my discussion with doc...the man finally admitted that Annie was a one in a million miracle. Truth be told, Doc is an excellent vet, but he also knows and admits his limitations. I’m hoping that from this experience with Annie, he will tell other patient parents that there is a specialty clinic in Chicago that may be able to help if he can’t but it may be expensive. He had never heard of this clinic until we came along. I’d like to hope that a little learning was filtered his way as I learn everyday on this site from all of you.

Now about Annie’s physical appearance. I know this is so stupid but she’s just gone to ‘hell in a hand basket’ as fas her appearance. I can already hear the yelling at me through cyberspace right now—“Karen,get a grip, her appearance doesn’t matter, she’s alive.” I know, I know, I know. However, any of you out there who have ever been a parent to a miniature schnauzer should know the breed is a very proud breed, especially when it comes to their grooming. Gracie was the most prissy schnauzer I’ve ever had. If she had a whisker out of place and couldn’t get it back herself, she would sit and bark at me until I would get the brush and fix it. Thankfully, Annie’s a little more laid back, but I haven’t been able to brush her for two weeks. Tonight, she was rolling all over the floor to our delight but tomorrow morning I ‘m calling her groomer for an appointment ASAP. After Annie is groomed, she prances around the house like a diva. I can’t wait and tomorrow she will be brushed

Thank you �� for putting up with all this verbiage but it is what it is. Blessings to you all and your pups, here and beyond. Karen

I’m awake so early this morning with such a new found hope for Annie’s future no matter what happens from here on out. I’m almost giddy with excitement! In fact, as I sit here I’m imagining having a spa day with her. I think this afternoon I’ ll give her a nice warm bubble bath in my big kitchen sink and just clean her up a little. I also think the warm water might feel good on her tummy where her big scar is. When she’s dry then I’ll gently brush all her little tangles out. She also has a tuft of hair on the top of her head that makes her look like a quail but I’ll let the groomer take care of that next week.

I hope we get the results from her blood work today. I’m hoping her liver enzymes are in the normal range. Blessings to you all and have a great weekend. Karen

I am so very glad her staples are out and she is acting more like her old self! I know she is thrilled to have her freedom back again...as are you. ;)

I’ve been in and out all day so didn’t have a chance to write before this. But I’m soooooooo glad to read your news, and hope both you girls are thoroughly enjoying your spa day :-))))))))))

Well, what can I say, other than the euphoria of having a spa day with my little baby boiled down to Annie's thought process of "GET ME OUTA HERE". I had the nice safe paw protector in the sink, the water was perfect in temperature, I had plenty of towels on hand, and all the safest suds that a pup could want plus conditioner.

My hubby is a retired--semi-retired-home contractor. When we build a house, it's truly a dog house, but more important, a home where pups don't have struggle with anything, nor do we.

Back to the reality of spa day. Basically it just boiled down to a little girl who did not want to be in water, for whatever reason. After about 3 minutes, I called it quits, plucked her out of the drink and got her dried off. Thankfully, it was warmer outside today and when she was dry I put her out. Well, does anyone want to venture a guess what happened next? You probably already know,...................she rolled, and rolled and rolled in the grass. Well, at that point, I'm dripping in sudsy water, holding a a damp towel and calling her to come in. Then I just stopped....and I realized all this fluff didn't matter, my miracle baby was alive, her staples were out, and at that very moment, I once again realized what a gift had been entrusted to us. This little life, now my cush pup, but she is still here with us.

Fast forward to early this evening. Annie started to pant...which to me she was having some pain so I gave her a pain med as a part of a treat. It took a couple of hours but I think she's ok for now.

For those of you who actually read my ramblings, next week I'm going to dredge up a topic that has been buried for about 5 years and I have just learned about this info. I know I'm a a newbie to cushings but what I dug out of the graveyard was very thought provoking. Please stay tuned. Blessings to all. Karen

Hi Karen, and thanks for the update — I’ve sure had you guys on my mind and hoped that your day would go well. But here’s a question for you — did the surgeon give you instructions about any continued restrictions or care after the staples came out? Perhaps I’m just being a nervous Nellie, but giving Annie free rein to run and roll in the yard with abandon does worry me at this still early stage in her recuperation. If the surgeon said it was fine to resume all normal activity just as soon as the staples were out, you can totally ignore me. But when my dogs have had surgical procedures, I’ve been told to keep them on leashes whenever outside for a fair piece of time, so as to restrict them from running and contorting too aggressively for a while. As I say, this may not be considered an issue for Annie. And of course, you can’t keep her swaddled in bubble wrap. To some extent, she’s gonna do what she’s gonna do. But I don’t like hearing that she started panting again :-(. With a surgery this extensive and an incision this large, it just seems to me that it would be best to remain somewhat restrictive re: aggressive physical activity for a while longer. If your surgeon didn’t give specific instructions in this regard, you may want to double-check. And if they say that a return to full activity is now fine, then you can just ignore everything I’ve written above and carry on as normal ;-).

Marianne

Marianne, you have raised some excellent questions. I was given no post staple removal instructions from anyone. However the top part of her incision is bright pink and that tells me it’s healthy tissue.

Ok Marianne, since it appears you are on board today,, I’Ll just unleash the “blast from the past” on this site regarding early spay/neuter and cushings. I found Dr.Deckers info...but it just seemed to me that she is just in it for the money. I did more recearch on my own through the AKC you really have to spend hours sifting through their stuff. But at one point I was sent in a diffferent direction to another Doc/researcher who qualified dr. Becker’s info. I’m not going to post any sites without permission plus you’ve probably already read them.

The only reason I’m dredging this stuff up again is because Jerry and I are thinking about a baby sister for Annie. I know that she is getting older and we are getting older by the minute, but we have always had at at least two pups in our home. Gracie’s bark in my head says Annie needs a baby to take care of.

Back to the dredge, I have also found a site which lists docs state by state who perform vasectomys, ovary sparing spays for females......and the list goes on. Annie is the only pup after having pups for over 45 years who has had cushings. But if I can prevent a future pup from any hormone related disease I’m all in.

This little rant probably makes no sense to anybody but me.....but we had no sleep last night. As I stated before, she goes in on Tuesday for a stim test plus a bg curve, so I can post numbers after that.

Blessings to you all for putting up with me. I love you all and bless your pups,here and departed. Karen

Karen, I’m so glad to hear that Annie’s incision looks to be healing nicely. As I said, I am probably just being hyper-nervous, so take my suggestions for the two cents that they’re probably worth. :)

As for Dr. Becker — I am not a fan of her conclusions about Atypical Cushing’s, and I’m assuming that’s what you’re talking about. It’s been quite a while since I’ve read any of her articles, but I believe she has tried to link early spay/neuter with the development of Atypical Cushing’s. This is a condition about which there remains a great deal of uncertainty within the endocrinological community. It refers to a situation where dogs exhibit elevated adrenal hormones other than cortisol. Causes for this condition are uncertain, and even the ramifications of these hormonal elevations are uncertain. The University of Tennesse at Knoxville has done a fair amount of research re: this condition in recent years; I really don’t know whether they have hypothesized any linkages with spay/neuter.

However, this is not Annie’s problem. She has elevated cortisol associated with traditional Cushing’s of which the two possible causes are known: development of pituitary or adrenal tumors. I am unaware of any research that links spay/neuter with the development of these tumors, and I don’t think even Dr. Becker is making that claim.

It’s been so many years since I’ve had a puppy that I have not sought out research about the pros-and-cons of spay/neuter and other types of conditions, and there may be other issues to consider besides Cushing’s. But I don’t think traditional Cushing’s has been implicated as a related problem. Here’s a quote from a 2016 Q & A with noted endocrinologist Dr. David Bruyette:

Quote:

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Wooten: Have there been any studies comparing the incidence of Cushing’s disease in our spayed and neutered population vs. our intact population?

Bruyette: Yes, it has been looked at. Unlike the problem we see in ferrets with adrenal disease that are spayed or neutered, we really haven’t seen any difference in the frequency of Cushing’s among spayed or neutered dogs.

---

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com...ations-disease

If there are other specific articles you’d like to discuss, though, you can go ahead and reference them here.

Marianne

Talk about a nervous Nellie, I would have kept Annie in the pen for a few weeks longer. It's easiler to keep them there, than starting all over if the need should arise. However, I do tend to be overcautious.

Regarding spa day.....Was Annie cleared for a bath? It's possible that her incision is still very tender and trying to bathe her might have smarted a little. If you are going to check with the vets about activity restrictions, you might want to ask about bathing also.

Kathy, Annie was totally cleared for bathing and anything else. I know, totally understand and appreciate your train of thought. Been there myself over the years, I check her tummy scar about 3 times a day—it’s still sloughing off dead tissue. I’ve always been of a medical mindset and I gently cleanse her incision with CVS wound wash. I’m such a germ-a- phobe by nature nothing gets past me if I can help it. Just drives my husband nuts because he was raised in a totally different environment. Right now, my concern with her is her occasional panting. She is scheduled for a stim test on Tuesday. BLessing’s to you for your concern and input. Karen

A stim test would help you sort out Annie's panting. Is it pain related, uncontrolled cushings, or both?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katy1

Kathy, Right now, my concern with her is her occasional panting. She is scheduled for a stim test on Tuesday.

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Karen, I just want to make sure you saw the reply I posted to you yesterday re: your question about a possible connection between spay/neuter and Cushing’s. It ended up at the bottom of the preceding page of your thread here, so you may not have noticed it ;-). If you want to discuss the issue further, we can certainly do so.

Marianne

Marianne, yes, I did read your reply but I still have more questions. We can forget about the Becker article because she really only addresses the atypical cushings which has nothing to do with Annie at all. We are now moving forward towards a possible new baby sister for Annie and as I mentioned before, there is a site that lists vets state by state who are now performing alternative sterilization surgeries which leaves the pup intact with all their hormones but cannot reproduce. wish I could have had that choice at age 40 when I had to have a complete hysterectomy and had to take HRT for years!

I ‘ll just restate my main question for anyone thinking about adopting another pup. Does this approach to partial sterilization really make a difference in the long run? Just throwing this out into the universe because I’ve never heard of this before. Blessings to you all. Karen

I know adopting from a shelter or rescue is totally different because of laws which they must follow.

I’ll be interested in hearing feedback from others, too, Karen. I vacillate between feeling like I’m too old for another puppy and fantasizing about life with a new little guy or girl — I guess only time will tell which side wins out! But as I wrote before, I’ve been out of the puppy loop for so long that I have no idea as to current thinking about spay/neuter options or recommendations. So I’ll be watching for any related comments here, too.

Marianne

It's hard work, but worth it! I love Sibbie with all my heart and just wish I had had more time grieving so I could have paid more attention to her. It hurts me sometimes to think that here was this little baby, who managed to keep herself busy while I cried on the couch for weeks.

Oh Joan, I don't think I had the time I needed to really grieve Gracie before we had the cushings bomb drop on us with Annie and then the double 1-2 punch with Annie's gallbladder surgery. One of these days, I'll get back on my grief thread and unleash a river! I think the puppy thoughts have been a self made diversion, although it has made me smile to think of the possibilities. The reality is, and I have to echo Marianne's comments regarding feeling like I have been out of the puppy business for too long to start over. We are also seriously considering a move back to Kansas City where the four grandchildren are. I miss them so much and only get to see them once or twice a year. It just wouldn't be prudent to bring a new pup into an unstable environment. Moving on to other stuff, Annie did have a stim test this morning but I don't have any results yet. Tomorrow, she goes in all day for a BG curve. We are slowly getting back on track with this little baby. Blessings to you all and your pups. Karen

I got the results of Annie's stim test this afternoon and here are the numbers. Doc said she was doing ok and he seemed a bit miffed that he had to pull up her file and print the results out for me...but hey, I really don't care.

The following is what was printed out and the labeling doesn't make sense to me so maybe someone can help me interrupt these numbers and provide some feedback.

Cortisol Sample 1 0.6 1.0--5.0 mg/dL Low

Cortisol Sample 2 6.4 8.0--17.0 mg/dL Low

It's obvious to me that she is under the normal range but I really don't understand how low a pup has to be before one needs to panic. I asked him about the low range and he told me she was where she needed to be and didn't seem to be concerned. Her first stim way back in March after she was "loaded" on Lysodren was 1.something, sorry, can't remember and don't know where the paper is right now.

I know most of you don't have experience with Lysodren however I'll accept any and all comments. She is slowly gaining weight since her surgery so that's good and most importantly, she has a good attitude toward everything. Friday, she goes in for a much needed grooming and I know that she will be prancing around the house after that. Blessings to you all. Karen

A dog being treated with Lysodren the ideal range is 1 ug/dl-5 ug/dl, so her post of 6.4 ug/dl is a little high BUT since she is recovering from surgery her body probably needs that extra bit cortisol, at least for right now. How is her appetite and drinking?

Lori