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

Well, Hannah had me in tears last night, both from worry and frustration. I think my husband thought I was ready to be committed. She did not want to pee. She went at 12:30 p.m. at my parents' house and then did not go again until 9:00 last night. I finally tried the front yard where the snow was not so icy and after SEVERAL trips out and me finally bursting into tears, she went. I was planning to take her to the vet this morning to just get blood work done (we were going to check again in a week or so anyway) and then see a vet if we needed to. I go back to work tomorrow and won't be able to let her out every hour until she finally goes, and I don't know if she would eventually go in the house or not.

Anyway, I got up about 7:00 this morning and put her out in the front yard and she went without much issue at all. At this point I was wondering if it was just the really cold weather, high winds, and icy snow. My dogs also take some time to adjust to the snow, and then back to the grass in the spring, but I've never seen Hannah do this.

She hadn't pooped since Sat., so about 11:30 I decided a trip to the pet store would probably prompt a BM. We went and wandered around the store, which both Hannah and Izzy love, and she happily trotted along sniffing everything and everyone, and she pooped AND peed again...with no trouble. Just squatted in the middle of an aisle.

So, I now am pretty convinced that there is nothing wrong with her, but that she does not like the cold weather and snow. In most of our trips outside, she was getting lots of little frozen snowballs on her feet, which I'm sure is not comfortable, and her feet would freeze up and she would hold one up and I would have to pick her up. We didn't go to the vet today since she seems fine. She is eating normally, drinking water, chewing on her bones, toys, following me around, etc. It's supposed to warm up in a couple of days, so I hope that will help thaw out some of the ice covering my deck and the grass in the back yard.

I'm really hoping I can get her to go out tonight and tomorrow morning because I cannot afford to go back to my 3rd graders stressed out and upset tomorrow. Man, she can sure drive me crazy. If only they could talk I keep thinking...

Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,

Trinket HATES the snow. She is convinced it is aliens from another planet and any contact could be transforming in a very negative manner. :p I learned last winter that she requires a spot completely cleared of snow, down to the dead grass and mud - no snow, or she will not go outside. I lucked out in that the area by my brother's heat/air unit is close to the camper and the run-off from it keeps a small area snow-free. So she got carried over to that spot several times a day and nite. You might try finding or making a spot that you can keep clear of snow that is somewhat protected from the wind and see if that will help.

Squirt will get those little snow-balls all over her but could care less! She LOVES the snow! The more the merrier. She will drop her face down in it and start plowing through then raise her head and grin at me from ear to ear! :D

This may be Brick's first snow if we get any this year so I am looking forward to his reaction! ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

PS. Trinket wants me to remind you to remember that snow might be fatal if it touches you. ;)

Hi Julie,

Zoe will refuse to go out and poo if the snow and cold are too bad. How she held it so long, I could never figure out. She would sometimes poo once a day or none and I would get worried too.:o:o:o:o

Hopefully sweet little Hannah will adjust. I know it is easy to say don't worry because we all do worry anyway;);) I'm trying to be mad at Zoe for her impossible behavior today but I really am worried about her too.:o:o:o

So take a deep breathe, breathe in, breathe out, I am doing it with you:)Feel the stress go away? No? Ok, lets try a hot bubble bath along with some Chocovino. IF that doesn't work, I'll pass our Zoe's bottle of melatonin:D:D

love,
addy

It was 81 degrees here today so I can't relate to the snow problem. :p

Julie, I suspect that there is probably nothing wrong with Hannah. A lot of dogs, including my current foster, think nothing of holding their pee for eight hours or longer. At first I was concerned but then I remembered that my foster dog is normal where my dogs are not. I have Jojo who has diabetes insipidous, Lulu who's cortisol is running high so she is urinating more often and Jasper and Buster are on diuretics so it's a peefest around here. I wash a load or two of hospital pee pads every day.

HIJACK!!!!!! :D

Quote:

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I wash a load or two of hospital pee pads every day.

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Glynda, there are washable peepee pads? Where do you get them? Brick goes thru about 3 pkgs. of 18 pads a month or more. Washable might be less expensive to use! Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Squirt's Mom

HIJACK!!!!!! :D



Glynda, there are washable peepee pads? Where do you get them? Brick goes thru about 3 pkgs. of 18 pads a month or more. Washable might be less expensive to use! Thanks!

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I found out about these from Glynda, too! I used this type of washable pad for Harley: http://www.petco.com/product/8830/Po...aking-Pad.aspx

Not sure where Glynda gets hers.

Oooooooo, thank you, thank you, thank you! They are expensive to buy but will save $$ in the long run! Definitely going on my wish list!

Well, Hannah would not go pee for me this morning, or for my parents when they stopped over later this morning. They tried everything they could think of. She finally went about 3:45 when my husband came home. That means she held it from 9:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. the following day. I talked to my vet today and because she is otherwise acting normal and because she IS urinating they think it has something to do with the really cold temperatures and ice we have had after a very mild winter. It is hard to know...I was really hoping the potty pads or the rugs in my kitchen would be wet...but they weren't. I cannot understand how she held it that long. The vet said the worst they were worried about at this point is her getting a UTI. They seem to think she will go when she absolutely needs to. The vet said they could check her urine if I want, just to be sure. Both dogs are going in Thurs. to be groomed, so I thought maybe I could bring a sample then. I sure hope that when it warms up a little she will get back on track. I don't know what will happen when we have our really cold stretches. I would love it if she would just use a pee pad. UGH. This dog is killing me slowly...

Julie & Hannah

Killing me softly with this dog, killing me softly with----ok I am no Roberta Flack:D:D

Wow Julie, that is a long time to not pee. How the heck did she do that? Poor Julie, you must be a basket case with worry. I would be.

My little Kujo, oh, I mean my little Zoe was bouncing off the walls when I got home from work. I put her sweater on and took her out, she peed, tried to eat her night time snack of bunny poop ( she thinks they are cocktail peanuts before dinner) and when I brought her back inside and tried to take her sweater off she tried to bite me:rolleyes::rolleyes:

It is going to be a long January, BIG SIGH ICON HERE;););)

Maybe Hannah will come around. I think it is to get warmer later this week.

Great, baby Kujo just decided to go to sleep without going out to poo.

Julie, how about we take a cruise and leave the dogs with the hubbies?

love,
addy flack;)

by any chance can you get sod anywhere? or fake grass? put it in your garage....sometimes they will be apt to go out of the elements even though the garage is still cold not as pad as outside. or even grass clippings from yard sometimes will work.
at one point i had a little potty area with small little space heater so as i supervised we all didnt freeze. lol,

I have a friend who buys sod for her dogs. She is gone for 10 hours a day and one of her dogs will bust before she pees on a piddle pad in the house. The sod worked!

Leslie, I bought my washable hospital pads on ebay. They are much cheaper.

:(:(:(:(:(:(

I am a mess. My mom stopped over to my house to let my dogs out. Hannah did pee and then they went for a walk, which she also enjoyed.

On the way home, a neighbor had a friend over, and the friend had a black lab. They were sniffing each other and the woman said the dog was friendly. All of a sudden, it picked Hannah up by her sweater and was shaking her like a toy. My mom yelled and tapped the dog's head and it dropped her. It didn't shake her a lot or throw her, but Hannah (with the back problem already) has trouble walking and resists lying down and is breathing heavily and groaning.

My mom called me at school (I teach 3rd grade) and I started crying, and of course felt that I needed to go home to be with Hannah. We called vets trying to decide where to go. We took her to the vet where she got acupuncture and they assessed her to see if she was stable. There are no puncture wounds (she was wearing a thick sweater and has long hair right now) and her temp. and heart rate were normal. We can't see the vet until 4:00 for the next step (acupuncture, x-rays, pain meds?). We came home to wait.

She wagged her tail to see me, ate treats here and at the vet, and walked to her blanket. She groans so much to sit down. They think it is her lower back.

I am so worried and upset. Please be thinking of me and my little Hannah...

Julie & Hannah:(

Oh, Julie,

How scary! :eek: Please let us know what the vet says.

Prayers and healing white light for Hannah, and you. I hope your mom wasn't too upset by the ordeal. Bless her heart.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

OMG Julie,

Praying sweet, little Hannah is okay.

Holding your hand,
love,
addy

I am here, too. Holding you both in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and hugs,
Lori

your probably on your way home.........dear God how horrifying. oh sweetheart....i am so very sorry, and i am so very sorry for your baby....omg i can not even imgaine how horrifying that was. so hope things are okay. ((((hugs)))

Hi Julie,

just checking back for news of Hannah. I hope you are both okay.

love,
addy

Julie... wow that is scary. What are these people thinking? Poor Hannah. Sending warm thoughts and prayers your way. Kim

Hi Guys-
We are home and sort of situated. The vet said Hannah's back is injured again...basically in the same spot. She got acupuncture again and tolerated it a little better. The vet said she assumed that Hannah would improve again over time with acupuncture. She also is on Metacam again (for a short period only and she did tolerate it fine the last time for 7 days). She thought that Hannah could potentially improve faster because she has had acupuncture before and said that this is a little different because it is an acute injury. She thought it would be nearly miraculous if she was better after one treatment. She did come home and eat and wag her tail and walk around, but has been sleeping most of the time since. She does have a hard time lying down, and at times just sits. I feel like she is exhibiting more signs of pain this time than she did the last time. My mom reminded me that this is an injury, as opposed to chronic pain, so it might just be different.

I am trying to be encouraged by the fact that she wasn't more seriously wounded, that she went potty when we left the vet, that she ate supper, and that she is home. Heck, I am thrilled I didn't have to put her to sleep. I am still worried about her though. A lot. I am worried about her going potty tonight too.

My poor little sweetie. I feel so terrible. So does my mom. I have met the other dog before and it is nice, so I am sure it was a fluke. The woman admitted it was her dog's fault because it wasn't on a leash and gave me her name and number. I'm not sure if that was her saying she wanted to pay, or what. She has not called me back. I paid $99 today and will pay $80 for each additional acupuncture treatment. I will make it work to make my girl better, but it is already hard for us to keep up with all of the vet bills on two teachers incomes. Ugh. I just need her to be okay.

Thanks so much for all of your well-wishes and kind words. It means a lot.

Julie & Hannah

I'm so glad you posted, I rushed to my lap top this am hoping for news.

Thank God she is okay and it was not worse. I'm sure her back will get better. Just spoil the heck out of her:D;)

Poor little Hannah, she has had a time of it.

Get better soon.

Sending love and hugs (((((hugs))))

addy

Oh Julie,

I am so happy to read your post and know that Hannah wasn't hurt any more than she is. What a relief!

Her muscles could be very sore from simply tensing when the attack happened so you may be seeing some stiffness from that as well as the pain from the back injury. I know I would have tensed up if some big ole hairy thing yanked me up and started shaking me! :eek: Then I would have passed out. :p Some gentle massage might help her feel better and it would be a great bonding experience, perhaps relieving some stress for you both.

I hope the acupuncture does the trick in no time and she is back to herself soon.

So grateful it wasn't any worse!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi Everyone-

Thanks again for your thoughts and well-wishes for Hannah. We are on day 3 now post-incident and she does seem a little better, but still hurts. I obviously don't want her to be in a lot of pain, but I am also unable to compare this to her last back problem, which probably came on gradually over time and was a chronic pain issue, as opposed to this acute pain from a traumatic event. She is walking better than she was on Wed. and much better than she was before the last acupuncture, but she is groaning more and showing pain, which she didn't at all the last time. She seems to be able to lay down a little easier, and she eats with her normal vigor, is able to go potty and poop, wags her tail at me sometimes, chewed on a bone on Thurs., and is trying to dig her little nest in her bed. She is also beginning to itch (from her allergies), which I'm sure is tough to do when you are so sore. She seems the most uncomfortable when I have to pick her up (we have steps off of our deck so I have to pick her up to get her outside).

Sometimes I wonder if the moaning and groaning is because she is itchy too. We are still doing Hydroxyzine for itching and Metacam for pain until Tues. The itching did seem to improve when we had a 4-5 day bitterly cold stretch, so it must all be allergy related.

I talked to the vet who did the acupuncture last night because I wanted to know if it was normal for Hannah to still be painful. I know it had only been two days, but needed some reassurance. She said that ideally she would be feeling better, but that it wasn't worrisome to her at this point. She did say we should definitely get in for another acupuncture treatment, which I had already scheduled for next Wed. before we even left.

I asked if she felt that Hannah would be able to recover (her best guess) and she said that since she responded so well to acupuncture the last time with great success, she felt pretty confident that she would improve.

I know it will take some time and it was a gradual process the last time as well, but I didn't have to see and hear the pain I can now. The one thing that seems better is that she isn't wincing/twitching as much. The Metacam is only once a day (at night), so maybe she is just a little worse then because it is wearing off. And, like I said, maybe the itching is causing some noises too. When I rub her ears or sides (her itchy spots), she groans, which maybe means it feels good. Her little voice/groans sound a little weaker and more raspy too, so it is hard to figure out.

I wish I could look into a crystal ball and just know that eventually she would be okay. That would provide so much relief. I know I can't do that though, so I will try to take it day by day and hope the vet is right that the acupuncture will help. I just don't want her to be suffering...but at this point she seems happy enough with her food and treats and her "mommy" that I need to push forward and try.

The owner of the dog who shook Hannah did come over yesterday and write me a $100 check for the initial vet visit. She said she and her husband don't have a lot of money, but that she wanted to do what was right and at least give me money for that. We agreed to keep in touch regarding how many treatments ($80 each) Hannah needs to feel better.

Please keep Hannah in your thoughts...I'm really hoping I see some good improvement soon.

Thanks,

Julie & Hannah

Thanks for the update. I know acupuncture is what has kept Annie going and it is amazing the difference after a visit. I know what you mean about the crystal ball but with your love she will thrive. :D Keep the faith and know we send our love and prayers. Kim

Poor Hannah pain and itching:(:(:(:(

As Kim said, keep the faith, she is going to be all right. We have quite a few prayers going up to heaven so if you hear some thunder, it might just be all of us praying very loudly at the same time;);)

I can't imagine how worried you are, that merry go round just keeps on spinning. I hope this weekend you and Hannah get a chance to cuddle and rest.

love,
addy

well at least she did that. i would have told her if she cant continue to help with expense that i am sure she has jewlery, tv, ipod, computer, that you would take instead and sell them. LOL (sorry i am a bit of a smarta@# I am VERY protective of family friends and animals) i hope she continues to do well. I was thinking about the two day thing....you know on us, the 2nd is usually the worst, even if we miss sleep, the 2nd day is more difficult than the first. AND i dont know about you all....but as i continue to age things are more difficult to bounce back from...takes me while. so maybe with all that into consideration, progress will be made but slower. giving gentle hug to her, and shysie says grrrrArfArf (she is playing big dog body guard, lol)

Hello again,

I am so happy to report that my little girl finally seems to be showing some improvement (that even I can see). At about 7:00 last night I commented to my husband that she seemed to be walking around more, following us, not groaning, etc.

Today she also seems better. She is even trotting around a little. (Her walking was not as affected this time though). And she isn't groaning as much when I pick her up.

I am feeling really encouraged about this after having a really rough few days. I wasn't eating much or sleeping well. My biggest worry today was whether or not I should give her the Metacam tonight. The vet was hoping to only use it for a few days, but told me on Friday I could do it for a week if needed. Today was day 5. After agonizing a little, I decided to give it (but didn't give the full dose) and to call tomorrow to see if I should stop.

Hannah has also been itching her ears like crazy and I am fearing she might have an ear infection. It is hard to know though, as she itches them with her allergies. Hopefully it can wait until Wed. when we see the vet again.

It seems like we have turned a corner and I actually believe she will be able to get better.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and comments. It is so nice to know there are people thinking of us.

Julie & Hannah

Great news! I know you are relieved. Do you think the ear itching could be caused by the Metacam? I know some meds make me itch and tingle.. just throwing it out there.

Give Hannah a treat for me and get a good night's rest. You have earned it! Kim

Turning the corner is great news.:):):):)

We are to have warm weather again today but then to get colder. I am hoping you get the cold weather first. Like you, I am sneeizng like crazy:(

I will be sending continued healing thoughts and prayers your way. Thanks for the advice you took the time to give me while you are going through your own problems.

Hugs and love,
addy

Hi Julie,

So glad that Hannah seems to be responding to the meds. I hope she is back in full swing very soon. I can just imagine how worried you have been.

It was really nice of the other dog's woman to offer the help she has - many wouldn't have done that much. I hope they can see their way to helping you with the expenses resulting from this attack a little more...but even if they can't, they have acted with an honor seldom seem these days.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Julie: I've been gone and missed this. Poor Hannah. I'm so glad she is doing better. I will give the woman credit for bringing you a check. So many people are worried about lawsuits I've seen people not do anything.

hugs to all of you, Judi

Hi-

Hannah's back seems to continue to be better (yay!) and I am hoping the vet thinks the same thing at her acupuncture appt. on Wed.

I did have to have my parents take her into the vet for me today because her ears looked so bad to me this morning. Sure enough, she has a double ear infection. So now we're back on ear medication. There is yeast and some bacterial infection too.

Here's to hoping we don't have any more issues in the near future...

Julie & Hannah

aweeeeeee bummer, bless her sweet heart, poor little ears.
Okay, BUT the back is better??? so hope doctor agreed! thinking of you all. love and hugs

Thought I'd post an update on Hannah. She had acupuncture again on Wed. (my parents took her while I was at work). The vet said she was SO MUCH better. They could see her personality (thought she was so cute!) and she wasn't too into the acupuncture that day. They did it on the floor instead of the table and my mom said Hannah was trying to walk away. They finally distracted her with treats.

The vet said she may not need another one and that I should just watch her and see how she does. She suggested it might be good to get a maintenance treatment every 6-8 weeks in the winter, and that I should watch to be sure she doesn't slip on ice.

Hannah is happily trotting again on her short walks (about a block and back) and is following me around the house. She is going to be getting groomed this week (a week earlier than I planned) because the groomer at my vet (who has experience with dogs with injuries) has to quit grooming because of her own back problems. This is her last week. That stresses me out a little, but I am hopeful my other groomer can do it, as she has some experience with older/injured dogs too. She said she typically does all necessary areas (nails, pads of feet, sanitary area, face) right away, then does the bath and cut, and lets the dog dictate when to take breaks.

We are still treating the double ear infection, but both ears look much better. They just get so greasy and disgusting feeling. I am also going to check with my vet on if we could stop earlier than the 14 day recommendation on the bottle. She is still licking her feet a little bit and scratching her chin and sides from time to time, but it seems a little more under control. I am relieved that there is nothing resembling a rash near her vulva, and she has been leaving that area alone, except for a quick lick after she goes potty. We are still on Hydroxyzine 2-3 times per day, but when it was really cold this past week she was less itchy and fine with only two pills. It warmed up again yesterday, but it is supposed to be really cold again this week. Hannah has also been fine in the cold weather (even with a dusting of snow) and hasn't been resisting going outside (another relief).

Hopefully we'll have another calm period for a little while. I need to get her in for her NSAID monitoring sometime soon, and hopefully that will look good.

Thanks for checking in on my little Hannah!

Julie & Hannah

Sounds like a pretty good update. I am glad Hannah is feeling better. You deserve a nice long period of calm, happy dog time.

I know how you feel about having a groomer leave. I don't know what I would do if I lost the two I use. Mine have never seen anyone else since I adopted them.

Hugs,
addy

Hannah was finally groomed yesterday and it went well, so that is a relief. They also checked her ears while she was at the vet and the infection is gone so no more ear meds!

She was due for an NSAID monitoring so they did blood work as well. Unfortunately, her ALKP level has increased from 424 on Dec. 1st to 826 yesterday. My vet was okay with it if it stayed at 424 (she had only gotten as low as 320 initially, I believe, while she was on Anipryl) but since it has doubled in 6 weeks, we are no going to try Denamarin. Does anyone have experience with that? I wanted to try that rather than going back on Anipryl for now, since it will specifically target her liver. We are going to try a month and then recheck.

Her BUN was still slightly increased (at 32 and 7-27 is normal), but her Creatinine is normal, as is the ratio, so he isn't worried about her kidneys. There were a couple of other things just slightly off (low or high) but he wasn't worried and they seem to be consistently that way.

We actually got some snow today (maybe 2 inches) and Hannah was shivering a little when outside (probably from the haircut). She did go potty when I got home from work, but had no interest in pooping. I'm hoping we don't run back into the issue of her not wanting to go outside and holding it for hours on end. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope she just didn't have to go.

Hopefully we won't have to make any vet visits in the near future. Yesterday between grooming, ear check, blood work, etc. I spent over $200, and if I add in the acupuncture the last couple of weeks we have spent closer to $400. She's certainly worth it, but I can't keep that up on a regular basis. Both of my girls are curled up and sleeping peacefully on their blankets right now. It must have been a tough day for them today. ;)

Julie & Hannah

Julie so glad its going better for Hannah and glad the ear infection is gone! Those are nasty and she must feels so much better now!! Hope the weekend goes well:)

love and hugs to you xoxo

Julie - Thanks for the update and glad all is ok. Yep these little guys can get expensive.. but oh how we love them. :p Give Hannah a hug. Kim

Hi Julie,

Glad Hannah's back is improving and the ear infection is gone. :) And I hope you are able to stay out of the vet's office for a few weeks at least! :eek::p

I haven't used Denamarin but several here have and I'm sure they will be along to share their experiences. I remember the senior vet at our clinic in TN said she always saw liver values drop in her clients on Anipryl and that did happen with Squirt while she was on it, too. I can't recall if her values remained high after that tumor was out or not tho. :o After the tumor was out, we stopped the Anipryl, of course, as there was nothing for it to treat for sure then! I need to go to storage one of these days and try to find all her old records, huh? :rolleyes:

Keep up the good work, Mom!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

popping by to see how everyone is doing. sending love and hugs...........

glad things are getting better!