10 year old female beagle just diagnosed with Cushings - Ginger has passed

Hi! My Abbie weighs 24 lbs. and I give her 10 mg. once a day. In order to save some money, I get the generic (cetirizine) at Sam's. My vet and I thought that Abbie had become resistant to benedryl after being on for a long time. I would definitely discuss the change and dosing with your vet but, hopefully, this info will help.

Okay Thank you very much. It just seems the Benedryl never did much for her. So I will talk to them and see. I just hate to see her so uncomfortable. Also is there anyone else out there that their pups have gone from Cushings to Addison's? If so I was wondering if you have had issues with them eating their food? Ginger will eat treats, bones, anything she finds outside(I know, gross) and some of the meat that we have, but not always. She just does not seem interested in her own food. I wouldn't care if I did not have to get her medicine in her twice a day, she could stand to loose a little, but not like this. The vet used her Fludrocortisone and I thought that would help, it seemed to the first few days, but a lot of days she just does not want her breakfast. No matter what I offer her. eventually she will eat, and does better in the evening. Thanks again.

Does anyone here also have a dog that has gone from Cushings to Addisons?
Am having some trouble with Ginger and just need some advice.
I have tried to find another forum like this, but do not see one. Thank you.

What are you seeing that makes you thing she may be Addison's? I know she's had appetite issues but are there now other signs of the cortisol being too low - loose stool/diarrhea, lethargy, nausea/vomiting?

And is she still taking meds for treating Cushing's? If so and you truly think she may have gone too low, stop giving the med and call for an ACTH asap.

She has had the ACTH test and she was at a 1. They stopped the Lysodren about 6 months ago and she is now on Fludrocortisone. I have had her in 3 times to test electrolytes. So this is what they started her on. She had been doing pretty well, but the last 3-4 days she has not want to eat except a few bones,(Milk bones) and is even turning her nose up at boiled chicken and roast beef. She has started drinking more water and vomiting it back up. Some diarrhea. She has wanted to still walk and has energy to do that. But no appetite. I barely got one does of her medicine in her yesterday. And she vomited them up about 3 hours later. Took her to the vet this am. Did a blood panel, Everything was okay except her electrolytes were very,very low. So they gave her 2 shots to bring them back up and get her to eat and increased her medication from .1 threes times a day to .1 six times a day.(3 pills twice a day unless they come in a stronger dose.). So I have had her tested and yes, she is Addison.

I just did a quick reading on Addison's and they all seem to say it's a straightforward kind of treatment once it's been diagnosed. Looks like for some reason Ginger's is not being controlled despite the increased dose of fludrocortisone which sounds very difficult to administer as she is inappetence. I know how frustrating and a huge challenge that is from our own experience with my Ginger.
I came across this while reading through the articles and thought it could be something to consider for your Ginger. If I remember correctly our Jasper was getting these monthly percorten-V shots (every 25 days) along with steroid which I don't remember which one.

- A newer option in the treatment of Addison's disease is a drug called DOCP. The injection is long acting and only needs to be given once every 25 days. DOCP has been intensively tested and been shown to provide better electrolyte regulation than Florinef. Some animals on DOCP may also need to be placed on a low maintenance dose of prednisone. -

I think she still need to take daily prednisone but maybe once a day and not three pills twice a day. Sounds easier than what you have to go through now if this option works out for her.

Is she on appetite stimulant for her inappetence? If not how about it? My Ginger's been on Cyproheptadine for the longest time and I know it helps her.

I just wanted to throw this out there for a consideration and I hope there's a solution for her very soon so she can go back to enjoying her life again. Hugs, Song.

Oh My Sweet Ginger has some good options there. She has been down this road with her Ginger and did a bunch of research on it, so those are things that you can talk to your vet about.

How is she doing now with the dose increase?

She is not on prednisone at all other than what my head and heart have told me to do. I have some left over from when my former vet had prescribed it for her allergies. So I have on my own given her some. She is only on the Fludrocortisone right now. That is what they have upped her dosage of. From 1 and 1/2 pills twice a day to 3 pills twice a day. I will see how tomorrow goes and make a note of your suggestions. Thanks so very much

I think the way I understood from reading some of the articles today was that fludrocortisone is for both glucocorticoids and mineralcorticoids therefore the dog doesn't need additional steroid. Whether or not she needs extra steroid, that's something you should talk to your vet or specialist about.
It could be possible that you will see a difference in her if she needs more since she's got some tonight but please consult with your vets first.

Sharlene, although my Ginger had gone to the other end her electrolytes were not compromised so she only needed prednisone therapy. I know Jasper's were and hope Tina will chime in.

I've mentioned this a couple of times before but the only thing she never spits out has been plain cheese cakes so I've been giving all her pills in it. She seemed to like the sweetness of it even during the time when she refused everything and anything.I still coat all her pills with it and has been pretty successful. Our freezer door is filled with mini cheese cakes. A life saver for her.

Hello everyone! I have missed our chats! My computer got a virus or something so I had to take it in and it lost all of my information. I have been looking everywhere for my log in information and finally found it!
Just wanted to touch base and let you know that Ginger is doing pretty well! She has had a bout with ear infections, but other than that has been doing well with her medication. She is currently on 4 pills a day of .5 mg fludrocortisone and her electrolytes have been holding steady.
She does have some issues of seeming to be a little more easily startled and stressed with things that never used to bother her as bad, but we try to maintain a very relaxed atmosphere as often as we can for her. She still loves to go for a walk and run through the leaves, get out in the woods and smell where all the little critters have been and go and visit Grandma and Grandpa. I think she is doing wonderful for turning 13 Sept. 1st of 2015. I hope this finds you all doing well!

Awww, what a good update. Glad to hear that Ginger is doing well. A bit more anxiety is probably not a surprise, but she does seem to enjoy the things that matter. Sniffing around, exploring so that is great.

Argh, those computer problems. I am regularly forgetting passwords and log ins and looking for them. What a nightmare to lose all that kind of stuff and have to re find it! Glad you found ours!

Hi! So good to read such a good update on Ginger. I can definitely empathize about those ear infections. Abbie has had some rough ones. I got into a routine of flushing her ears and putting in drops once a week for a long while and, although I probably shouldn't jinx anything, they have been kept at bay. I have found that Abbie's stress levels increase when her cortisol goes up. I know Ginger has Addison's but am wondering if the fludrocortisone levels fluctuate during the day.

Take care and Abbie sends Ginger a big "a-roo-oo"!

What do you flush her ears with and what type of drops do you use. I might try that with Ginger once she is over this round of prescription drops. Also, it could be the level fluctuate during the day. I may have to keep a log for a while and see if I see a pattern. Thank you all so very much.

I use Vetoquinol's "Ear Cleansing Solution". It is the one my vet sells. After rinsing (followed by the vigorous head shaking) and wiping out, I put 4 drops of prescription Mometamax in each ear. I have been very fortunate in that Abbie has always been great about having ear drops put in. Hopefully, Ginger is cooperative as well--it makes the whole process go so much easier.

Okay thank you! I need to make a correction on her medication. Ginger is on .1 of the Fludrocortisone, not .5 as I had stated.The past week and a half I noticed she was acting a little off so I gave her 1/4 of a 20 mg. Prednisone and upped her Fludrocortisone by 1 pill a day. This has seemed to help her. When she was having some problems a few months back the vet did an electrolyte draw and her numbers were very, very low so she wanted me to go from 4 pills a day to 6. She also gave her 2 injections at that time as a boost to get her numbers up. So I started the 6 pills the next day. She did not seem any better the next couple of days so I called to tell them and they said perhaps she was not absorbing the medicine and suggested a ultra sound to see if she had a tumor. I told them to let me think about it. Well after I hung up the phone I thought on this for some time. I realized she was doing fine with the 3 pills a day. That told me she was absorbing the medication fine. Then I thought perhaps we had just over done it with her walks for the 2 days prior to her not feeling well. I also suspected that the 6 pills were too much for her. So I dropped her to 4 pills a day to see how she seemed with them. In a few days she was much better and eating, drinking and ready to walk. So I called the vet to let them know this and she said that was fine, she would make a note in her chart and let her know if there were any changes. So She had been doing well with this does up till this past week or so. We have shortened her walks, especially if it is warm outside and instead of carrying one bottle of water with me when we walk, I carry 2. We take more breaks, even if she does not want to. This all has helped. I am not sure why the change this past week - week and a half, but I do know from what I have read, it is not unusual to have to increase the Fludrocortisone through time. So she is currently on 5 pills a day. I do 3 in the morning and 2 at night. So right now she is doing well. March she will be be due for her shots so I will get her electrolytes checked at that time unless I feel she needs it sooner. She just gets way to stressed going to the vet so I would like to get everything done in one visit. I am adding a few pictures to her album and I will keep you all updated. Hope you are all having a wonderful night! Blessings to you all. Colleen(Ginger's Mom)

I'm glad you figured out the pill situation going back down for a bit. It does seem to be an adjustment though back and forth and that might just be what you have to do to keep her where she needs to be.

I hope the next tests show she is doing well.

I usually just let molly tell me how far she wants to go on her walks without letting her over do it if she is feeling particularly ambitious. I know that if we go too far, I'll end up carrying her back and she'll just get too tired.

Good evening. Hope this everyone doing well. Just wanted to let you know that Gingers last tests were very good. Her electrolytes were right in the middle of the chart which is where they want them to be. I have noticed that even though her number are good she does seem to be drinking an awful lot of water. Not to where she needs out every few hours, or even through the night, which I am thankful for. She does get up and drink through the night, but comes back to bed. Perhaps this is common with her medication. I did not think to ask the vet about it when we were there last. I will maybe make a call and just see what she says, but wanted to run it past all of you as well. It is hard to get her to eat in the mornings. But the vet did say that it is probably because her night time meds are wearing off. So she was not concerned about that. Once she gets her pills in her and I take her for a walk usually she eats, but sometimes she does not until almost noon. She does not seem to feel bad most of the time, but she does have some off days which is to be expected. All in all I feel like she is doing well. I am adding some new pictures tonight of one of her favorite places here in Indiana. Blessing to you all.

Could you get a copy of her last ACTH stim and post those results here...thanks!

I don't know if you are aware of this but Vetoryl has to be given with a meal to be properly absorbed, so If she is getting her Vetoryl dose on an empty stomach those ACTH stimulation results will be skewed.

She has not had a ACTH test done since her diagnosis has gone from Cushing's to Addison's except for once or twice after diagnosis. They are doing routine blood work and electrolyte tests regularly. They said since Addison's there is not a need to do the ACTH tests anymore.
She is only on Fludrocortisone. I have added some more pictures to Ginger's album for all of you to enjoy.

Good evening everyone. I hope this finds all of you and your pups doing well.
Ginger is doing okay for the most part. I have managed to keep her ear infections in check mostly however we have had some issues with urinary tract infections for over 2 months. It seems that every time her antibiotics are done, within about 3-4 days we are back where we started. So they did an ultra sound and ruled out any stones or unusual cell formation which is a blessing. But they noticed the lining of her bladder is about 3 times the normal thickness. They are not exactly sure why except perhaps that these, or this infection has been long lingering. They sent her sample off to be cultured and it came back with 2 different types of infection E.Coli and something called Enterococcus. So we started out with Baytril for 6 days until they got the culture back to see what the infections were. Once they got the results they prescribed Clavamox for 10 days. She seemed to be doing better after about 3 days. She finished her doses this past Sat. and I will take a urine sample in in the morning. I have noticed that she is urinating just a little more frequently than she had been, but not like when I first noticed the infection. I know with the Cushing's and Addisons she cannot concentrate her urine so that along with not being about to fight infections all contribute to this. So we are doing the best we can. She is still on her 6 pills a day of the .1 mg Fludrocortisone and occasionally a small dose of Predisone. So I wanted to share and give an update.

Glad to hear that she's doing well hope she will get better and better soon! Keep us update you and your doggy are always in my thoughts I pray for her faster recovery.

Oh that poor dear. It can be a real bugger to get rid of some infections, so I really hope that this one is completely gone. I know some have talked about being on 30 day antibiotic regimes to get rid of persistent infections.

So we have managed to keep the UTI's under control for now. She is doing better. She is having an awful time with itching and allergies. If I go with a quarter pill of a 20 mg Prednisone she does better with he allergies however it does increase her hunger and thirst which is hard on her weight. She has been scratching so much in certain areas that she has bald spots under her outer coat. They do not bleed or anything. They do get red like a hot spot and when I can manage to put some hydrocortisone on her in those areas it seems to help some. I have tried a warm bath, but do not want to dry her skin out. I know with the Addison's she has very low cortisone in her body with makes her allergies worse. It is kind of a catch 22. The vet had prescribed an allergy medication that had some steroid in it, but she did not do well with it. It kind of caused her to pant worse, drink more and be very skittish. So I called and we stopped it. They said to just try Benadryl which does not do much but I am at a loss right now. Hopefully we can get this figured out soon and she will be less uncomfortable. Other than that things are okay. Hope this finds you all well.

Hi, My Rosie has pretty intense allergies also. Oddly enough Bag Balm helps to heal her breakouts very quickly and it's safe if licked. You just need a VERY small amount. Apply twice daily. I have been applying it to Rosie's skin 2 times pe day, to catch small little bumps before they get out of control. ;)

Benadryl only helps short term for Rosie, meaning a couple of weeks. I have been rotating that and Zyrtec. Rosie Weighs 14.7 lbs. she takes 5mg. per day of Zyrtec. That is a 10mg. tablet cut into quarters. 2 1/2 mg twice per day. Benadryl dosage is 1 mg. her pound up to every eight hours, but I only give it to her twice with food. She takes one half of a 25 mg tablet with each dose. Benadryl is considered safe with Cushing's medications. i'm not sure about Zyrtec. Please consult your Vet for possible medication interaction before trying Zyrtec.

Ginger is too large for a onesie. Rosie wears one to bed to protect her skin from itchiness/scratching/biting during the night. Maybe a T-shirt would fit Ginger?

Kathy

Okay, thank you Kathy. I will see about the Zrytec with the vet. A baby t-shirt would fit, but since she is Addisons now she has trouble regulating her body temperature and gets hot quickly so I am not sure. I may try one and see how she does. Also do you mean Bag Balm not Bab Balm. I have heard of Bag Balm and bought it when I was in Oklahoma. I do believe Tractor Supply sells it. I will keep you all posted.

Sorry, it is Bag Balm. I started a thread about it recently. It is great stuff!! Has a mild pesticide and antibacterial properties. It is also completely safe if licked. Rosie leaves it alone for the most part. Use VERY little.

They do make dog tank shirts with a netting material for air to circulate through. I have a few of them that used to be Buddy's. He had allergies (and Cushings) too. He would get very warm also, but his skin still needed protection. Rosie is not a Cush dog. At least not yet. She is only three years old.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8076

Hello everyone. Hope you are having a good Labor day weekend.
So, Sept, 1st we celebrated Ginger's 13th Birthday with a trip to Rural King and a nice walk. She jumped a bunny and had a blast tracking him for a while. I will add a few pictures to her album tonight. She is doing okay. The vet has added a low dose of Prednisone to her medications to help her appetite. Although she does need to loose a few pounds, it has been a struggle to get her to eat in the mornings and sometimes once I get her fludrocortisone in her, which at times is a problem, she heads for the water bowl and sometimes drinks so much she goes out and spits up the water and sometimes her pills. So the Prednisone is working to help that not be an issue. She also has had some problems with shakiness, so in talking to the vet she wanted to try the Pred. first to see if it helps. If we change too much, we may not know the problem. The Pred, is working to help her eat most mornings. The shakiness is still there, but does not seem quite as bad or as often. Her itchiness continues and the vet said if it does that they have an allergy medication we an try, I am holding off hoping cooler weather and water will help with those. I will keep you posted. All in all, I believe she is doing well for her age an condition. The Prednisone dosage is 1/2 a tablet of 5 mg. once a day. She is still on the 6 .1 mg of Fludrocortisone.3 in the am, 3 in the pm. Thanks for always being there for us. Have a blessed night!

Happy 13 th Birthday, Ginger!!!!

Even though the Fludrocortisone does have some glucocorticoid (steroid) in its ingredients it may not be enough and the prednisone is needed. Has an ACTH stimulation test been performed recently to check her cortisol level?

Lori

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY, GINGER!!!

And many mooooore!

Happy birthday, Ginger! My son's birthday is also Sept. 1...a great day to be born!!

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY, SWEET GINGER!!

A BIG AR-O-O-O FROM ABBIE!!

Thank you one and all!!

awww I missed Gingers birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday Ginger!!!!

Good evening everyone. Hope and pray you and yours are doing fine. We are doing okay here. The weather is starting to get a little colder, but for almost mid December, we cannot complain.We have not had any snow yet, a few flurries, but nothing lasting. Ginger has enjoyed the cooler weather and we have taken advantage of them and have been walking everyday we can. Ginger can do 3 miles easily, with a rest and water break mid way. She still wants to go, even when we are done with the three miles. The other day we did 4 1/2 with two rest and water stops. She has lost a few pounds and loves all the smells in the woods and running through the fallen leaves. Her medications seem to be doing her alright so far. I sometimes have to give her a single dose of the fludrocortisone mid day if we have taken a long walk then just the rest of the dose at bedtime. It helps. Have been busy with trying to keep mom busy and involved since my daddy passed away in July.It has been a hard time for all of us and the holidays are even harder. After 69 years of marriage mom just feels so very lost at times. But us kids that are here are getting her out for lunch, shopping, nails done, haircuts... and sometimes just a drive to another small town to look around. I bring her over here for a late breakfast of biscuits and gravy, or pancakes and sausage, or lunch and coffee and a visit with Ginger, my husband and I. Anything to get her out of the house while the others are at work. Ginger loves to have company and she loves her grandma and loved her grandpa. I pray you all have a blessed Christmas. Thinking of all of you and your babies. God Bless, Colleen

Hi Colleen!

I just read your thread. I have a 13+ year old beagle who was Cushing's and presently Addisons secondary to her Addisonian crisis while on Vetoryl. Unfortunately my vet did not give me the warning signs of low cortisol nor Prednisone back up. Gracie was only on 10mg daily, low for her weight. But, it turns out she probably had early kidney disease that was not diagnosed....now stage 2-3 kidney failure after the crisis. Sub q fluids at home....yuck.

I can't believe Ginger can still walk 3 miles! I think little Gracie could walk about a mile before the downhill spiral of treating her Cushing's.

Just wanted to say hi from a fellow beagle mom...
Betty

Good to hear from you and especially to hear our sweet Ginger is doing so well! I hope you and yours have a blessed holiday season!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi Betty I am so sorry to hear about Gracie! I will pray for her and you as well.
It is tough as not all vets are up on Cushing's treatments or Addison's. I did a lot of reading about Cushing's when Ginger was first diagnosed with it, and that, plus finding this forum held tremendously. However, it was still a learning processes and continues to be. they both mimic other illnesses, so it is very easy to miss something. I was told before the Cushing's diagnosis that Ginger had possible kidney failure as well, But when they did the bloodworm, it come back okay. Once we got her on a maintenance dose of the Cushing's medication, she did okay. Then, I believe a year and a half later, could be longer, is when I started noticing other behaviors in Ginger that I knew something was wrong. They did the ACTH test and that is how they found out where her levels were and then did checked her electrolyte levels. That is when they changed it from Cushing's to Addison's. So a new list of medications and procedures. The first vet did not want to put her on prednisone. They only prescribed Fludrocortisone. She did okay with it, and we rechecked her every 2-3 weeks starting off. Then once she was stable, we wet to 2 month checks. I kept a close eye on every day signs. When I noticed she was acting different I would call and have her rechecked. They have uped her does twice since the initial diagnosis. I went to a different vet for some other issues with Ginger, mainly because they had longer hours and not near as busy, The second vet asked about the predinsone and I explained about the first vet. She said, that Ginger should be on a low daily dose to help her appetite, as well as her cortisol levels. I am thankful for this vets input as it got to be a struggle get Ginger to eat in the mornings. Sometimes I could hardly get her medicine in her. Since the addition of the predinsone, it has helped her to eat better and seems more active. All in all she is doing okay. She has started to wander a bit more at night and early mornings, so I may have to address that with the vet soon. It may just be we retest her electrolyte levels and cortisol, or she may have some idea as to this new "habit" Ginger has started. Sorry to be so lengthy... But I hope your Gracie is doing okay.. Thank you for writing.

Hi!

We received Gracie's ACTH today and she's still Addisons. Her electrolytes were normal, so no DOCP shot. This vet wants me to bring Gracie in every week to check her electrolytes! Did your vet have you go in every week? I think it's over kill, and I feel like I'm an ATM machine.