Alivia was recently diagnosed with Cushing's - Alivia has passed

Thanks, Addy. You can probably see one in the picture, every package of bones has one heart in it because they are "Packaged with love". :)

Ali is beginning to seem very old. She walks very stiffly, especially in the morning. This morning while I was in the bathroom I heard her fall down the steps. It sounded like she fell about half way. It broke my heart. :(

I hope Ali is okay. Did she get hurt? It is very hard to watch our little ones age. They are our perpetual children, it isn't supposed to happen.

Mary Beth, what antibiotic is Alivia on? I just wondered because after Zoe's surgery, she has so much trouble walking, front legs gave out, then the back legs. A friend of mine had a similar problem with her Lhasa mix after a growth removal. Her Pup had been on the same antibiotic as Zoe- cefaloxin I think, it is a skin antibiotic most vets use. Anyway, we were comparing notes and she always thought her pups problems stemmed from the antibiotic so when Zoe had similar issues we wondered about. Maybe just a coincidence.:confused:

I can surely sympathize with how you are feeling, I am there myself.

I hope she is okay and that you have a wonderful weekend. Think about seeling your dog treats on line!!!!!! Or if you have some dog friendly restuarants in town, maybe you could sell them to them;).
What fun to have a dog treat on the menu!!!!!!

love ya

Oh poor Ali. I hope she is okay.

The stairs is one of my biggest fears with molly. She runs down them like a little she-devil or a bat outta hell as the saying goes. It scares me to death that she is going to miss a step and fall and hurt herself. There doesn't seem to be any way though to stop her. :(

Anyway, I do hope Ali is okay. It's so hard to see changes occurring in our little ones as they get older or as diseases take their toll.

Hugs,
Sharlene

Hi Mary Beth,

oooo, I know how scary that was! :( And if you're like me, self-recrimination beat you over the head for hours after. When Squirt had her knees done at an early age, they told me she was never to do steps or stairs again, especially going down. Well, the Queen set out to prove them wrong right off the bat! She wouldn't attempt going up but would fly down before I could grab her and I could see the "neener neener neener" in her eyes with every step. :rolleyes: She stumbled and tumbled a couple of times before I managed to make her understand that those things were a part of her past. I have carried her up and down for years now and tho she occasionally will still try to take them herself, she typically stands there waiting in all her Royal impatience for a lift. :D

I hope Ali is ok this morning and that you are done beating yourself up. It happens, and we all learn so don't let this get you down, 'k?

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Ella is the worst with steps...since she had been in a kennel all her life she'd never learned how to do the steps! She loves the carpeted steps to the basement but the wood steps upstairs are hard! She bunny hops all the way down and kinda lets gravity take over. She's fallen a couple times but shakes it off! She has a nervous habit of circling since being in the kennel and sometimes she tries to circle in the middle of the steps!!!! That never works out well :/

Thanks, everyone. Ali seemed okay after her fall. The steps are hardwood and had never been a problem before. I immediately ordered carpet stair treads for them. I hope they arrive quickly and that they help. Alivia loves to snuggle with you but she doesn't like to be carried. :(

Yes, Addy, she was on Cephalexin for the pyoderma. That's improved but her hind end is so swollen and red. We just can't seem to get that cleared up. I can't imagine what she could be allergic to - she's on a grain free diet. I wonder now if her licking and chewing has become a nervous habit and if I should attempt one of those soft cones? Or, would not being able to scratch an itch be torture for her??

I understand your thoughts as the derm vet thought Zoe was more OCD with the chewing yet the eye doctor thinks she has allergies.

My thoughts would be if you use the soft cone, a topical would be needed as well, to treat the area and hopefully relieve some of the itchiness and soreness. DO you think she may need a repeat antibiotic dose?



Since the heat wave broke here in WI, the grass is very wet in the early am and later pm and Zoe is chewing at her paws more and more. :rolleyes::rolleyes: Wet paws seem to really bug her.:confused:


I know it is so hard, MB, allergies can drive us bonkers. It is so hard to watch them be so miserable.

Mary Beth and Alivia:
Tipper has been chewing her feet, the underside of one paw, and scratching her mouth area until it bleeds. She had allergies as a puppy which the Vets then used steroids to correct when they were uncontrollable. That is what brought us to this bad place we are in. It seems like the allergies are kicking in again after all these years of not having any problems with them. I hate to put a "cone" on her as she is dealing with enough already. I did notice her stomach etc. looking real pink, and that is how the allergies would start as a puppy.The thing I am most worried about are these episodes that seem to be tumor related, so much so that I cannot sleep. Also it seems the worst symptoms, labored breathing, tremors, waking up not knowing where she is, are the worst at night, even though she gets a split dose. How long has Alivia had cushings? Also I noticed Tipper being reluctant to jump up in the last few days. She had rock hard leg muscles like springs being a Jack Russell. I thought they experienced the weakness before treatment?? She has been on treatment since August 23rd. Doesn't this stop the muscle wasting?? Thank you so much for all your kindness and help.

Ali is not on Cushing's medication, but she can't jump like she used to. I have steps for her to get on the bed and couch.

It seems like there are a lot of Jack Russells with Cushing's! Seems like the percentage here is higher than other breeds. Anyone else notice?