Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

ha! Jenny is doing her Cujo routine too. little stinkers. I hope Miss Zoe continues to heal and I'm really glad your Mom had a good time with you. That is what matters! hugs

Hi Addy-

I only got two hours sleep last night....I was so angry about my knitting. I didn't accomplish anything by doing that......just made me more tired. Kim, the knitting lady, says she will be there tonight. I told her I had a challenge for her!

Can I take a nap now???

Love,
Sus

I hope Thursday is finding you more relaxed and calmer. I also hope Miss Zoe is doing well. :)

It is almost the weekend, but you said it was going to rain for 5 days--sorry I think I sent it your way, but we only got a little rain. I think it has time to build on its way to you!!:eek:

We are due to get some more--I will try not to send it your way....:D

Miss Ella is off to another class late this afternoon. Control Unleashed is what it is called. There is a book by the same name. It is suppose to be a wonderful way to train reactive dogs and for dogs in agility, obedience, performance type. We will see....I never know what she will do in class--I think she gets bored with all the talking. The one thing I would like to see is to let all the dogs socialize in the beginning of class, but they have so many classes going on there isn't time.

(((HUGS))) for you today!!!

Dear Addy
So sorry to hear about your Mom. That is awful.
Hope Zoe is doing better will post on my thread.
Love Sonja
Hugs Sonja and Apollo

Addy

I just took a few minutes to read your posts

Love the one about your mom and Zoe....that was so touching:)

Also I am so sorry I missed you birthday sooooo

HAPPY BELATED BELATED BELATED BELATED BIRTHDAY:D:D:D:D

Love and hugs to you and Zoe!! Xoxo Hope she is better each day

Hi Cindy, Marie. JoAnn, Sonja, dear Sus and all,

Zoe's eye does not look any better, it is so red, the discharge may be less, it does not look good. She sees opthamologist tomorrow morning and I am very concerned.

I had stopped her night time melatonin a few weeks ago when we started increasing her trilostane. She is getting up earlier and earlier. I am trying to hold on until her stim and then see where I am. This morning she was up for 45 minutes before she went out to pee. I was sure I would find an accident, but I did not. But this waking up, now it is at 4:20, each week it is 10 minutes earlier or more, I am so tired.

Her poo had that colitis smell last night so I gave her an extra tiny piece of flagy. I think she has trouble breathing when she sleeps, she snores, and makes all kinds of sounds. Reminds me of me when my allergies are bothering me at night and my nose is stuffed up. Myabe that is why she isn't
sleeping.

Her stim is next Thurday, April 19th.

Otherwise, she seems really happy, still wants to play with Koko but I wont let because of her eye. I honestly have no opinion on where her cortisol is. Probably still too high.

I am really concerned sbout her eye.

love,
addy


will her eye problem affect her stim?

Addy, I'm so sorry about Zoe's eye. I will be anxiously awaiting the eye doc's report. I think that allergies are more likely to produce redness in both eyes rather than one eye alone, unless it's a contact allergic reaction of some sort (like when a human who's allergic to cats will pet a cat and then rub one of their eyes). Maybe Zoe got a little scratch or something from wrestling with Koko. But the eye doc should be able to tell you for certain.

As far as the stim test, I know you'd prefer not to have any kind of complicating issue at all. But I would hope that the eye irritation wouldn't have any big effect. Once you know the cause, you'll be better able to judge. And you can also ask the eye doc for his/her opinion about that.

Good luck tomorrow!
Marianne

Addy: So sorry Zoe is having so much trouble and she is taking it like a trooper. Hope she gets better soon. Hugs to you and your puppies. JoAnne

Thanks Marianne,

ER vet said she had a "scuff" not a scratch so they will retest tomorrow to see if the "scuff" is still there or worsened. He said both of her eyes were red, just the scuffed eye was redder and looked worse. I am so glad we are seeing the eye doctor and not a general gp.

One of the bumps on her tail is coming more to the surface. That is what happened last summer and then it opened and then healed. Her bare tail feels so cold.

Her birthday is next week. It was on her birthday 2 years ago they told me they thought she had Cushings. So now when it is time for her birthday I get scared that I will get more bad news.

I don't know what is wrong with me, I can't stop crying this week. I think I am really scared.

love,
addy

Addy-
Just a thought-could her eye have an infection from the scrape?? Hannah ALWAYS has to use an antibiotic drop or ointment for several days and Atropine only for a few because it is for pain only. I wondered that from the beginning with Zoe, but thought maybe it was just because it was minor. I hope something as minor as this could be the answer.

We have a fabulous opthamologist vet here in the cities who loves his job and is fabulous! Maybe you could even consult with him if you don't get anywhere.

Hang in there! Thinking of you and sending prayers and hugs your way!!!

Julie & Hannah

Addy

Good luck tomorrow....I hope they can figure out the eye problem...I understand....their birthdays are such an emotional time...especially when it reminds you of things you rather not remember.......but we will pray Zoe's eye gets better soon in time for her birthday:)

Also you still use Flagyl.....only as needed?? Penny still has the colitis to.

Hugs to you xoxo

Gee, ER vet told me Atropine was a triple antibiotic to prevent infection, not for pain.:o:o:o:o:o:o I better recheck the box.

Cindy, I still give Zoe 62mgs Flagyl once per day. If I smell that colitis smell or start seeing tails, depending on the situation, I will cut back on her food and give her a tiny extra piece of flagyl maybe 30 mgs at night. I had cut her back to 62 mgs every other day but we started having issues her and there and knowing the Trilostane increase was looming, I needed to be assured of solid poos.

She looks so bad, bald tail, no undercoat, bare spots, now her eye. Yet last night she was laying in front of the door with her ears forward and that look on her face, watching and waiting for me and as I looked at her, I still saw the most beautiful dog I have ever seen.

Please say a prayer for her tomorrow.

Thanks,
Addy

Addy

I know that look all to well...it just breaks your heart....I see it in Penny....Zoe will be in my prayers....praying the eye situation and skin problem gets resolved.....penny is skinny, boney and so sad looking.....but all we see when we look at them is our beautiful fur babies:)

Sending you tons of love, prayers, support and strength!!

Hugs to you and Zoe xoxo

It is not Atropine. I don't know why that was on her discharge paper.:o:o:o

it is:

neomycin/polymyxin b/gramicidin d - ophthalmic solution

and that makes sense as he said it was a triple antibiotic to prevent infection. Not sure why they wrote Atropine. I have to go back and read her discharge papers again. Why would I have the Atropine name?

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love,
addy

Prayers being said here for you and Zoe!!!;)

I am sure if Maddie had had a tail it would have been bald also. She got all the bald spots Zoe has now, but once the maintenance kicked in her fur came back--just not the same kind of fur and the coloring was different--she wasn't black but a tan gray black mixture. I took what I got just to have her fur back to somewhat normal. You will too. :)

How their look just melts your heart you just want to squeeze them with affection.:D

(((((HUGS)))))

Enjoy the weekend as much as you can!!!:p

Well, the thing is her discharge coming from her bad eye is better, but today her third eye lid is out again and red in that eye. For the last two days when she licks us, the bad eye starts rolling up in the back of her head. It has never done that before.
I just called hubby and told him to discontinue the eye drops.
I don’t like this and have a pit in my stomach. Her eye has never done that before. Both eyes may roll up when she sleeps but I have never seen one of her eyes move like that when she is awake and doing something. It only happens when she licks us.

me

I just want to hug you and tell you it will be alright, but I know that won't take away your worries.:(

I truly wish I could wave my magic wand and Zoe will be all better. :)

Hang in there my sister!!! @--->---

I do have a question--you said "her third eye lid"--how many eyes does Zoe have????:confused:

"I feel sad, when your sad..... Mmm mmm mm." Or however that Barry Manilow song goes. 8:::

Addy,

I am so sorry to hear that Zoe is having yet another problem. It just isn't fair that these sweet things have to suffer at all in their already much to short lives! I think we all understand feeling sad and afraid. Even though I am so fortunate that Alivia is doing well, that concern and fear never seems to go away.

I hope Zoe's eye problem is nothing serious. You both deserve some good news!!

Take care of yourself...sounds like a glass of Chocovine wouldn't hurt!

back from eye doctor: full report will be sent to me next week.

"scuff" has healed

diagnosed with dry eye and allergies- under third eyelid- beat red-looks so sore- he numbed her eye and pulled it out and showed me. He said this is usually from allergies.

also has "white " substance on eyes- from calcinosis cutis- most likely will not go away once her cortisol is controlled- blood vessels growing into cornea from the excess fat and triglicerides? Slight cataracts less then 10% of eye.

medication:
Cyclosporine .02% solution BID- assurred me this has no systemic side effects and is ok for Zoe to have. He thinks that the derm vet plans on using Cyclosporine on Zoe if her allergies get worse from her cortisol being controlled. I freaked out:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Genteal Gel for dry eye disease (over the counter 4x a day durring waking hours)

Flurbiprofen every 8 hours until recheck exam May 5th.

He was thorough and patient and I liked him a lot. He said he is used to working closely with a derm vet and he has worked with Zoe's derm vet and it has worked out okay.

I tried to keep my mouth shut until I freaked out about the Clyclosporine.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::(:mad :

I also am concerned about the calcinosis cutis showing up in her eyes.
He said he sees this in Cush dogs thought it can be caused by other things (diabetes, Hypothyroidism, even diet, etc) but in Zoe's case he believes it is from her Cushings.

I will give a more detailed report once I get his records. Maybe it will help other members.

guys- how am I going to balance the cushings and the allergies?
trying not to be upset, trying to be positive, trying not to blame myself, should I have got her in control sooner? Should I not have upped her Trilostane? What if she is still not controlled on 30mgs sid?

I know, cross the bridge when I come to it. Last thing IMS said to me was she was not going to "chase numbers".

Zoe's skin and white plauque spots on her shoulders continue to look better. Her eyes look like hell.

love,
trying to stay calm and level headed Addy

P.S. I have not been handling the pressure well this week:o:o:o:o

There are always going to be what if's, but all we can do is deal with what we have in front of us at the time. We cannot go back, but just imagine if we could...:)

It is okay to have meltdowns once in awhile and you have been building up for quite some time. So have that melt down and then get up, move on because you are always there for Miss Zoe and you have your family to help you--just ask them to help a little with the load. :)

(((((HUGS))))))

[QUOTE=addy;73827]
- he numbed her eye and pulled it out and showed me. He said this is usually from allergies.
He pulled out her eye???!!!????

He thinks that the derm vet plans on using Cyclosporine on Zoe if her allergies get worse from her cortisol being controlled. I freaked out:eek::eek::eek::eek:
Why did you freak out?

trying not to be upset, trying to be positive, trying not to blame myself, should I have got her in control sooner? Should I not have upped her Trilostane? What if she is still not controlled on 30mgs sid?

Addy, Addy-You have NOTHING to blame yourself for. This is just the hand Zoe was dealt and it is awful and it is not fair. You got her in control as soon as you knew something was amiss. Don't do 20-20 hindsight. That's not fair to you. Try not to consider the "what ifs." It is just one day at a time, one hour at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. Deal with what you can now and with what is here now. I know all this is easy for me to say and very hard to do, but see if you can't try.

To you the biggest hug I ever made and love and compassion.:)

Sus

I think I missed the one about "he pulled her eye out" I was too concerned with Zoe has 3 eye lids so does that mean she has 3 eyes????? I am as confused as I ever was....which isn't hard to do!!!:eek::confused:

How do you do that and not cause any problems? :confused:

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday--almost pool time!!!:D

Hi Addy,

I just wanted to let you know that we use flurbiprofen to treat Peg's eyes when her allergies flare, and it has worked very well for us. Her eyes have been awful at times -- very red, goopy, and irritated. But the flurbiprofen has definitely helped. It is not a steroid, and seems to be pretty benign in terms of any ill effects. We have used it long-term with her, when need be. So I hope it will help Zoe, too!

Marianne

I am feeling better. Marianne, I am so glad to know that it worked for Peg. Marie and Sus, thank you for being crazy and making me laugh:D:D

We came home with 3 different eye drops and tried to figure out a schedule since hubby and I both work and we got overwhelmed besides my worry. Hubby said "how will we ever do this? We can never leave the house for more than a few hours?" When the vet tech brought out all the medication, I had asked her how long will Zoe need all these drops?
She said permanently:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I think what upset me the most was the calcium deposits and fat in her blood vessels in her eyes. If they say your eyes are the windows into your body, what the heck is happening inside Zoe?
I am concerned her heart is next.

Okay, bad storms are headed our way. I will have plenty of time to practice getting drops in Zoe's eyes.:D:D:D

Did I tell you she was so good on the table while the vet was poking and prodding her eyes. Poor things sat there like an angel. (with her muzzle;) )

It is so hard for me because she is like my child, like watching your two year old at the doctor.

Okay, smiling again, off to put more drops in:D:D:D

love you all,
addy

Hi Addy,

I'm glad you got some answers. I know it is so hard not to get overwhelmed and hard to focus on the positive. Think of it this way. She is okay. You now know how to help her. There are meds to help her.

I use the GenTeal gel on Hannah as often as possible. Her opthamalogist vet also said I could use Cyclosporine drops on her if I wanted. I didn't only because it was optional. I have been told they would be fine though as well. They would not cause other issues and would really help. The dry eye can be so irritating for them so Zoe is going to feel so much better when you get those drops in her eye. I am glad you heard some good info. from Marianne as well.

I have to decide about using Cyclosporine for Hannah's allergies. My vet seems to think this is the way to go and said several derm vets on her posting board said that was the best thing to try. She seems to think there are no concerning issues about Hannah having Cushing's, but I am going to email or call the IMS we saw and see what she thinks. Also, it is $75/month for Hannah and she is only 12 lbs.! That is certainly not cheap. They told me it would take 4-6 weeks to work. I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking of doing it for the summer only. No one (vet) has told me anything about side effects and since I have heard other things from other members I want to think more about it.

I'm thinking of you and hoping you can try to find the positive in this and feel a little relief. At least you have some answers and a way to make most of it better, right?

We're in for some storms today too, so I'll be thinking of you then too!

Julie & Hannah

Julie and Addy, it is perfectly fine to administer cyclosporin eye drops to a cushdog. My Jojo was on them for over two years and my little rescue, Lola, will be on them for life. I actually expected Jojo to need them for life but for some reason, he started to produce enough tears. I often wonder how long I'd been giving him those drops when he didn't need them. I could have used the money. :D

Speaking of money, that little tube of Optimmune that the vets usually give you is expensive and you are going to get really p.o.'d at that little tube when you squeeze out the right amount in the eye and it keeps oozing out. You better be prepared to grab the cap and put it back on in a split second. I think I wasted more than Jojo ever got in his eye. After complaining to Lola's eye specialist, she gave us the med in corn oil. It was still expensive and I don't mind the greasiness but the corn oil discolored her white fur. The frustration was solved when I asked Roy at Diamondback Drugs for a price check. I figured it had to be cheaper from DB. He informed me that they suspend the med in a colorless oil. Done deal! It was a fraction of the price of Optimmune and the eye vet's drops, plus I got more in one bottle so it lasted a lot longer. FYI, the eye specialist was fine with the compounded version and still calls in refills to DB.

Yup, Zoe's eye doctor gave me a name of a compounding pharmacy to call for her next perscription. He said it is much cheaper and he trusts this pharmacy and uses it often. So thankfully, he is on top of things.

Julie- How often do you put the GenTel gel in Hannah's eyes? Hubby is upset because he has to always make sure he is home now at 11:00 am to put those drops in her eyes. Eye vet said 4 times a day durring her waking hours.

She gets up at 4:30 or 5:00 but is too worked up then to put drops in so I really cant get any drops in until 6:00 am and she goes to sleep around 9:30-10:00.

I was going to do 6, 11, 3 and then 8 because no one is home between 3 and 5:30pm.

I do feel better after having talked to members here on our forum and after reading about dry eye this morning and after putting all thre drops in this morning, Zoe was such a good girl.

love you all,
addy

Addy, I can soooo relate because there were times I had to put 5 different drops in Annie's eyes 4 times a day. I did them a.m., lunch time, as soon as I got home and then before bed. I used my cell phone to measure the 5 mins. because if you don't you space it and forget and lose precious time... but just know it's worth it. Hang in there and know you are doing the right thing. Kim

Thanks Kim I know you can feel my pain:):):) I remember you running home at lunch to do drops.

The one eye drop is every eight hours, one is bid and the last is 4 times a day. The problem is the eight hour eye drop and the four times a day eye drop cant go in at the same time because it would be too soon for one of them or too late for the other one, so now we have to do 2 medicines at 6, 1 at 6:30, another gel at 11 then wait until 2:00 for the eight hour one again but it is too early for the gentel gel so now do that one at 3:00, second does of BID med at 6:30, then final gentel gel around 8 and last eight hour drop at 9.

Is it really that complicated? Am I making it too hard?

cyclosporine twice a day 12 hours apart
Flurbiprofen 3 times a day every eight hours
Gentle gel 4 times a day durring waking hours

Zoe wakes up at 4:30-5:00 but is too wound up for eye drops until about 6am. She goes to sleep about 9:30 or ten.

Anyone that can help me with a schedule, go for it, because I have made a complicated mess of it the way I calculated it:eek::eek::eek::eek:


not good in math addy

Dear Addy
Sorry to hear about Zoe. With cushing's so many other things can come up. I started ordering some meds from Dr. Foster's and found them to be more reasonable on some items. Also free shipping on some things. Hope this might help.
Enjoy each day with your sweet Zoe as I do with Apollo.
Love and hugs Sonja and warrier Apollo.

Thank you Sonja and thank you to all of you for listening to me freak out all weekend.

I will sign off with this note:

Zoe's eye looks better already and when I came out of the kitchen tonight after making their dinner and cleaning up their dishes, Zoe had her toys strewn all over the living room with Koko's.

That brought a smile to my face like nothing else. I hope she is feeling better.

Stim on Thursday. Round thirty-five:D:D:D:D

I love you all,
addy

GREAT NEWS!!!!!
On to Thursday....
Love,
Sus

:D:DGood Morning dear Abby!!:D:D:):)
Here's hoping today is a beyooootiful day!
One BIG hug, one hand squeeze.
Now off to work for you.

Love,
Sus

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL LITTLE DOG ZOE!!!

Today is a very special day for you...and your mom....hope you had a good day!!! Knowing your mom you did!!:D

Good luck Thursday....will be right there with you!!

Love and hugs

Penny and Cindy xoxo

sorry this is getting to you late Zoe darling!!!! our internet went down :( but its back up now, and Shysie, Shaddix and I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday!!!!!!! and the best of best of the best ever at upcoming doctor appointments. Know we are all sending kisses to snout and those ohhhh sooooo feeel sooooo good tummy rubs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE!

The world is a brighter place with you in it!

Your mommy told us so!

:D

I want to copy Janis' post for Zoe's Birthday--it is so pretty!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY A DAY LATE MISS ZOE!!!

Miss Ella sends a kiss and a paw pat on the back!! :D

Sorry I missed this yesterday!

Happy Birthday, sweet Zoe! And many more!

Belly rubs,
Leslie, Squirt, Trinket, and Brick

Thank you!!!! Zoe thanks you too!!!!!!!!

The kids stopped by tonight and daughter said, she sure is perky whenever we come here. Is it us or is she feeling more like the old Zoe?

I said I hope it is both!!!!!:D:D:D:D:D

love you,
addy, zoe and koko too