Buddy, The Mighty Lizard Hunter - Suspected Pituitary Macro Tumor

Kathy, I cried too! That is such a nice poem!

Julie & Hannah

Oh Kathy,
I am so late getting in on everything. Haven't been on the computer all day until now. :( I'm just so sorry for what you're going thru. I know how those sleepless nights feel when you just keep checking up on your pup and are unable to truly rest. It can feel lonely in the wee hours watching every breath.
I'm sure you haven't been a downer to anyone at all!! I know everyone who posts on this board "gets it". No one here would ever think "it's just a dog" NO WAY...so your feelings are safe with us.
I hope when you want to post that you will! Anything...good and bad, because that's why we are all here.
awww..I loved your poem too. Hoping you will be able to get a little shut eye tonight in preparation for the Sea World trip, and when it's over you can start your weekend which I am sure you desperately need!
Positive thoughts and hugs coming your way! :)
Barbara

Awwww that poem is so sweet Kathy! Love it! Buddy must be loving all this attention with him Mom up all hours! Have fun on the trip tomorrow, maybe it will tire you out so you crash and have a decent sleep when you get home then will be ready to face the weekend with some fun for you and your boy.

Thinking of you and the Budster lots xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm off the Sea World this morning with many very excited kidlets :D:rolleyes:Buddy had a quiet night with no further spells. He is spunky and active this morning. Right now he is telling to put my IPad down and get his breakfast! There are priorities you know!:D

Hugs,
Kathy

You bet there are priorities!! LOL Buddy won't let you forget that at all!
Have fun at Sea World. Would love to be going there right now

hugs,
Sharlene and molly Muffin

Disclaimer………For those of you who are waiting for the gory details from Buddy's appointment, I have assimilated them enough to talk about them now. For the rest of you, please skip this post. Don't say I didn't warn you! On March 11th, I took Buddy to the vet specialty hospital for a neuro- consultation. He was seen by a neurosurgeon and two neurologists. The appointment took about an hour and a half and they tested everything. They even took him outside to see him walk and conducted more tests outside. Buddy was showing neuro symptoms at that time and needed a clearance in order for his regular vet to do Cushing's testing. This is the third hospital that he had been sent to. All of them were seeing Cushings. He had already had an ultrasound at the emergency hospital a week or so before. At the time of his appointment he was wobbly on his legs, had difficulty standing on tile floor, and was visibly weak. Both of his back legs showed reduced motor control, one side tested far worse than the other. His front legs tested fine at that point. It showed an obvious neuro-pathway disruption (their words). There were a few possible causes at that point. Some of the weakness in his hind legs could be due to Cushings muscle wasting, but that didn't explain the neuro pathway disruption. Possible causes were a disk problem in his back - tested with Spinal Rads, then ruled out. A stroke was another possible cause since one side of Buddy's body was more affected than the other (at that time). The last possible cause would be brain tumor or Macro-tumor (as Cushings was already suspected). They recommended a $3500 MRI. If he had a or tumor or a stroke, it would probably show on the MRI. The other option was to test for Cushings, start treatment if found and wait for more neuro symptoms to appear. I had already spent more than $2000 the previous week on vet bills and did not have an additional $3500 for an MRI. I chose the second option and Cushing's testing was started the next day. The theory being that once Cushing's cortisol level was controlled then they would better be able to determine the cause of the neuro symptoms. If it was a stroke the neuro symptoms would remain constant and unchanged. If there was a tumor, reducing the cortisol would more likely worsen the symptoms as high cortisol tends to control or slow down the growth of Tumors. This brings us up to Tuesday's appointment. Many of the same neuro tests were repeated by Buddy's regular doctor. His neuro symptoms had worsened significantly. He failed many of the tests that he passed 2 1/2 months earlier. All four legs now showed obvious loss of motor control. His front legs often buckle now when he walks or runs. They were not affected at the time of his initial consultation. Head tremors videos (taken by me) also showed activity in the head area, indicating tumor activity. The neurosurgeon said the diagnosis would become clear within the next few months. It looks like she was right. All indications point to a brain or macro tumor putting pressure on the brain. My vet was going to review all of Buddy's tests since puppyhood and contact the neurosurgeon to fill her in, so we can determine a course of action and verify that she concurs with his findings. I am waiting to hear back. I have tried to explain what I know clearly. I hope that your able to figure it all out.

Hugs,
Kathy

Kathy-(sigh) wow...you and Buddy have been through a lot since March. It's amazing how spunky Buddy is after all that has gone on.
I'm glad he was feeling good this morning. I hope you are able to get some rest tonight, you must be really tired between the day at Sea World with the kids and all this on your mind.
Glad your weekend is here and I hope it's a good one for you and the Budster. Hopefully you will get more answers once you hear back from the neuro vet. I'm so glad you have your trusted vet back in charge.
Big hugs,
Barbara

Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your post of support.:) Sea world was beautiful today. It was 78°, and sunny with a cool breeze. The kids were mischievously wild, as expected.:D. I always get the boys because they are more rambunctious.;) We had a wonderful time. My secret is to eat as much sugar as them, so I'm able to keep up with them! LOL:D This is my 21st year and I still love what I do. I am truly blessed. :p. Where are Trixie's ACTH numbers? She tested on Tuesday!!!

Hugs,
Kathy

Kathy--that's a new photo of Buddy isn't it?? He looks so cute!! Is he Robin Hood? Peter Pan? heehee he is so adorable in his outfits!! I just posted a long winded post on my thread re the acth test. All is fine.
So glad you had a good day at Sea World. Sounds like your kids are lucky to have you! I like the sugar consumption technique..sounds like a good plan!! :D
21 years is amazing...great to love what you do..that's why you're so good at it I'm sure!!
Have a great weekend. :) Barbara

The littlest dinosaur, of course! He wouldn't wear the head!:D

Hugs,
Kathy