Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

Hi Everyone:
I sent the nutritionist some things that Tipper has eaten that maybe she can build on, as she just informed me that Tipper's dog food does have some grains that are worse than the brown rice she used to eat. So if the rice is healthier and she can eat it she can build something with that and the chicken and green beans and carrots she has eaten in the past with no problems. After hearing how little calories she is taking in and gaining weight it is imperative to get this straightened out. She does need some kibble at nite before bed though as many have said on here there dogs get an acidy stomach. I hope to hear from my vet on how soon we can do her blood and get it sent to Jean Dodd's. If she has an underactive thyroid that could account for the weight gain. So we shall see. In the mean time the healthiest diet that does not upset her is what she needs. No wonder she has been hungry all the time. The vet said she was eating too much, well I guess that is not true as she is eating too little. I am very concerned for her health so I need to get her straightened out here as soon as possible. Tipper has not eaten a lot of meats during her time. Mainly just chicken, so hopefully this will keep her happy and feeling full instead of being hungry all the time. I know if it was me being hungry all the time I would not like it one bit, so I can't expect her to do it either. I am just praying and waiting to hear some news on Woody. Hope everyone prays for him. Blessings
Patti

my ian had tremors [over his whole body] before using vetoryl instead of afterwards. they have gone since the day he got the vetoryl strange maybe? o, well there is one difference : he also got more foodmoments/ day since than because of the pills he needed. . he is on BARF his whole life and got only one big meal/day. those are the only things that changed: the vetoryl and more snacks. so far [on vetoryl for 4 weeks now] no more trembling.
i hope you will find the solution for tippers tremors.

Patti, more proof that each dog handles this disease so uniquely. Any time I've tried to change Daisy's food from Royal Canon it has not gone well and the IMS says not to change.

Praying that the combined vets and nutritionist can figure this out.
Hugs!

Hi Everyone:
yes I am hopeful we can get Tipper straightened out here. I am glad to hear Woody is in good hands and that he gets along well with Emma. I am still hopeful with all these Dr.'s looking at Woody that he will get a miracle. Just keep praying everyone. Blessings
Patti

Patti regarding the thyroid my friend here in the uk was sure her dog had thyroid issues but the results and her vet said no. What she did was email the vets report to Jean Donaldson and she interpreted it and emailed it back to her and indeed her dog did have thyroid issues and us so much better. Just a thought if you can get your vet to do the bloods then you can email her direct with more info.

Quote:

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Causes of Peripheral Vestibular Signs

Otitis interna, hypothyroidism, Idiopathic Vestibular Disease, Neoplasia, Congenital vestibular syndrome, and rickettsial (Rocky Mountain spotted fever or ehrlichiosis) diseases.

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I wonder if some of the tremors could be associated with hypothyroidism, if Tipper has it. Just thinking since I know you are anxious about the tremors and seizures, etc.

Patti, I am glad the nutritionist is going to build on what Tipper can tolerate. The quality of the calories definitely matter, not just the quantity. She could be getting all the wrong stuff and essentially starving nutritionally, but putting on weight from the bad calories.

It's so hard to find that perfect balance!

Patti, if Tipper can tolerate veggies, carrots have a lot of sugar. Stick with green vegetables. Green beans are a favorite of Daisy's.

I think that what we always have to remember is that every dog is different and this includes the foods that agree and disagree with them. Medicines have to be tweaked and diets obviously do too.

I am sure that working with the nutritionist, you'll come up with something that works specifically with Tipper to give her the nutrition she needs daily and is tolerant for her tummy. It could be that because of the diet she has had for so long, that the first one just didn't work for her, or something disagreed with her.

Nothing has been easy with Tipper, so expect diet will be trial and error also. I am Sure though that you can figure this out Patti.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly muffin

Hi Everyone:
I tried and experiment with Tipper last nite as my vet thinks Tipper could have focal seizures also. I read where a Dr. wrote that sometimes melatonin will help with these. So I asked Leslie if it would be ok to do and she said yes. So I gave her one 3mg last night. I should preface this by saying the other time I gave her the one before the storm it took about 2 hours to start to work on her. So knowing what time she lays down I gave it to her 2 hours before. She did have some, but not as bad as they were. I have to say that she is doing this all thru the nite now not just when she falls asleep. So I was thinking maybe 3mg is not enough. Is a higher dosage safe or not??? This is why she is waking up so much. Her eye did not appear to twitch as much either, at least while I was awake. When I get up at various times during the nite to check her I have seen her doing this then that is how I know it goes on all nite and that is not good. Also I did read that the newest and safest drug Zonisamide can possibly cause liver issues and that scares me too. If I could get her to a safe mg of melatonin maybe it would stop this for the most part??? Addy I think Hypothyroidism could be a culprit, as there were many causes that were listed for these seizures. Tipper does also have vestibular disease. I keep going back to the fact that she never did this before Vetoryl though. She need the Vetoryl to go on, so I must figure out a balance of that and stopping these seizures all nite somehow. I also read they have the potential to happen more during the nite so that is why I am seeing this then. I know I do need to get her eating healthy, although I have to say that in comparison the other foods out there on the market I felt she was safer on the Newman's Own as it has never been recalled and is made from human grade organic chicken. The part about the 2 grains and sorghum is not good according to the nutritionist, so we need to build on what I know Tipper has already eaten and had no problems with. I am worried about her not having proper nutrition and having this disease, but want to use baby steps as I do not want her sick like she was again. She may just have a system that can be real touchy with things as she has had an allergic past history. Either way I must be especially careful not to upset the apple cart. I am waiting and praying to hear some news today on Woody as he is undergoing testing today. I hope he can keep his stress level down, it is so hard for them to be in a strange environment and try to act normal. I so wish the Dr.'s could have witnessed one of those episodes with Woody, and maybe it would have given them some kind of clue as to what is doing this. Tracy is a strong woman, I just hope all this stress does not get her down again, as I know how that works all to well. Blessings
Patti

I can't agree more with Sharlene's post. That is excellent advise for ALL of us to remember - each of these pups is a unique biological system and what works for one may not work for one single other pup. ;) Personally, I would leave the diet recommendations up to the nutritionist period. What she recommends are the ONLY things I would attempt right now. You've paid good money and she is highly qualified in this field. ;)

I also want to say that we are working on assumptions here with Tipper. We do not KNOW she is hypothyroid; we do not KNOW she is having seizures. These are just POSSIBILITIES at this point - not confirmed facts. So from this stand point I would not in any way be trying to treat or address issues that are a "maybe". ;) That is getting the proverbial horse before the cart. FIRST comes the diagnosis THEN comes treatment. So for today, work ONLY with the known facts....and maybe in the process save yourself some stress and worry. As I've told you, I am very worried about you and your health with all this stress, honey.

As for the melatonin, I wouldn't increase it just yet. Keep giving the 3mg once at night for a couple of weeks and see how she does. Squirt (at 14 lbs) was taking 12mg a day at one point per her IMS for her intermediate hormones so you probably have some room to increase IF NEEDED. One night is not enough time to know, tho. I would also talk to the vet about this when you discuss the thyroid and seizure possibilities.

I do know one thing - if there is a problem or problems beyond what is already known with Tipper, you will figure it out with or without vet support. You are a great mom and Tipper is lucky to have you on her side. Just please don't forget to take care of Patti along the way.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Patti - I couldn,t agree anymore with Leslie,s post it hits the nail on the head.

You have to take care of yourself (yeah I know pot kettle black lol) as you will be no use to Tipper otherwise. One thing this has all taught me is sometimes you have to take a big deep breath, and enjoy your pup. I completely understand that you want the best for Tipper and I know you will get to the bottom of these "tremours" but please don,t make yourself sick in the process.

You too are a strong woman like many of us on here, we,ve had to be with what we go through daily with our pups, hang in there Patti you are doing a wonderful job :D

Hi Everyone:
I am still working on a plan for Tipper with the nutritionist. Hopefully she will soon be eating healthier than she is ,which is all I ever wanted for her from this. As for her tremors the vet did call me and he believes from all I have told him, from what he has seen, and from talking with a colleague knowledgeable about this that this is a high possibility that Tipper does have this. He wants me to try and video it on the phone as I have been and he wants to see it and have the other Dr. see it. We are not doing anything here until we absolutely know for sure. I don't have the kind of vet that does things on his own to help my dog so what ever help Tipper gets is left up to my own devices. I am proactive and have been my whole life. It has helped me avoid many bad situations where I could have been reactive instead. Where Tipper is concerned I will not leave any stone unturned, her loyalty to me all these years had no measure, and I owe her more than that back. That is what drives me, my deep love for her. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her that I did not give my all on. She is counting on me. I know it can be stressful and I try to keep a lid on it when possible, but I also know I get little or no help from my vet. So Tipper's well being rests with me. I do not take that responsibility lightly. It would be more stressful for me to lose her to one of these issues that could have been corrected and should have been diagnosed by my vet, then I would never get over that. So I move forward trying to help her in the hopes of keeping her quality of life good or better than it is now. I will use Addy's drawer for the rest of the day and play ball with my girl. I do spend a great deal of time enjoying and loving her, but also know that I desperately want her with me for as long as her quality of life holds out. I must depend on myself as I have no one to depend on and help me. Tipper can be an odd kind of case with things and can be the exception to the rule in many things as I have already learned from Dr. Bruyette. I hope to hear on her diet today, and get moving on that , and as for the stress, I thank you all for caring as I have no one else to do that, and look after me. I am still praying for Woody and hope all will get worked out, hope we hear something concrete soon. Blessings.
Patti

Hi Patti... I can't add anything to what everyone else has said. You are doing all you can for Tipper, and nobody could possibly do any more then that. You are a great Mom.... just make sure you DO look after yourself. Without you the babies wouldn't make it, so you have to keep healthy.

good to hear that tipper is ok with her tommy and bowlmovements. hope you can find a good diet for her and that the 2 of you have a good night sleep together. good to hear that the temperatures will be up, so you can walk the dogs again.

Hi Patti! I couldn't be more thrilled than to hear that you are taking some time today to put things in a drawer and just enjoy the day with Tipper and the rest of the gang.

I really do agree with that approach and sometimes that will allow us to come back to the situation with a clearer head and less anxiety, enabling us to deal with what Is much better.

I hope you do remember to do that every so often. For yourself and for Tipper. Don't worry we are here to remind you when needed. It's what we do, we all stick together.

Of course you are proactive, you have to be and you do a darn good job at it too. It doesn't hurt to say so though now and then :)

So, enjoy today. Tomorrow is still another day and I'm sure that with a fresh head and heart, you'll be right back at it with all the iron fortitude that you have and a new determination to get this figured out. That is what it is a renewing of determination with a freshness and strength to see it through.
So there you have it :)

Oh if you have anything going that needs doing, sounds like we might have another storm moving in. They are talking ice here. UGH snow, rain, ice, more snow...sounds like a bloody mess, so get done anything you need done so you can stay inside and hibernate! (you'll get it before us)

Cheers and hugs.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Everyone:
I used the melatonin with Tipper again last nite. It does take about 2 hours to work on her. She still has the seizures all nite long, but not as many. I think it does help her rest more. My vet oddly called me last nite. We talked for a long while. He told me to keep trying the melatonin, but beware it will grow hair on her. I said that is ok as she can use some. He said if need be he has a neurologist in Akron I can take Tipper to, but keep trying to get the video. I tried last nite when she started having them and had the tap lite ready and my phone and the batteries went in the lite. I is like there is some force stopping me from getting this for some reason. I opened up the lite this morning and found it corroded from battery acid. I had not changed the batteries as I seldom use it. I tried to use a flashlight and the beam was not spread out enough. I'm still working on a lite source now that does not wake her, as I put new batteries in the tap light after I cleaned it and it will not work now. I don't even know if they still sell them, I may have to get another one as that was the best lighting and did not wake her up. She seems to be going into a much deeper sleep now and it is hard to wake her , maybe the melatonin?? The vet gave me a hard time about sending Tipper's sample to Jean Dodd's. He gave me many reasons not to send it there because of the distance and problems occurring with the sample. He said he has always used a thyroid team of Dr.'s at Michigan State and they are wonderful. Does anyone know of them, as it seems he will not send it to California and I he has to draw the blood so I am stuck again in a dilemma. Maybe if they find nothing I could send her the report???? I have to go out and get some food in as we are to get back to back storms this weekend and I do not want to travel in them. My Christmas is just about having Tipper with me. I am so blessed with her I don't care about anything else. I will make some candy for some of my elderly neighbors, and some of the vet techs that have helped me. I need to save all the money I can as Tipper goes to Pgh. for her tumor and heart check January 15th, and if she must see a neurologist I will have to find a money tree. Maybe my vet will let me pay him in payments for the ACTH, Early Detection, And Thyroid we must send out??? I hope so I am really struggling to keep up with this. Will make it happen for her like I always do. I guess I will get cleaned up and see if I can get Tipper's sitter. I do not want to leave her as she has not been good, but I need to get this done quickly and get back to her. Blessings
Patti

hi patti, i thought that the weather was getting better in the weekend, but now i read otherwise. were you able to take tipper out for a walk or is this still not possible? if i find someone who knows how to grow a moneytree i will send you one [and myself too]. flynn is using his sore leg a little bit more and i have stronger painkillers now. not good for his liver but he needs them for now. hope you managed to buy your groceries and don't have to drive in a snowstorm.
here it is like spring when you look at the temperature..............no winter yet.

Hi Patti,

Historically, the lab at Michigan State's vet school has been a premier center for analysis of thyroid function. In the past, that's where I have requested to have my Peg's thyroid samples sent for analysis.

Marianne

Hi Patti
Maybe I can put your mind at ease a little bit.
I wanted to send my thyroid panel to Dr Dodd also after reading about her website but decided to let my vet send it to her place. She uses Michigan State university also. Here is what they checked for on Buddy's thyroid panel.

Total thyroxine TT4
Total triiodothyronine TT3
Free thyroxine FT4
Free triiodothyronine FT3
T4 autoantibody
T3 autoantibody
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
Thyroglobulin autoantibody
They also give an endocrinology interpretation of the results for you on the report.

After I saw the report I was pleased that everything was tested. Hope this helps

Patti,
Thinking of you and Tipper.
Hugs

Patti - Popping into say thank you for thinking and worrying about us over the last few months. I,m glad Woody made you laugh, he made me laugh on a daily basis and I think that's what helped us both through all of it. When I described him to people I used to say he was like the class clown, or the naughty kid who was into everything and this is how I will remember him.:)

I hope you and Tipper are hanging in there :)

Patti, I hope that you get to the bottom of Tipper's issues. If anyone can, it's you and now that your vet is finally on the same page, that should help immensely.

Have a wonderful holiday and stay safe!

My prayers continuing for Tipper and you to resolve Tipper's issues.
((HUGS))

Hey Patti

Hope everything is ok with you? have noticed you haven't posted today...

Thinking of you and Tipper the Ripper

Big hug

Mel
Xxxx

Hope all is okay with you Patti. I know you are probably feeling terribly sad about Woody..it's such a heartbreak. Thinking of you, hope you are okay!

Barbara

Patti! Hope everything is okay with you and Tipper. We start to panic when we don't hear from you!!

HUGS,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Alright Miss Patti,

It's my turn to ask where you are dear?

Popping in to see if you and Tipper are all right.

Not seen you around hope everything is all rights

Hi Everyone:
It is taking all of my power right now to get back on here. Yes Woody's death rocked me to my core. I am still trying to function somewhat normally. You bond with the people on here suffering and fighting the fight with you. When something this terrible and unexpected happens it is just like it is happening to my dog. I feel for people and their situations maybe more than the average person as I have been through a lot of death in my life. It is never easy to take. That being said I had a toast to Woody this morning with my coffee, and asked that he look after his wonderful and courageous mom. I will just keep the rest to myself as I think all of us have been sickened over his passing.
I am going to try and make some candy for my elderly neighbors for Christmas, especially the ones who won't see anyone. I make some for the vet techs that truly try to make an effort to help my Tipper. The say before yesterday I was in my bathroom and I heard Tipper jump up on my bed. She mis- judged it and hit her leg on the frame. She never yelped but yesterday and today she can barely put weight on it and is hopping on three legs. It is one of her bad back legs too. I am so upset that I was not there to stop her. So yesterday and today she is on rest. If not better the vet will be in the beginning of next week, and I will take her in. She may have really put her knee out. It's a shame as it Is so be 60 here today and tomorrow. Thanks everyone for the help on the Michigan State lab I will just let him send it there. I have not even done Christmas cards yet. This is not my time of the year as I really miss my dad. I wish he was here he would have just loved my Tipper. I am hoping to get through this holiday quickly. Thank you all for thinking of me and keeping track of me. I did get some video of Tipper on the IPhone. Now I just have to figure out how to edit some out. I hope you can see what she is doing well enough as I had a light right by where I was holding the phone. I will look at it and figure it out this weekend sometime. I hope to get some footage on here for everyone to see what is going on. She is doing it all night long now and it is really scaring me. I need to build her some type of ramp to climb up to get onto the bed when I am not there. They sell one on Etsy for I think 37.00 and that is not bad at all, but I must save every cent for all these tests coming up. Blessings
Patti

I'm happy to see you here this morning. I hope Tipper's leg isn't bad and she is able to use it more as the day progresses.

This has been a particularly difficult Holiday season for me so I understand where you are coming from. I seem to feel those I've lost more intensely this year for some reason...and dealing with anticipatory grief over a period of time takes its toll, too. ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi Patti,

Glad to hear from you, even a check in say, hey okay, but need a break works for me. :) We all understand how overwhelming sorrow and worry can be. Just take care of yourself and Tipper and gang. I hope her leg gets better quickly. Trying to keep her rested and off of it might be a bit of a challenge, she is a JRT. :)
Really glad you are getting up to 60 this weekend, as we have ice all over the place here. Makes walking a bit of an ordeal, but we're managing. It's actually weird as we have ice in front and just snow slush in the back yard. (you can guess where molly is going :) )

Hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Everyone:
It has been hard as I am trying my best to keep Tipper down. That is a funny statement for a Jack Russell. She wanted to do her regular run thru the house and check her domain out, but I keep up behind her telling her no, no. Finally she just stopped and looked at me like shut it up mom! I am trying to keep her laying down, and I have even carried her out to the potty. My yard is a lake. This soil here is all clay and it has no where to go. When I have to take the dogs out it is a real struggle in water up to their knees. I feel like putting a sign out saying " No Fishing." I got two pans of candy made and am cooling them now. It is just pouring here with no end in sight. If Tipper shows no improvement tomorrow I may take a small magazine and splint her leg with an ace bandage sticking the magazine out far enough so she isn't putting weight on that leg. Blessings
Patti

Hmm, that magazine brace might not work so great for a dog, since their legs aren't meant to be 'straight' like a humans, but more of a bend. You want her to just not run on it and jump, but you don't want to immobilize the joints really, as then you could end up with some issues from that. They need to move it and keep it mobile. I'd just block her off from running Through the house, not let her jump etc and in a couple days it should be better. It is probably bruised from the bang, as long as that was what caused it and not the jump itself.
Candy sounds good. I had to laugh at the no fishing sign option. We have clay too and yea, the water just has no where to go sometimes.
You're doing good Patti, hang in there. Have you tried any of the products like Adaptil for when there is thunder, etc and anxiety situations? I just picked up a pamphlet at the vets office about it today. Available amazon.com. Just a thought. Spring will come again. :)

hugs,
sharlene and molly muffin

Patti,
I wouldn't do a splint. Maybe just an ace bandage for added support? Is anything swollen orbruised that you can see? Warm baths?

I know how you feel. For the first time ever im not even in the mood to decorate. I have had it with being the only family member doing everything. My sister lives in the same town as my father, she doesn't work and her kids are in school for a good part of the day. She always has an excuse as to why she can't help with even taking dad to a simple doctor appointment. It's ridiculous and she's been this way her whole life. Yet, she gets here within 10 minutes to borrow money.

Also, I went to Greenwich overnight only to come home and find that dad is now smoking inside of the house! I spoke with him about it and he was so disrespectful!

Everyone takes me for granted and I have no life to speak of because I've given up everything to help dad. I just can't do this anymore.

Patti, I'm sorry for hijacking your thread. I hope that you and your "crew" have a relaxing Christmas regardless.
I just can't get into the spirit this year as those in my family don't reciprocate anything.

hi tipper, i hope your leg will be fine soon, greetings from flynn who has a sore leg too.

Hi Everyone:
I am really having a time with Tipper. She wanted in my room to lay on the bed. The only problem is she will jump off and I cannot stay in there with her. I made her go in her cage and she is angry. I think I am in for it if she gets out. I need to find something temporary until I get a ramp. I am afraid as she is so head strong she wants to do everything herself, and not be picked up. Oh lord I am in for a nite here. Blessings
Patti

Patti,
I'm sorry to hear Tipper hurt her leg. I hope it is feeling better real soon.
I hope you, Tipper and the rest of your gang have a nice Christmas.
Take care.
Hugs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goldengirl88

Hi Everyone:
I am really having a time with Tipper. She wanted in my room to lay on the bed. The only problem is she will jump off and I cannot stay in there with her. I made her go in her cage and she is angry. I think I am in for it if she gets out. I need to find something temporary until I get a ramp. I am afraid as she is so head strong she wants to do everything herself, and not be picked up. Oh lord I am in for a nite here. Blessings
Patti

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I wish you were closer - I bought a ramp off the internet and it wasn't long enough so I had some people 'add onto it' so I could use it for Annie. She refused to use it. So if you can find something to experiment with please do before you go buying anything. Kim

Patti,
Measure the length and width that you would want and go to the nearest Home Depot. Tell them what it is for and they'll steer you to the least expensive wood that is strong enough. Buy carpet remnants and attach them to the wood.

This is what we did for Daisy as a ramp to use to get from the deck to the back yard and it's still intact after 4 years of being outside all year long.