Dad of Lulu - sweet Lulu has crossed The Bridge

This article is pretty new (12/10/2012) from Dr Peterson:

Quote:

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When using trilostane, it has become increasing clear that we do not want the cortisol values to drop too low, because that may indicate early or mild adrenal necrosis (1,11,12). In contrast to the protocol used in this reported study, I recommend stopping the drug in all dogs that develop a ACTH-stimulated cortisol values less than 2.0 μg/dl, and repeating the ACTH stimulation test in 1- to 2-weeks in those dogs. Some of these dogs will require that the drug be restarted at a lower dosage, but others will maintain low to normal serum cortisol concentrations for prolonged periods of time. And a subset of these dogs, presumably because of mild adrenal necrosis, will never need any further trilostane treatment to control the signs of Cushing's syndrome.

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Low-Dose, Twice-Daily Trilostane Treatment for Dogs with Hyperadrenocorticism

Pretty good information from Dr. Peterson. So Dr. Booth was right in saying to repeat the ACTH in a couple of weeks.

makes you feel better,huh?:):):):):):):)

You know, we live and breathe one disease and we cant keep it all up to date so can you imagine, really, how hard it must be to stay up to date on all diseases and conditions as our vets must? My IMS totally forgot Dechra said post stims up to 9.2 ug/dl were ok if symtpoms were well controlled. I could not fault her for that and at least she listened to me and admitted that she forgot. Half the battle, ya know?;)

Hang in there, you are doing great!!!

P.S. GREAT FIND LORI :)

Look at Lulu's new outfit! The handle work great for helping up stairs.

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/albu...pictureid=4534

:D:D:D I love that doggy smile. She knows she is looking good in that new shirt. Actually that looks like quite a good invention. I've never seen those before. Kim

what a very cool idea! Lulu looks great! Red suits her :)

thats one happy looking little girl, very cool handle:):):)

Pretty spiffy outfit there Lulu!

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Wow!!! That is a great shirt!! May I ask who makes it so that other readers who could use a "hand" :) with their dogs can track it down?

Marianne

We got it as a gift. Ruffwear, www.ruffwear.com. We returned medium size, just a tad too tight. Went for the large size. Lulu weighs now about 63 lbs. It does cost 60 dollars, but is of pretty rugged construction.

Hi, just checking in real quick to see how Lulu is doing. :)

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Lulu is doing okay. She seems to be progressing but she is quiet at times then boisterous other times. We do try to take her coat off each day for a while. I don't want her to ue it as a crutch, but I do like the fact we can help her up stairs. On my Droid so will say more later.

We took Lulu to the vet today. She has had a cough, as if she had something lodged, then I thought maybe she got kennel cough. And she hadn't had a booster shot in a while, probably a year and a half. So the doctor put her on Doxycycline capsules and cough tablets. She is resting pretty good.

Dr. Booth said her heart and lungs sound fine. Lulu was glad to leave as we had her soft bed and a favorite toy. She grabbed the stuffed toy from my hand as she got ready to leave, which tickled me!

I think she feels a bit better and is sleeping, so maybe the antibiotics are making her a big groggy.

Oh Lulu was up 2 1/2 lb, so that is good as we think she was a bit too skinny. And my wife noticed that where she had surgery on her abdomen a year and a half ago, that the fur is finally start to grow back again. It started to grow back after surgery and just stopped. We have attributed this perhaps to her Cushing Disease. We aren't sure if it is growing back because of her disease being more in remission?

Hi There! I just read over a bunch of Lulu's history. Happy she is doing better, boy, she has been through a lot. Happy she gained a couple of pounds after losing so much.

Wishing her continued progression of healthier days and weeks ahead.

Peace, Sharon and Norman

When the Post cortisol number is below 5, which with Lulu's it did go low, then once that cortisol isn't so high, the hair will go through regular growth cycles again. At least that seems to be the consensus of what might be happening. We've seen it many times on the forum.
Worrying about the cough. Glad the heart looks okay, that is good. So, hope she gets over this.
What about allergies?

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hoping Lulu feels better soon, cute story grabbing the toy saying lets go, aw our pups are so special. Take care!

Thanks all on concern and insight. Sharlene, I guess it's possible that allergies could play a part. I don't know. We did get Lulu some compressed rawhides to chew on. But we supervise these. She chewed for a while and then stopped. I think the cough and the antibiotics had her tired last evening. She ate breakfast, but she wanted to go out first this morning. She usually is a bit hungrier. But she ate her food and then drank some water. I have gone back to powder Metamucil giving her a couple of teaspoons, one at breakfast.

How cute, grabs the toy to urge you out the door. Sweetie! The antibiotics may have upset her tummy is she has only just gone off her food. If this might be the case, probiotics work, or even a good yoghurt with high acidophilus content - if she will eat it that is. Some dogs like yoghurt and it can sure help to ease the effect of the antibiotics on the GI tract.

Thanks Naomi, I think we have some Greek yogurt in the refrigerator. She likes yogurt.

It's worth the try at least. If the Anti-B's are upsetting her, it is a potential quick, easy and for a change, cheap solution. :D Good luck, hope it is something simple for once for you! Poor old girl, she has been through it for sure! I do love the vest you bought her though, very innovative!

well she wouldn't touch the yogurt all afternoon. So she went and chewed on one of the rawhides we got her late this afternoon and lo and behold she lapped up the yogurt. She is feeling a bit better, and looks a bit more alert. And though she didn't walk as far, she was tired and when the neighbor dog, a ways off she wanted to see, they only got within 20 feet. But you know Dr. Booth said it might be a good idea to keep her from other dogs, if she has kennel cough, so I will have to remember that. She had a good pooh, though earlier she was straining, so the metamucil is working. :)

Well, a couple things are working then. Glad Naomi thought to recommend the yogurt! That should help with the tummy.
As long as they are interested in the rawhide, it's a good sign. :)

Sharlene

Lulu obviously wasn't feeling well early this morning and prodded me to take her out early. I did, she came back in and slept very well. She wasn't real hungry this morning but ate most her food. She got her Tramadol, cough suppressant and two antibiotic capsules. Then she threw up about half hour later or so.

I did notice a bit of her rawhide and a slight bit of bone, as if it was chicken bone, not sure. We just give her chicken. Now my wife said maybe it was a part of the bone I took away from her six days ago. And we thought she might have swallowed a fragment. She is an agressive chewer, and I make sure she gets just the toughest things. But I slipped and she made a dent in the bone, and then I took away and any fragments I could get from her.

She had a slight bit of blood in the last part in mucus, something like you might have after a bad cough. But that is all.

So we are going to put her back on a bland diet today, chicken & rice. She seems a bit better after throwing up. I did notice that she still occasionally has a muffled cough, but it's infrequent.

I thought of giving her an extra antibiotic capsule, just in case she didn't get it all in her system. She has enough for 12 days. But I probably will wait until 5 pm and give her, her evening dose then.

Hi,

Rawhides can cause loose stools and if Lulu chews like my Zoe, maybe the rawhides are not a good idea if she is breaking pieces off. The antibiotics can definitely bother their tummy. If she wont eat yogurt you could try a probiotic if she will take a pill. But you have to give the probiotic maybe 2-4 hours before or after the antibiotic, so maybe in the middle of the doses. I use Gentle Digest by Arc Naturals. You should be able to find it locally at a pet store.

Just another thought:):):):)

Hope Lulu feels better soon.

Thanks Addy,

I will look for when I am out.

Keeping a watch on you guys. :) See if she does any better on the bland diet and keep her there for a few days. I wouldn't give her any more rawhides for right now. Just so that nothing that is hard on her digestive system is getting in there.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Lulu doing much better this evening. Her appetite is good.

Yippie, that is the kind of news we like to hear:D:D:D:D:D:D

So very happy to hear this great news....Go Lulu!!!

Awesome! Keep it up Lulu

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Whew! That's excellent news! Well done Dad!

Thanks all, this forum has been extremely helpful. Lulu ate her breakfast. She wasn't overly hungry acting but she cleaned out her bowl.

Yay! Just keep LuLu on that bland diet for awhile and nothing too harsh to her GI tract. It does sound like she is doing better. How are her energy levels?

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

That's our girl!!!!!! Keep up the goood work, Dad:D:D:D:D:D

Yes, Lulu's appetite is still there, especially protein like chicken, ham & hamburger. I still am concerned about her cough. Dr. Booth said her lungs and heart sounded good. I suspect a kennel cough and I think Dr. Booth thought it possible, and had us take her out of the lobby when we paid, as to not give any other dogs kennel cough.

She has had a bit more eye discharge I have noticed, and she has had this before. Occasionally she will have a drop on her nose, and I noticed both of these two symptoms this morning. The eye discharge I have noticed the last two or three days. So I am thinking that she has kennel cough. She got this two years ago when she was being treated for Cushings then. And I don't believe she has had Bordetella vaccine in at least a year now.

So her energy level has been lower the last three days. She usually gets a burst in the late afternoon and she did yesterday. Will watch today. She has the last few days liked to go outside and lie in the light snow. Her temperature was normal at the Vet's

I remember when she had kennel cough two years ago, it took a bit of time, and I think the vet then gave her some antibiotics too. So we are hoping that she gets more of her energy back soon.

Molly got kennel cough from a doggie day care once and it scared the bejeebes out of me. That hacking cough, labored breathing just had me in a panic for days before it became just a cough every now and then. I was really relieved that she got over that and I never took her near that place again. She has stayed over with them for a week I think it was, while we were out of the country, visiting family in the US. I know it can be very taxing on their systems.
Some dogs do like the cold. My golden retriever Loved it. The water, the cold, anything outside she was ready to go. Of course her down time she wanted to be inside snuggled up, preferably in your lap, but she'd settle for on the couch next to you or practically on your feet. (bit much to have a retriever on your lap after puppy stage has passed) Sounds like LuLu is a typical retriever in that she likes those same things. Every one I've known as been like that and snow seems to be a particularly fun playground for them in the winter. All kinds of activities can be had in the snow!! :)
You're doing awesome with Lulu, you and your wife are just super great with her. I'm looking forward to hearing that she is getting over this cough and back to our normal lulu once again. (and we are still keeping an eye on those cortisol levels too. :) ) don't think I'd forgotten that!!

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi all, well Lulu was a bit bloated in the abdomen last night, we unfastened her bottom harness for the night. She slept comfortably, with just a slight panting at about 4 this morning. I turned on a fan we keep near the window on low for her. That worked.

This morning I got her some rice & chicken to warm up but decided to wait to see if she was very hungry. I put her antibiotics out, but wanted to wait on those to.

So I brought Lulu down and she wanted by the door. I was ready with flashlight. She poohed, nicely, and that is all she wanted to do. So I think she knew she needed to go. She is inside comfortable, and I took her harness off for now and put her collar back on. I may need to adjust it slightly so it isn't too tense.

I am happy that she has poohed twice, and much normal. So I figure she will need to go again and I will feed her shortly. I think maybe we gave her too many small meals yesterday and her energy level is definitively down, due to her cough.

She hasn't coughed alot, though I did hear her after I helped her down the stairs.

Both my boys had a strain of kennel cough a few weeks ago. It was actually the normal strain that goes around as they are both vaccinated, but there is somethign really potent going around here at the moment. Apparently the vets have been inundated - I took them in 2x in 3 days :o. Anyway, it really knocked them flat for a good week or so, both on metacam and Fraser on anti-biotics too. Fraser didn't cough at all with it, just hurked a bit of phlegm and he was really congested (hence the anti-b's). But he got through it and so will Lulu. With some good rest, she will let you know when she is feeling better. It is a worry though when they don't feel right, you just want to make them better!

I posted a couple of x-rays of Lulu. http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/albu...596&pictureids What a day. I did have a good job interview on my end today and another one on Friday.

Lulu had a bit of a hard time walking with her front left leg. Finally carried her in. We didn't know if she had injured it or could it have been a stroke. Dr. Booth said it doesn't appear neurological as she was able to put her foot back when he moved it. She does seem to be able to walk okay at first, it just seems to bother her and cause her to limp after being on it a while. Will be with her tomorrow both of us to watch her. My wife tried to get her up the ramp and Lulu slipped. I got out to help, though I just had my treadmill shorts on. We don't think she injured her leg, and the vet, x-rayed her and said it looked fine. But we have to take her out to go pee and not exert herself. He gave her stronger antibiotics, some Azithromycin 250 mg tablet twice a day. He x-rayed her lungs and said it is not as dark as normal, which could be what is termed 'old dog lung' . Now he showed us her heart and said it was slightly enlarged. But he thought that the antibiotics might clear up the cough, and see him in two weeks if it did, earlier if not. We took her to Dr. Booth's closer place since he was at a satellite office and that was 10 miles closer for us.

We will just have to wait and see. He said that if necessary can do an EKG, and that costs more.

She is resting fairly well, so I am hoping the new antibiotics will work. Never a dull moment. One thing I did notice is that she does seem to be shedding with her fur more, something she hasn't done in almost a couple of years. Boy it's complicated with the Cushing's and then this.

my dogs got kennel cough last year from the nasal vaccine. ugh. It took Jenny about 6 weeks to get over it. We had her on antibiotics but I think that was just to keep both dogs from reinfecting each other. I read somewhere or someone here told me that it just takes time.

so don't be discouraged if it takes longer than 2 weeks. and I would suggest never getting the nasal vaccine for kennel cough!