10 year old female beagle just diagnosed with Cushings - Ginger has passed

No, I think I went in the the first two weeks, once a week, But it was basically watch and see how she does. After that it was a month, then 3 months unless I see she is not doing well. I am sorry I did not get back soon to you. I understand. It does sound like over kill. I am glad her electrolytes are normal. That is the main thing to watch for symptoms of if they start to drop. She can show signs of being shaken, lack of appetite, and lethargic.
I hope this helps. I will try to do better checking back soon.

So I took Ginger in to the vet last week because I was seeing signs that her electrolytes were out of balance again. She was shaking a little but mostly just drinking too much water and usually at night and then wanting out anywhere from about 3-5 in the morning. So they did a blood draw and said her sodium was too low and her potassium was too high so increase her fludrocortisone from 8 pills a day to 10. 5 am 5 pm. It has helped with her shakiness, and the first night she slept until 5:30 the next morning. But since then she again is getting up around 2 in the morning and drinking water, then back to bed only to be up again drinking water around 3 and then wanting out. The rest of the day she seems to do just fine. Average amount of water and her energy level is fine. I continue with the quarter to half tablet of 5 mg Prednisone to help her eat and boost immune system. So this is a mystery. I hate to think of taking her back in and getting another blood draw to see if she needs her medicine yet higher. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Kudos to you for picking up on Ginger's symptoms so quickly -- you are a great beagle Mom! I sure hope that a solution for the night time excursions can be found soon -- Abbie periodically has periods like that. I even made her go out in the rain last night at 11:00 just so she wouldn't have to go in the early morning hours ...

According to Dr Peterson it's not uncommon for dogs to become resistant to fludrocortisone, so since Ginger needed an increase in her dose it just may be that her system is able to overcome the effects of this drug. In this situation Dr Peterson recommends switching to Percorten-V.

Don't know if this was helpful at all but I am including a link to that article from Dr Peterson's blog: http://www.endocrinevet.info/2012/03...dogs-with.html

Hugs, Lori

Did they say if it takes some time for her body to adjust to the increase in medication? I wouldn't think it would but I wonder, as to why she still seems to be exhibiting some symptoms of electrolyte imbalance. I think you will want to get them checked again, just for peace of mind to know how she is doing.

OKay, Thank you all for your input. I never thought about it possibly taking time to adjust to the increase. I will keep a watchful eye the next few days and see if there is any change. I also did not know about possibly becoming resistant to the Fludrocortisone.. I will read article and if need be talk to the vet. I did finally get them to compound her fludrocortisone so I can give her only 2 pills a day with same dosage which will be much easier. Also, Any thoughts on the best time to give her her Prednisone. I was doing in the morning so she would eat well with her fludrocortisone, but I am wondering if it is best to give it at night so she might eat right off in the morning. I usually give her her meds around 8:00 am and she will take them with a piece of boiled chicken or beef. But sometimes will not eat her breakfast until almost 11:00. Or any thoughts on possibly diving the dose and giving small amount in the morning and at bedtime. Thank you all so very much.

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Originally Posted by gingerbread

Also, Any thoughts on the best time to give her her Prednisone. I was doing in the morning so she would eat well with her fludrocortisone, but I am wondering if it is best to give it at night so she might eat right off in the morning.

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I don't know if the effects of prednisone in people are the same for dogs but when I had to take it my reaction to it was an increase in energy (and appetite :eek: :)) and this feeling of boosted "get up and go" came pretty quick after taking the prednisone. So for this reason I recommend giving it in the morning because if Ginger would have the same reaction as I did she may not be able to settle in at nighttime.

Hugs, Lori

oh gads that would be good if it affects Ginger like it did Lori.
You'd go crazy with her being all over the house all night and not sleeping!
She'd probably be pretty freaked to wonder why she can't sleep when everyone else is. I'd stick to mornings

p.s.
I posted a picture of Ginger with my dad.

Awww, that girl owns the couch arm for sure. :)

So Ginger is doing well. She has developed an interdigital cyst between her back toes and none of the treatments have been helping to shrink it. I have tried several antibiotics with 2 weeks on two weeks off for months. I am trying Epsom salt soakings and antibiotic creams.. Not much helps. Any ideas would be appreciated. Also we have noticed that she seems to pant much more after supper. All day she seems fine as far as not panting except after a walk or something, we keep the apartment on the cool side, but each night after she eats supper she seems to pant for sometime. She does eat more at night than in the morning. Still a challenge to get her to eat in the mornings. She is still on .5 milligrams Fludrocortisone and 1/4 of a 5 milligram Prednisone. The Prednisone I give to her with her morning dose of Fludrocortisone. Any input would be appreciated. She still enjoys walks and does not seem uncomfortable other than just running on the warm side with her panting. No signs of pain or anything. Thank you and hope you and yours are well.

Glad to read that Ginger is doing well but sorry about that cyst growing between her toes. My Harley had an issue like that and his IMS instructed me to soak his foot in a diluted solution of betadyne/betadine twice a day, I think the ratio was like 1 part betadyne/betadine to 10 parts warm water. I was also to apply a triple antibiotic to it after making sure that his paw was completely dry.

As for the panting, when was the last time her electrolytes and cortisol were checked? If the electrolytes are unbalanced and/or the prednsione dose it too much or not enough, both of these situations can cause panting.

Lori

Okay thank you. Did the betadine and warm water soaks along with the triple antibiotic help?
Her electrolytes were checked in March and they were right where the vet said she wanted them. The prednisone I am not sure about as far as the reading was or if they checked. They had said 1/2 a 5 mg of Predinose, but it seemed a little much to me when I was giving her that amount. Too hungry and too much water consumption, but perhaps I need to increase it to the half. I will see how she does for the remainder of this month and if she continues I will call the vet and make an appointment. Thank you so much. Blessings...

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Originally Posted by gingerbread

Okay thank you. Did the betadine and warm water soaks along with the triple antibiotic help?

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I believe it did, that was 7 years ago so my memory is a bit hazy :o I do have it noted in Harley's medical folder but didn't enter if the treatment made the growth disappear. :o I also see that Harley was taking a oral antibiotic for it too, but again, and I apologize, I didn't write what was rx'd.

Lori

Hope you all are doing well. Things in Indiana are going ok. Ginger is doing ok. However we are still dealing with issues of loose bowels. Some days it is better than others. Her new dose of .7 mg fludrocortisone (2 x a day)along with the quarter tablet of 5 mg. Prednisone seem to be ok, but I don't know if he dosing is still correct since the loose bowel issue continues. It does seem like her fludrocortisone wears off before it is time for her next dose, but if I give it too early, then I have more trouble getting her to eat in the mornings. Also.. even with the Predisone it seems she does want to eat, and will most of the times, but she almost acts like it does not set well. I read that both of these can cause stomach upset. Any thoughts before I call the vet to see what we can do on things that have helped your babies with stomach upset, if any of you have had this issue? Thank you.

Is she getting the Prednisone with food? I take prednisone every now and then for my migraines and if I take them on an empty stomach I do feel sick. You may want to ask the vet about giving her something to coat her stomach such as Pepto Bismol, Carafate, or slippery elm bark.

I give her her Prednisone first thing in the morning. I usually give her a few bites of food and then her pills. Sometimes she will eat right afterwards, but sometimes she won't eat until the prednisone kicks in about an hour or so later.

Hello! Hello! It has been so very long since I have been on here. I do apologize.. I had trouble finding the website and then I would forget about it and get busy with other things. Anyway I hope and pray you are all well.
I am happy to report that on Sept. 1st we celebrated Ginger's 14th birthday! I will add some pictures! She is holding her own.. Medication adjustments a long the way with the Addison's and several ear infections, bladder infections, yeast infections, but I know her immune system is compromised so I do my best to stay on top of everything as best I can, She has good days and bad days, good nights and not so good nights, but she will walk whenever we want to and sometimes when we don't want to she will want to. So we go when the weather allows. Up until about 6 months ago or so she could still go 3 miles as long as I take water for her. She has slowed down some, but we have had a hot summer so it is best she has. I am excited I have reconnected. Bless you all.

Happy 14th Birthday, Ginger!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for coming back and letting us know how things are going and I am so glad to hear that Ginger is doing good! Can't wait to see those pictures!

Lori

Happy 14th Birthday, Ginger!

Trying to remember how to add photos.. Hoping I did it correctly.

Happy 14th Ginger!!

My boy Kobe will be celebrating his 6th in 2 days! On the 7th of September.

Would love for him to make it to 14! Though boxers aren't the longest lived breed we're going to try to make it there and beyond! :)

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Originally Posted by gingerbread

Trying to remember how to add photos.. Hoping I did it correctly.

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I didn't see any new pictures, so I'm including these instructions from our F&Q thread: How do I upload photos?

Once you've created an album you can upload images to it. Simply view the album and click on 'Upload Photos'.

You'll have the option to give each photo a caption, and to set one image as the Album cover, which will be displayed on the public profile. To delete an album or edit the title, description or album type, click on 'Edit Album'. To delete an image, or to edit a caption or change the album cover, click on 'Edit Photos'.

If you have any problems just let one of us staffers know and we'll be glad to help!

Lori

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Originally Posted by Harley PoMMom

I didn't see any new pictures, so I'm including these instructions from our F&Q thread: How do I upload photos?

Once you've created an album you can upload images to it. Simply view the album and click on 'Upload Photos'.

You'll have the option to give each photo a caption, and to set one image as the Album cover, which will be displayed on the public profile. To delete an album or edit the title, description or album type, click on 'Edit Album'. To delete an image, or to edit a caption or change the album cover, click on 'Edit Photos'.

If you have any problems just let one of us staffers know and we'll be glad to help!

Lori

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Thank you very much! It just says Pending...

Hello, I am back and guess what? Sept 1st we celebrated Ginger's 15th birthday. She has good and bad days and good and bad nights. She has slowed down quite a bit, but all in all she is doing ok.
I hope this finds all of you doing well.
Will attempt pictures again soon.

Happy belated 15th Birthday, Ginger!!!

Wow 15! Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Thank you. I did get a few pictures posted..
She is still maintaining at .8 mg Fludrocortisone twice a day, with occasional Prednisone added. We fight ear infections and skin yeast infections, upset tummys sometimes, but hey.. she is so worth it!!

Greetings all! Hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy and getting ready for Thanksgiving holiday.
We celebrated Ginger's 16th birthday on Sept 1st! She is doing relatively well.. still holding at .8 fludrocortisone.
She does has some tummy issues a little more often than not, but some days she does ok.
Only major issue is she constantly fights skin yeast infections. I have the medicated shampoo but it doesn't seem to do much. I know a lot of it is her diet, but I also have to watch her protein intake because of her kidneys so I am a little at a loss as what to fix her to eat.
I will try to post pictures of my beautiful senior Ginger.
Thanks everyone. Be blessed. Colleen

Dear Colleen, it’s so great to see you back here, and especially with this update on Ginger!!! ;):D:D:D:D

Happy Happy Happy Birthday, sweet girl!!!

You have done such a wonderful job of caring for Ginger, and it warms my heart to know that she’s still holding her own. Ginger is a brave survivor, for sure. Once again, thanks so much for dropping by and letting us share in the celebration!

Best wishes always,
Marianne

Thank you so much. I tried to post pictures, but it wouldn't let me. Perhaps they are too large. I will try again soon.

Have a quick question, though it is Addison's disease telated. I am having trouble getting Ginger to eat much of anything. No matter what I fix, she will eat a few bites, then act like it's awful. Most mornings I can get her to eat some meat and bread to take her pill, but the rest of the day is really a challenge. She will go look at her bowl, smell it and walk away. I take it up and she will go look where her bowl usually is. I will set it down off and on and she will smell it and walk away.
She has lost some weight so i was wondering if any of you all know is it possible she needs a medication reduction with her weight loss, or once on fludrocortisone, it rarely is reduced regardless of weight.
Thanks so much.

Hello again! I’m so sorry but I don’t know the answer to your question. I encourage you to check with your vet, because it may indeed be the case that a dosage change is needed, or even that Ginger should be getting some different or additional medication. I do think your vet needs to know that she’s not eating properly.

I’m struggling with the same issue right now with my aged Lab. She is having a GI upset right now for reasons that we haven’t yet figured out. She’s been having on-and-off diarrhea and will eat fine some days and turn up her nose on others. Today is a “turn up her nose” day, and it’s always upsetting to me because when a Lab doesn’t want to eat, you know something is wrong :-((((. Anyway, I know this is no help to you, but I just wanted you to know that I can truly sympathize. When dogs don’t want to eat, it’s *so* upsetting. But I really do think you need to check in with your vet.

Good luck!
Marianne

I appreciate your reply. It is upsetting. I have a mindset like my mom... if someone eats, they are ok.
She has an appointment coming up soon so I will have them check her electrolyte panel. Wishing you well with your pup. Prayers.

Please keep us updated on our sweet girl.
Hugs,
Leslie

Thank you. She went to vet. Has a slight UTI, antibiotics for 14 days. It doesn't seem to be helping with the urination issues much. She has been on them for 8 days now. The pepcid has helped a little, but she still is getting sick off and on, mostly in the evenings. I wonder if her kidneys are not functioning as well as they should be.
Was wondering if anyone knows how phosphorus figures in to Addison's disease? Her electrolytes were ok. Sodium was low normal. Thank you all.

Welcome back, Colleen. I’m sorry that Ginger is still having some problems. Again, I’m not super knowledgeable about Addison’s, but I think it’s the balance of potassium and sodium that’s a key issue, as opposed to phosphorus. At age 16, though, Ginger could certainly be seeing some reduction in her kidney function. We would expect to see that reflected in her blood chemistry panel, most specifically her levels of creatinine and BUN. There’s also a blood test called a SDMA that specifically reflects kidney health. If you are worried about her kidney function and this test hasn’t been done recently, you could ask your vet to include it the next time you’re in.

You have done such a great job of caring for Ginger to allow her to celebrate her 16th birthday. But at this age, I suppose there could be enough little things starting to “wear out” that they may all add up to affect her overall digestive and urinary system. That’s what my elderly mom would say to me on days that she wasn’t feeling well: “Marianne, my old body is just worn out!” In that situation, unfortunately it can be hard to identify any one single thing that’s the main culprit.

Anyway, please continue to update us, though. I surely do hope these issues may end up resolving on their own. In the meantime, please give Ginger some gentle hugs from her family here.

Marianne

Happy 16th Birthday!!! Thats awesome! :)

When my girl started to get to the point where she woudnt eat, and I focused on hand feeding..short burst attention getters, rather than the typical dinner bowl.
(granted, I had a good 4--5 pills to sneak in, besides any weight loss to balance out)
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Cesar mini packets (be sure to find the Gravy ones, NOT gelatinous) Filet Mignon was one, Im sure
- and later those tubes of 'high end'/natural food

It seemed like those were stronger incentive (in the moment/too enticing to think twice about/turn down)

I got to a point where I would just show up at my vet, to take a weight check, as I knew where their scale was.
They were very accommodating, and perfectly fine with me doing it.

* Keep an eye/record on that weight. weight loss in long term can be dismissed, but short term scale time can show concern.
It alerted me to take test = her protein loss in urine.

Thank you one and all. I appreciate all input. I have started reducing her intake of protein some.. not a lot and adding carbohydrates and sneaking some veggies in.
The in between times she does very well. She will still walk a mile or more each day.. her decision, we let her go when and where she wants to.
I will check with vet on some of this. She's so sweet.