Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

Sharlene, Mel, Valerie, and Everyone:
I was anticipating monitoring Tipper last night, but again she went to the closet. I think it has become a safe haven for her in so much as she knows she doesn't have to keep waking up and worrying if it is going to storm and she is safe. Unfortunately I could not listen to her breathing, or swallowing again. I will just try again tonight. The other part that makes this tuff is she gets these pill in the morning and at bed time. So they are starting to wear off when she lays down and it is not giving me a true indication if it's working or not. That is why I need to keep her in bed for a few hours until the bed time dose starts to work. From what I have seen it appears she is not sticking her tongue out as much, and I don't hear that sticky sound when she is trying to clear her throat. I talked to my Vet yesterday about my experience at the IMS. He was kind of shocked a vet would act like this. He did tell me that he has another Jack Russell that is having throat and swallowing issues and they are taking the dog to Pgh to the same hospital in the next 2 weeks to get scoped. He said to hold off until he learns how it went with this dog, and how this dog recuperated afterwards. I am getting scared if I don't find out what this is that it is taking such a toll on Tipper that she may have a real emergency situation. Oh I got a fax from the nasty IMS that saw Tipper yesterday with a complete estimate on this whole procedure. Now instead of a couple thousand we are talking between 3-4. This is so wrong, how can the average person living on a fixed income afford this?? The really bad part is that I used so much of my savings on Tipper's diagnosis and testing, and treatment. Then this comes up out of the blue. I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel for money. I think I may have to get some work from home. I didn't want to do that, as I wanted to spend whatever time Tipper has left being with her exclusively. This disease really has robbed so many people of quality time with their beloved babies. No one ever said life was fair, but this disease can really put you over the edge even when you are trying anything to keep it from progressing. I try to take video of Tipper all the time, especially if she barks as I always want to be able to hear her voice and see her. God Bless You All and all your babies.
Patti

Patti-God bless you and Tipper. Never in my wildest nightmares did I think I would be dealing with something this incredibly hard physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. Why can't someone figure this horrible thing out and be able to help our precious babies. I'm sorry to hear you may have to look for work from home. I hope things get better for Tipper and you. Hugs

Hey Patti

Bless her, I wish these storms would disappear for you as its horrible she is scared, you want them near you when they are like that but they don't want to be. Boyce is the same he goes to our bathroom and I cant get him out till he is ready which can be hours.

Maybe the other JR can give your vet an indicator of what it could be with tipper, it's hard as they can be so different sometimes. It's so confusing when they say one thing and the IMS says another. I hope for a miracle for everyone all the time

What has changed on the quote? Seems a bit of a jump. It's not fair that it costs so much to do all these procedures. Surely it can't cost them that much..

Hope she is having a good day today and that you don't get storms tonight

Big hug, kisses for Tipper

Mel
Xxxxx

Mel:
Yes quite a big jump in the quote. I think the more they see you love you dog, the higher the bill as they know you will do anything to save their lives. It has just become a big business, and the animals don't even get any consideration any more. I am so sacred I see changes in Tipper that scare me. The other person on here George, his dog passed so suddenly and it scares me to death. I took her today for her laser treatmant and she did not even want to sit still for that. She is not normally bad there, and not wanting to sit down. She won't go out on our front porch or in the back yard and she loves it outside. It is breaking my heart to see her like this. She shakes at the slightest noise from anything. Before she got Cushings in the summer we stayed out all day as she did not want to come in. I am scared I will not have her long if this continues. I have just been crying everytime something wierd happens, and so worried about her throat issues. I have been down in one of those deep dark holes for a few days now since the trip to Pittsburgh. I 'll get out of it I just have to keep busy. I hope you are doing well, I wish you lived near me you are a good friend. God Bless you and your baby.
Patti

Oh sweetheart, you build yourself up for these appointments praying for the best but secretly thinking the worst. So to be insulted and then get no real answer to the questions you wanted answering is frustrating.

I know that every little thing is noticed as you don't know if it means anything and that can take its toll on you

I read George's post too, it was a horrible thing to happen, I think you have to try as hard as it is to put those thoughts to the back of your mind. One day or one hour at a time, you know your girl and you would move heaven and earth to do what you could for her, none of us know what is around the corner but you can't anticipate that

Am sure those storms have probably got a lot to do with her behaviour. When they keep on happening I think the pups expect it, Boyce is the same with fireworks, he is like it for about 4 weeks even when there aren't any. He hears a loud noise and goes running

We are all here to help you through those dark days as we all have felt them ourselves. I am right here with you. Feel that big hug I am sending

Kisses to Tipper

Mel
Xxxxx

Hey Patti, I'm sending you a big hug to comfort you will all your worries about Tipper, it's so hard isn't it? Every little thing we notice in our pups, they can't even age like normal pups, too much going on with their bodies...praying that Tipper settles down and gets calmer for you and that she's not scared of things...take care, here for you!

Hi Patti, while I was reading your thread I was struck by something, and that is cortisol is a natural mechanizm of the body in reaction to anything, a storm, a sound, a smell, it goes up and down all day long in reaction to outside stimuli. When we are treating dogs for high cortisol levels, we bring that level down and the medicine basically keeps it in balance, so it doesn't shoot up and down in a normal reactive mode now.
That is why when some dogs say do something that they might enjoy alot or something that scares them, often people will let the cortisol come up a bit, so that buffer is there to help them.
Tippers last levels are at the lowest that we've seen during her testing and it could be that this level doesn't allow for her to be able to process things as she is use to, as her body is use to. Just something to think about. Not every dog is great at the same levels. Some have controlled symptoms at post 9, some at post 3, some do really well at an intermediate level. I'm just thinking, I might be inclined to let Tippers come up a point or so and see how she does.
It is possible since this other JR has the same type of throat issues that this is something completely unrelated to the cushings. I wonder if any other JR's have had this.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Patti,

Sharlene is on to something here I think. Squirt has had only one very small dose of Lyso since last Mon and she handled a storm better than she has in ages last week. We have storms starting today and going for the next four days so we will see how she does. I'm not seeing signs in Squirt other than an increase in appetite - but that is a more normal level, not the cush appetite.

Another thing I am noticing about her without the Lyso - her night time lip smacking has stopped and her nose isn't running like it used to from time to time. So now I'm wondering if lowering the cortisol increases production of mucous and saliva...or are these signs all related to allergies allowed to surface with treatment. :confused: We need more research on this disease and the treatments! I'm with you all the way there.

I hope sweet Tipper is feeling a bit better with the allergy med and that you get a chance to observe her to see how it is working. ;)

Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers,
Leslie and the gang

Mel, Leslie, Sharlene, Lettie:
I think Leslie has unknowingly unlocked another clue for me about Tippe, and a lot of other dogs on here. I know Sharlene is right about the low cortisol and storms, Tipper's cortisol may be even lower than it was before as I have not had a new ACTH yet it will be due shortly. The vet thinks that is what made her stop eating because the cortisol was too low, and the storm started and she could not handle it at her cortisol level.
Leslie you said something that made me really think on it. I know there is a connection between Tipper's mucus or post nasal drip and this Cushings. She never had this before. She never snored before either. Most of the posst on here talk about dogs smacking their lips,snoring, and runny noses. These are symptoms of what Tipper has as the IMS did tell me that. So there is a common thread with all these dogs and nose, breathing, and tongue licking and smacking. This Cushings causes something to go wrong inside their nasal area. I read where someones dog developed a polyp like tumor in the nasal cavity. The post nasal drip etc. is said to be a sign of airway disease, so this is all connected somehow. Leslie when you said about Squirts runny nose that put me onto it. You dog is on Lysodren and mine on Vetoryl so it can't be the drugs it has to be the Cushings. The nasal thing is what is causing Tipper to struggle breathing at night. Also if you read Georges post about his dog passing away, and blood came from it's nose, that ties in with it too. I must get to the bottom of this because I feel it could either help or save some dogs on here. Anyone that goes to an IMS please question them about this issue as we need as much information to figure this out as we can get. The other Jack Russell doesn't have the same issues as Tipper Sharlene, sorry if I confused everyone with my post. The other Jack has some breathing issues, don't know if it has Cushings. Also what I found out a while back when Tipper started getting sick was that Tipper's sister died of liver disease. Could it have been high liver values from Cushings and the Vet just like my vet was so inexperienced with Cushings that he thought it was liver disease. So this could be hereditary?? So maybe she did not die from liver disease alone?? Anyone who has a dog with these symptoms please let me know what they are doing and when it started. I am going to call my Vet since I had Tipper's sisters records sent to my vet and ask him to check her Alk Phos levels on the records. He told me to increase the drug I am giving Tipper for the mucus/post nasal drip to 1 full tablet at bedtime. I observed her last night for a while, then she left the bed, which is unlike her. She has always slept up against me all night. She did not do the throat clearing or tongue sticking out as much, and I could not hear that sticky noise. So maybe this is helping her, but the dosage is not high enough. I will let you know what happens tonight with the increased dosage I hope it completely stops it. It would be a God send not to have to put her thru a procedure to determine what this is. If it is mucus, the Cushings must do something to their sinuses that causes it. God Bless You All and your babies.
Patti

Patti, it does sound like Charlene is onto something!
Hope that Tipper feels better soon! It's so scary watching them not being their usual selves.