Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

Addy: I think you are doing a wonderful job. I hope Zoe will sleep tonight and will be lots better tomorrow. Maybe just a little healing will keep it from bleeding. Lots of hugs for Zoe and you, but not on Zoe's neck. Take care. JoAnne

Stayed up all night watching her with a flash light to make sure the bleeding had not gotten worse. Knocked her out today with Tramadol.

can you tell I'm tired and have been reading murder mysteries? I first read this to say you knocked her out with a flashlight. That did not sound like you! :)

I hope she heals faster this time. I think you are smart to hold off on dose changes as long as she doesn't have worse symptoms. Their little bodies can only deal with so much change. hugs

Addy, addy, addy. You have done such an excellent job with Zoe. I think you are an awesome example of good mommy and I think the vets all think you are pretty awesome too.

Hopefully staying quiet will have enabled the wound to do some healing. It's so hard to get them to do what we know they need to do. Stay quiet, not play, not jump around, no licking wounded areas. Argghh. It's a monumental feat to accomplish any of that.

Hugs, and cheers to a good tomorrow too,

sharlene

Of course the opthalmologist thought you did a great job! You probably did better than he could have at keeping all those drops straight and administered on time! If there were some kind of olympic event for most medications administered on the exact time schedule, you would definitely receive the GOLD! So, while you are giving yourself that well deserved pat on the back, add a few from me! ;)

Thank you for all the pats- I didnt mean for you all to give me them:o:o:o

Correcton on Zoe's stim last week

pre 5.5
post 9.9

a bit higher than I had written down Friday. I doubled checked the numbers with the clinic this am.

no more bleeding and the swelling around the incision is reduced by about half.

gave a bit less Tramaddol today.

guess I have to face the numbers music pretty soon as much as I would prefer to put my head in the sand for another few week:rolleyes:


Sharlene- can I scream early? Lunch is over:rolleyes::):D:p;):eek:

here goes:

EEECCCCKKKK

Screaming Monday! Go for it!!!! Here I'll join you.

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Hi Addy,

Good work on keeping her still and helping that incision! I am not surprised the vet called to compliment your work. You are diligent and dedicated. You're a wonderful momma!

I'm so glad to hear things are looking a little better. Now you just have to go one step at a time figuring out the next issue. Do they ever end???? I may have to join in the screaming today. I think I am done crying, at least temporarily. That was mostly Friday and Saturday. Maybe a good scream will help???

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by addy

Am I rushing into the BID?

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Rushing? Uh no. I think you've been going back and forth on BID for quite some time. Zoe is not the only one pogoing. :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by addy

Dr. Behrend really believes the twice day dosing is better and if I was still on smaller doses and having control I would not question the once a day dosing.

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In addition to Dr. Behrend's opinion and UC Davis' (Feldman) revelation, I believe Dr. Peterson and Dr. Tim Allen (Dechra) suggested to you that Zoe may do better on twice daily dosing. Since four very prestigious endocrine specialists and Marianne, our very own expert on Vetoryl, haven't convinced you, I'm going to add my vote in the hopes that you can shake the "I'm damned if I don't but my dog could be damned if I do" syndrome. Take my word for it, that syndrome has a paralyzing effect that will keep you on the fence for all of eternity and I don't think your precious girl can't wait that long.

I must admit that I am stymied by the pogoing Zoe has done from one stim to the next and I'll do a bit a research on it but I don't think whatever I may find will change my mind about switching to BID. The question then becomes what twice daily dose to go with? I think the best plan of action is the one Marianne suggested. The one thing I'm not sure about is whether the 20/20 is gonna do the trick, considering Zoe's cortisol has continued to rise on the last two stims. If she were my dog, I'd probably go with 30/20 and see how well she responds. It's not out of the question that you may have to go to 30/30 but who know (besides the shadow). A crystal ball would be great but if we had one of those, we would have missed out on meeting some wonderful folks here. Who needs help when you know it all and if you know it all, how are you ever going to experience what it's like to become a masterful tweaker? :D I'm not looking into a crystal ball but I predict that the worst thing that could happen is that Zoe will continue to talk to you in sign language and will let you know if she needs a hit of prednisone. You do have prednisone on hand, yes?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by addy

I am so confused again. I hate this.

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Yep, I know how that goes and if that's all you feel, you're doing good. You could be dazed and confused....or you could be those things, plus frustrated, scared poopless, addled, nervous, nauseous, headachy, tearful, hormonal and suicidal. If you are not feeling all those things, then look just how far you've come. :p If you are feeling all those things, you need to think about upping your own meds. :p That's supposed to be a joke but I'm going to share a little secret with you. I was already on anxiety meds when Lulu was diagnosed and two weeks post diagnosis, my doc determined that I would do much better on BID dosing. True story and he was right, I did better on BID dosing and I believe Zoe will too.

Just remember that you aren't doing this alone. We love Zoe too and we're committed to getting you and Zoe through this. By through this, I mean tweaking however much you need to get six months of good stims under your belt with resolution of symptoms. We're in it for the long haul, Addy.

Hugs,
Glynda

I loved Glynda's reply :) and want to chime in that given the additional info you've supplied, I'd vote for starting off at 30/20, too. Since you've got the combo of 30 mg. and 10 mg. capsules already on hand, it doesn't seem worth it to me for you to let the 30 mg. caps go to waste and to have to buy a bunch more 10 's. I know you'd do that in an instant if you thought that was better for Zoe (buy more 10's, that is). But with a stim result pushing 10 and your specialists' recommendations to increase Zoe's dose, I don't think it's a big stretch to shift to the 30/20 combo. We know you watch Zoe like a hawk, so if she doesn't seem to be tolerating the increase well, you'll be checking things out in an instant.

So just a few more cents worth from me. ;)

Marianne

Yeah. What she said. Marianne. That's what I was trying to say way back when. And is it pogoing or ping ponging? To even out the medication throughout the day always made more sense to me.
There's my 1 cents worth.
Love,
Sus

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH


THANK YOU FOR HELPING MY ZOE


I AM CRYING NOW BUT THEY ARE HAPPY TEARS

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I love Glynda's answer too, that's our girl:D:D:D:D:D:D

Wow, Glynda! That answer Rocked!!

I'm just going to sit back and bask the glory of "smart experience"

Addy, love all those smiles from you!

HUGS,
sharlene

Happy posts - love to see them. You are an amazing mom Addy :))

Wow Addy I am still basking in the glow of your happiness. That is so wonderful that Zoe is doing better. You are such a good nurse. Hugs, JoAnne

We really do need a Dancin' Mama icon....and a group hug one, too. So since we don't have those - just imagine a weird old broad doing strange motions she calls dancing jigglin' toward you with her long arms wide open. (don't run...she's not as crazy as she looks ;))

You will get through all of this...you are a superb Mom and Zoe couldn't be in better hands. We are all right by your side, cheering you on, having faith when it's hard for you to see. Always by your side, honey, always.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

So glad to hear you're crying happy tears, Addy! And I agree that Glynda is right on with her thinking. What would we do without each other? I don't even want to think about it. Hope our little Zoe continues to improve and continues to be blood-free. :p

Julie & Hannah

Thanks from the bottom of my heart.:):):):)

Growth is benign. :) I never imagined any other result, I was so sure in my heart but it appears hubby was distraught about the possibility of it being cancerous.

Zoe tried to get Koko to show her his butt this morning so she could jump on it. :rolleyes: He started to and then looked at me, ran from her, lay down a few feet away and looked at me then at Zoe's bandage. I told him "what a good boy, how did you get so smart?"

Thursday is her last antibioitc. We will start twice day dosing Friday.
IMS said stim in 14 days and a look at the stitches to see of they are ready to come out.

IMs did not do any blood work last week.:mad: I dont know why. :confused: I will make sure to check her electrolytes with the next stim.

I have prednisone; 20 mg pills. I have the rescue dose at 2.5mgs for Zoe. It wont be exact if I need it but should be okay.

I'm okay because I know I have all of you.:D:D:D:D

so glad to hear about Zoe.
Hugs Sonja and Apollo

Addy, that is excellent news! Here's to a speedy recovery for little Zoe!:)
Hugs from Leah and Maya

Hot diggity dog! Awesome news about Zoe.

Hugs,
Sharlene

Addy, so glad to hear some good news about Zoe! I just had a feeling that her incision would heal quickly, so hopefully, that continues! Now, lets cross our fingers that the twice a day dosing keeps things under control and Zoe will be good as new! ;)

Keep the positive posts coming!!!!

The positive vibes are working, Mary Beth. Thank you for them and Zoe thanks you, woof, woof;);)

One thing I dont understand, IMS said stitches can come out anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on how fast she heals, most dogs, they come out in 2 weeks.

So how do I know when to make the appointment? What should I see to know they are ready to come out? She also said sometimes they look ready and then they start taking them out and they are not ready.

If Zoe isn't bothering them and if they aren't bothering her, I'd wait three weeks. Then I'd either wait one more week, or I'd run her by the vet to see if she thinks they're ready to come out. If there is no pink around them, no swelling and no oozing and they are leaving Zoe alone and vice versa, I figure the longer they are in there, the more time there is for good, solid healing to take place and less chance of infection.
Love,
Bailey

Thanks Sus,

I have new problem:

Zoe’s incision started bleeding this morning from the same spot I had trouble with Saturday. Last night I was looking at it and the stitches in that spot look weak and there are not very many. It seems to bleed intermittently, starts when she moves. It makes about a quarter to half dollar size spot on the bandage, depending on how much she moves. Since it is so close to her shoulder, that leg movement seems to stretch the skin there.
IMS is not in until tomorrow. My choices are wait until tomorrow and see IMS or go out to the clinic and see emergency doctor.
I would rather wait until tomorrow but I don’t know how critical it is she be seen today.
I have no experience with incisions like this.

Hi Addy,

If it looks like the stitches are pulling through the skin, tearing, then she needs to be seen. If the incision rips, it will be much more difficult to resew. If the incision is just weeping, then she may be fine to wait til the IMS is back.

Let us know!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hey Addy: If it looks like the skin is separating at the bleeding site, probably needs seeing by the vet, since every time she moves it will pull it apart. If it looks it is healing there, maybe not. Love JoAnne

I will need to clean off the blood to see the stitches which will make it start bleeding again. What should I use?
I was surprised when it started bleeding again as I had the bandage off last night and it looked like it would not bleed any more so am confused except I cut back on her Tramadol and she was tearing at her Kong this am and wanting to walk around the house a lot.
Maybe I should just take her in. I hate to do it, I don’t know who I will get for emergency.

Addy, I would recommend that you go to the drug store and buy some Hibiclense and use that to wash Zoe's incision. It's an antimicrobial wash just like the stuff surgeons scrub with before doing surgery. I've had a lot of amputees and while most heal without incident, some have required extra attention. I believe the vet who performed surgery for my little chi rescue, Abby, recommended that I use it on her foot when it developed a bad infection. Some amoral piece of filth tied her to a railroad track and her right front leg and the toes on her remaining front foot were severed. They amputated the severed leg at the shoulder, cleaned up the foot and wrapped it in gauze to keep the dirt out. Within two days, that foot smelled like rotting flesh. I used the Hibiclens to clean it initially and then I continued to spray it with Vetericyn several times a day. That combination worked like a charm! I always have both in my medicine cabinet.

How is Zoe? did you take her in or waiting? What did it look like after you cleaned it? Maybe she has moved around too much and it has pulled.

I'll stop now. :) Just wanted to check in on you and Zoe and see how it's going. I haven't had a chance to check any of the threads today till now.

Hugs,
Sharlene and molly muffin

Hi Addy,

Just checking in on you and Zoe. Hope things are ok.

Julie & Hannah

Hubby kept her locked up in the bedroom all afternoon. By the time I got home there had been no more bleeding. We spent the night locked up in the bedroom too. The wireless signal does not work well in there and I was afraid to leave the room as she was sleeping next to me, I could not move much.

We see IMS this morning. The front leg nearest the incision is giving out intermitently, I need her to check that.

Zoe is going through Kong withdrawals, it is not a pretty sight:rolleyes:but Zoe is trying very hard to accept it and not chew off her paw instead of chewing the Kong:eek::eek:Just means more work for me 5:30 am because I have to distract her and get her to refocus but that's okay, whatever it takes.

I will feel better after her recheck this morning. I just need to know what to expect and then I can handle it, what's normal, what's not.

We soldier on,:):)

Thanks for checking on us.

Hope you have a good report from the vet this morn Addy. Maybe they will fix her stitches so they do not come out and she bleeds, that is so scary for all of you and stressful. Good luck. JoAnne

IMS said the leg weakness if not from the surgery, Zoe’s leg do not give out while walking for IMS and IMS did not want to move Zoe’s head and neck to check for pain because of the incision.
Incision is fine, no infection no stitch problems.
The incision is in a bad spot so not only will her Cushings prolong healing but the location will also be problematic. They have now wrapped her in an elastic bra type bandage to put pressure on the incision. There is a blot clot under the skin and that is what is bleeding through. Her body did not yet make a seal in that spot.
Limit all activity even further, continue to use Tramadol to keep her quiet, do not let bandage get wet. Well, it will get wet just from the dew on the grass so not sure what to do about that and Zoe is very hot from it. Keep bandage on for a few days to a week. It is not going to happen, trust me on that one.
She is already knocked out from Tramadol, how will I know if new Vetoryl dose is a problem? She does not think it will be a problem for Zoe but watch for not wanting to eat or diarrhea. If I want to wait two more days to start, go ahead.
Most dogs form a seal in a few days but for Zoe that process could be twice as long. Every time the spot oozes, her body has to start to form a seal all of again.
Kong withdrawal will have to continue. I am afraid her muscle wasting will continue to worsen with lack of exercise.

gotta run

Addy, did you see my prior post? I still think Zoe's incision will heal more rapidly if you spray with Veterycin several times a day. My vet now carries the physician strength and prescribes to promote healing of incisions, wounds, abrasions, etc. I'm not just whistling Dixie when I say that this product works. I've used it on many rescues with excellent results. Spay and neuter sutures, amputations, testicular tumor excision, cyst removal, mammary tumors excisions, bite wounds, cuts and abrasions from car strikes, severe wounds from imbedded collars, bacterial skin infections and the list goes on. Check out the reviews on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Vetericyn-Anim...DateDescending

I hope Zoe is feeling better today. I think Boriss has one of those same bumps on the back of his leg. Now I could kick myself for not getting it removed when he was younger. The test just always came back as a fatty spot & nothing to worry about. Poor little Zoe sounds like even (what I thought would be) "little things" can be a big thing with Cushing's. Happy healing thoughts for Zoe...

((hugs))
Amy & Boriss

Addy, I used this for Annie also... had 2 jars of it when she passed - gave one to my bro for his kids scrapes and kept one for myself... it really really works. Hugs, Kim

I will have to order it on line and wait for it to come. IMS wants this bandage to stay on. I cant remove it, I wont know the right tension, the surgeon created this special bandage wrap for Zoe. Maybe by the time the spray gets here the bandage will be off. I dont know where to buy the spray locally. Walgreens does not have it.

Would a pet store have it?

I tried putting a plastic bag around the bandage but that did not work.
I will try to take a picture and post it.

IMS said "this too will pass":(:(:(:(:(

Argghh, well of course it will pass. It's the "getting through" it that's problematic.

I'll tell you what though, if anyone at all can manage to keep a dog quiet that wants to play with a kong and bite another dogs butt, who manages to get bleeding in a wound that should be closing, it's you. You can work miracles when it comes to Zoe. I can't imagine anyone better ready to throw on the armor and get down to it than you Addy. :)

We'll all just cheer you on while you do it too!!
Hip Hip Hurah!

Hugs,
Sharlene

I got mine from my vet. Its' a vet product so you'd have to check either pet stores or vets offices. It isn't a prescription. Kim

I think there are two strengths of it. The stronger strength may only be available through a vet. But I was able to buy a nonprescription strength at Petco. Local feed-n-seed stores also carry it here, labeled for horses as well as dogs.

Marianne