Tipper - adrenal tumor/breathing issues

I don't hold the record but my Haley lived to be 16 1/2 and died of old age not cushing's. She was on lysodren for over 4 yrs. I did absolutely nothing special for her except give her lysodren and regular acth tests to make sure she was maintaining the load.

I gave her quality food (Solid Gold) and as her arthritis set in I gave her adequan shots, fish oil and glucosamine chond. with SAME. That and lots of love. Oh and I ceased giving her people food as she couldn't tolerate any fats - not even a tiny piece of white chicken breast. Kim

Thank you for the help, every bit of information helps when you are dealing with this dreaded disease. God Bless

Hope and and Tipper are having a good day today

Mel and Tia xxx

I first heard the word "Cushing's" late in 2007 and Squirt was officially diagnosed in early '08 at the age of 10. But her journey isn't typical. A tumor on her spleen was the cause of the elevations in cortisol at that time and when it was removed that level returned to normal. So she started out Atypical and started moving into true Cushing's with elevating cortisol summer before last. She never loaded (we use Lysodren) because of the Atypical so has only been on maintenance the last year or so. She was 15 yesterday so she has been on this journey for five years.

I chose Lysodren over Trilostane (Vetoryl) almost 2 years ago and am very happy with that decision. She has been taking flax lignans or spruce lignans along with melatonin since '08. She takes GlycoFlex III, Only Natural Pet's salmon oil, PS-100, and has been on a home-cooked diet for over four years. She has taken or is taking milk thistle seed, astragalus, burdock root, schisandra, chamomile, and passionflower herbs as needed in both seed or powder and tincture forms.

She started leaking at nite this year and is on Proin.

Her arthritis has gotten bad and for now she is using either Vetprofen or a vet med called Meta-Tinic (Metacam based) - both NSAIDS. :( I am working on an herbal protocol for her now and looking into Adequan and Dasuquin.

I think that's all. :D

Hope that helps! But remember, what works for Squirt may not work for a single other dog - each are unique biological entities. ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Leslie:
When you get time would you let me know what you put in your natural diet, I would appreciate it and thank you for the help. God Bless You and your baby.

Squirt's diets are designed by a nutritional consultant. I have been taking a course in canine nutrition for two years and don't know enough to put on the head of a straight pin! So there is no way I would try to design a diet for my babies right now. ;) I can throw something together for the short term, VERY short term, but over the long-term, I trust the experts. I can share the ingredients but that isn't the key - the balance of nutrients is the key and that requires the right foods, supplements, vitamins and minerals for each individual dog.

She just started on a new diet this week but the old one that she was on for four years contained white turkey, beef liver, water packed sardines, brown rice, sweet potatoes, lentils, green beans, butternut or acorn squash, organic yogurt, calcium, taurine, zinc, manganese and iodine. Her new diet is dark chicken, sweet potatoes, white rice, salmon, beef liver, calcium, taurine, zinc and manganese. Once she adjusts to the change and I see it is not going to upset the digestive system, I will add the yogurt back in as a topper.

Catherine Lane designed all my babies' diets but she is sooo busy right now working on her thesis I'm never sure when she is taking new clients or not. Monica Segal is the other consultant I would recommend. I would beg you to please not get a diet off of the web to use. It is important for home made diets to be geared to the individual - especially when the pups are less than 100% healthy. ;) An imbalance is so very easy to create in a healthy dog much less a dog with existing health issues.

Hope this helps!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

BTW - I eat peanut butter, cheese, crackers, cereal and sandwiches for the most part! Guess who rules THIS house? :D

Hi Everyone:
I took Tipper to the Opthamologist yesterday. It was a 7 hour ordeal. Even though Tipper has a car seat to sleep in she was so uncomfortable the whole time. I think the thin skin, changes in fat redistribution, and her pot belly made her miserable. She had an idea from the get go that she was going to the Dr. She would not drink for me even though I made several stops for her to drink and go potty, and eat. She was being stubborn. So luckily I had a syringe in my purse and made her drink with it. I could tell her mouth was sticky and dry when she stuck her tongue out, I could hear the sticky sound in her mouth. When we got to the Dr.'s office I went in and brought the paper work out and filled it in outside in the car. I asked if I could keep her in the car and they call me on the cell when the Dr. was ready for her, since she has had enough already. So we waited in the car and she sat patiently, until a woman pulled in beside us with a poodle and took it in the building. Tipper looked at the poodle and then gave me the nastiest look, and crouched down in her car seat and hid her head. Her worst fears were now confirmed. I believe if she could talk she would have called me a nasty word!! So here is all the info if this will help anyone now or in the future:

First of all the Dr. said eye fluid is important with a Cush dog as the Cushings dries up their eyes and they get dry eye which blurrs vision- I know I have it. Her fluid was great
Second he checked her pressure for glaucoma. It was fine also.

Then he dialated her eyes and really did a thorough exam. She has sclerosis of both eyes. Which means she needs bifocals the cause is from getting old.

Her iris muscle is not completely closing either, this is from old age also.

She does have very small calcium deposts on her retina. He said this is either the Cushings or old age.
He asked me why I wanted her seen and anything that had prompted me to get her eyes checked. I told him when I asked my Vet about changes I was seeing in her eyes he told me it was old age. Due to her disease I said that was not a good enough answer for me. He told me I did the right thing, as once you let something go, it is hard to back track. So I guess the Vet I have was wrong again. He emailed my Vet a report of what was going on. I guess I'll hear about this for going behind hind his back, and getting a specialist without his knowledge. Oh well!!! He also said he has drops that get rid of the deposits, but that since hers were so tiny he wants to wait 6 months and recheck her to see if there are changes in them. He said since she has had so much Vet crap with the Cushings, she would be upset with the drops as they sting real bad. He did not want to put her thru this if it was not necessary. He also told me with the sclerosis and iris not closing all the way that her depth perception may start to be off. He said his elderly beagle has this when he puts a treat down for him, when he goes to get it he is about an inch away and the dog thinks he is right on it. Also he said if you notice them looking and drinking in a funny manner that they cannot tell exactly where surface of the water in the bowl is. So if any of your dogs do this you will know what is happening. I hope this information helps someone. They also have an animal dermatologist, and a cancer center for animals in this huge complex. I had this eye Dr. 30 years ago for a cat of mine that has since passed. This practice has grown immensely in that time. I hope this can help one person to understand the changes their dog may go thru. God Bless Us All and All our Babies.

I am so glad that inspite of the trauma of the trip, the exam went well and the report was good. I am sure you feel better as well.

If he was talking about EDTA, Zoe has that drop; we are not sure if it is holding things at bay but it is not breaking up the deposits. We are hoping it is keeping them from getting worse. She has a recheck the end of March with the eye vet.

I hope you and Tipper have recovered. Enjoy your Sunday:)

Hi Tippers Mom

Glad that you got some answers on this trip, sorry Tipper figured it out so you had an interesting journey, our pups are so clever, wish they could understand we are doing it for them!

Tia could give looks too am sure she said a few choice words to me over the years :)

Interesting to read about the scierosis that might explain why Tia's was reluctant to drink from her bowl....

Thank you for the information. Hope you are both having a good day today

Mel and Tia xxx

Hi Mel:
Hope this finds you well aand your broken heart starting to heal. Yes it is funny how these babies know everything going on. Sometimes Tipper is too smart for her own good, she has gotten into some mischief that way!!

Addy:
Yes you are correct that is the drug he told me about. I wonder if they have anything else that may help your baby?? Let me know what you find out. I kinda knew this condition was a Cushings thing.

Well that was an interesting trip and it sounds like it was very productive too. So I think definitely worth while that you went, whether your vet agrees or not. You now know what to look out for and what can or cannot be done about any symptoms you may be concerned about. So, 3 months, then check again. Sounds like a plan and everyone knows on here, that we love a plan. :)

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sharlene:
You are the best!!!. No matter how down I am when I read your postings they always lift me up. Thank you, and God Bless you and the babies.

Glad to hear the good news about Tipper's eyes and there is nothing serious going on.
Big hugs

Vicki:
Thanks, I need all the good news I can get with her. I am sure you feel the same with your baby. Tipper goes to her Laser treatment tomorrow at 1:30 and I will let everyone know how it went. God Bless You and the Scoora babies.

Hi Everyone:
I took Tipper for her first laser therapy yesterday. The lady was extremely friendly and kind to my girl. The bad thing is she had to put Tipper's back legs thru range of motion and measure the range. So with that being said, Tipper fell up the steps for the first time today, and I can see she is having discomfort. She always lays flat with her rear legs out like a frog, but now has them tucked under for the first time. This kills me to have to make her do this, so it better work!!!. This is what the Laser tech told me. She is trained and certified in this. What happens is when you run a Laser on the body the cells that are not working or have been deystroyed by disease take in the light from the laser which energizes them. This starts them working again and renewing themselves. The cells that are working fine are not disturbed by the laser. She said that Tipper would be tired with sort of flu like symptoms that night. She did sleep better, don't know if it was because of the tiredness or this has started helping her. She said some animals get relief right away, and some take a few sessions. She has had success with Cush dogs. After she sees improvement, Tipper can stop the treatment and may need "touch ups" here and there to keep her strong. I can't complain, after all the expense I have gone thru so far this is the least expensive action we have taken. It is only 37.00 a treatment- which I really don't want to spend, but relative to everything else it is a bargain if it works. She gives a cheaper deal if you get a package of 5 treatments. Now comes the funny part. Part of the reason my love for Tipper is so deep is that she is crazy in a good way. She is intelligent, and obedient, but hates things that have motors running, ticking, or other wise making sounds. She has killed off many an alarm clock, tried to jump the counter to attack my can opener, ruined childrens play toys with motors, got caught with the cell phone taking it to destroy it because of the sound when someone calls on it- you get the idea already!! So this lady starts up the laser and Tipper does fine with the laser on her, but is trying to reach the machine as it beeps and kill it. The tech said "what is she trying to do, is she going to bite me?" I said she won't bite you, she wants to kill your machine as she does not like things that run and make any noise. She just gave me a real wierd look. I told her it's a Jack Russell thing, they are half crazy and do these nutty things that only make sense to them. I hope tomorrows visit does not make her legs worse before improvement starts. She goes 2x a week. I will post how it goes tomorrow. I am hopeful this will stabilize her muscle, and maybe regain some. I took her for her regular weekly blood pressure check this morning. It was great at 130, thank God. I will keep trying to keep this girl with me for as long as possible. God Bless All of Us and Our Babies.

I bet that you were wondering how Tipper would react at least it was true to form, I ave this image of Tipper going after the wand which tickles me :)

Fingers crossed this does the trick and the discomfort is short term

Good news re BP as well, long may that continue.

Xxxx

How did Tipper do through the day today?

That is so funny about her issue with machines that make noise. You have to say this for Tipper, she knows what she likes and she knows what she doesn't like. LOL

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Sharlene:
Thanks for asking about Tipper. She did real good during the day yesterday. She went on 5 walks, yes I do mean 5. I was thrilled with that, but I am carrying her up the steps so she does not fall. I hope that issue is resolved from the follow up treatments, as she did not do that before. We go again this afternoon. I am going to ask her not to do range of motion with Tipper's back legs anymore due to what happened. She already has the measurements so I don't see it being necessary every time we go. Last night and the night after the first treatment Tipper slept better, and did not have all the muscle contractions she normally does. I don't know if it was the laser treatment, or a coincidence, but I will soon find out. That would be a God send if it stopped these twitches and tremors. I am cautiously optimistic. I will let you know how it goes today. God Bless Us All and All our Babies.

That is good news about the contractions and sleeping hopefully that will continue

Hope Tipper doesnt go too mad on the wand today and that she isn't so sore after

Will look back for an update later

Mel
Xxx

So, how did it go today? Does the wand still exist in it's beginning form?
Wonderful about the sleeping and contractions. Hope that resolves completely.

I wonder if the muscles feel tired, it's extra work getting up stairs so maybe they just have that exhausted feel to them?

Can't wait to hear the latest adventure
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Everyone:
Tipper went for her second treatment yesterday. She was more calm this time. The Dr.( who I thought was just a laser tech.) let her smell the wand, she wanted to bite it at first but since there was a cat, which Jack Russells hate, there before us she wanted to see if she could find the cat. She did real well during treatment. I think because she learned this was not going to hurt her. I told the Dr. about her falling up the steps and not wanting to climb them. She had previously told me that is usually a sign of a hip problem when they go up the steps with 2 legs at a time, sort of jumping up them. Tipper does have hip issues. The cat she was working on was 11 and had 3 treatments and was improving. Last night I pulled the covers off of Tipper, as she sleeps just like a person would, only right up against me. I watched for a good long time. Only some minor twitches. The muscles contractions have really subsided. She had only some minor twitching of her paws. Before her legs would jump up and her sides would ripple dozens of times a night keeping her awake and moving all around. She more or less stayed in one spot last night and appeared to rest better. I hope this continues to improve and the contractions go away all together. I am very thankful that I took her there. She does not have to have the range of motion measured again until the last treatment. I hope that does not undo all the good done with the laser. When people start manipulating her rear legs she has trouble, and I don't want this to happen again. Tipper was not as tired yesterday after the treatment. As bad as this disease has been I swear I don't know where she gets all the energy from, but Jack Russells are high energy dogs, that is why there are so many in rescues. She goes on 5-6 walks a day. People get JR's and then find out these dogs aren't couch potatoes and want interaction all the time, so they get rid of them. I am wondering about Scoop this morning and praying all went well with him. Wondering how Mel is doing also, my heart aches for her. God Bless Us All and All Our Babies.

Hello, glad you posted was looking out or Tippers update. Good there was a cat to distract Tipper, pesky cats :)

I am pleased to hear she didn't feel as bad as last time, sounds like it could be working if the muscles aren't contracting so much which is awesome news.

I am ok thanks for asking, one day at a time. I am also wondering about Vicki and Scoop

Xxx

Yay, glad to hear the appointment went well. You're right, every Jack Russell I've ever known of has been high energy and they needs lots of walks. They are so cute and happy though. I love that about JR's.

I know, I wonder about Vicki and Scoop too. Hope we hear something soon.

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Mel and Sharlene;
Thanks for checking up on Tipper. I am getting worried about Vicki and Scoop, I pray nothing is wrong, and hope we hear something soon. God Bless you both, and all the rest of us too!

I echo your last post, really hope we hear from her soon

Xxxx

i too am concerned.i have been private messaging with vicki since milo past,i know that scoop was having a rough couple days..... just send her one about a half hour ago.......patty (milo)meka xoxox ps just saw the results with tipper...glad to see today was a better treatment,looks promising !!! :)

Patty:
Tipper had another good night of sleep. I think the laser is working on the muscle contractions!! Hope we hear from Vicki soon, I am getting worried. It is not like her to stay out of contact. God Bless You.
Patti

Hi Everyone;
Just an update. Tipper had another good night of rest. I must say I did not take her for the laser treatments because of the muscle contractions, but it is a wonderful thing that the treatments are helping with that too. She only had maybe 2 minor twitches that I saw last night. I actually had to wake her this morning. She wasn't moving all around the bed either. She went on 4 walks yesterday. When we got home she ran around the house 100 miles an hour like when she was a puppy. Then grabbed her ball and proceeded to play with it. I hope this helps her hips as that is the reason I think she is having trouble going up stairs. That is what the Dr. thinks also. i hope God Blesses her with this stamina for the rest of her days, and that she can continue on this even keel. This was only her second treatment, so I am a believer. I am so glad I decided to take her there. God Bless Us All and our Babies.
Patti

Great to hear that Tipper is responding well and hopefully this Will help her hips, along with the cartilage supplement that you give her, she should be feeling pretty fine and dandy. 100mph Tipper! I can just see that! You're going to have to make an agility course for her to run through.:D:D

Hi Patti,

It sounds like the laser treatments are doing Tipper a world of good and that is simply wonderful! I so hope you continue to see improvement in her as the treatments progress. I am so happy for you both!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

That is such good news to hear Tipper is getting some quality sleep since starting the treatment and haring around like she should be :)

I can tell how hard you are trying to help your girlie, so it must feel even better to see her get some relief

Long may it continue

Xxxx


QUOTE=goldengirl88;96772]Hi Everyone;
Just an update. Tipper had another good night of rest. I must say I did not take her for the laser treatments because of the muscle contractions, but it is a wonderful thing that the treatments are helping with that too. She only had maybe 2 minor twitches that I saw last night. I actually had to wake her this morning. She wasn't moving all around the bed either. She went on 4 walks yesterday. When we got home she ran around the house 100 miles an hour like when she was a puppy. Then grabbed her ball and proceeded to play with it. I hope this helps her hips as that is the reason I think she is having trouble going up stairs. That is what the Dr. thinks also. i hope God Blesses her with this stamina for the rest of her days, and that she can continue on this even keel. This was only her second treatment, so I am a believer. I am so glad I decided to take her there. God Bless Us All and our Babies.
Patti[/QUOTE]

Everyone;
Thanks for your good wishes for my Tipper, I am going to do whatever it takes to keep her with me as long as I can. I have never been so closely bonded to a dog before, and I have had and loved many. She is just my once in a lifetime special dog.

I soooo understand that! Squirt is that dog for me. She is so much a part of my life and who I am today that I cannot imagine a day without her. Considering my age and the number of pets I have had over all those years, Squirt is truly a once-in-a-lifetime love.

Your picture of squirt is one of the cutest I have seen. Just too adorable!!

awww...thanks! That's her lounging pose waiting for Mom to come rub her belly. :D

How are you and Tipper today? Any more visits planned this week?

Check back later

Mel
Xxx

Mel:
Tipper had the return of some muscle contractions last night. If the laser is helping them it may be because she hasn't had a treatment since Thursday. They only do them 2x a week. So she was all weekend without a treatment. I take her again tomorrow and I will mention this to the Dr. I can see her slipping in certain ways, she was a very strong dog before all this, and it is heartbreaking to watch her health, and phycial appearance decline. She used to wear a medium in a harness, she not wears an extra large because of the fat moving to her abdomen, and the lack of muscle there. So the harness gaps at her neck because it is for a much larger dog. I don't know how I can ever do without her. It will be my biggest challenge to date. This dog is my life, and I don't know as I can recover if I lose her. I hope I have your strength to get me thru. Thanks for keeping in touch, we love to hear from you and as always we say a prayer every night for you and precious Tia in heaven.
Patti

I think you could not be doing anymore for your girlie to give her the best shot. You are awesome for Tipper, hopefully the sessions will give her more strength overtime so you won't see a decline over the weekend

Thank you for the prayers, I take it one day at a time and try and remind myself how lucky I am to have her brother after all he has been through

Together we are all stronger, this site is safe to share your fears but try not to dwell on them as Tipper is putting up a good fight with everything you are doing

I will help in anyway I can

Mel
Xxxxxx