Natalie!
I take the same approach with doctors for humans and they don't like it very much but too bad.
I'm so happy that you found someone whom you like finally!!!!!
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Natalie!
I take the same approach with doctors for humans and they don't like it very much but too bad.
I'm so happy that you found someone whom you like finally!!!!!
If I didn't have another dog I might talk to the vet about covering his bill. But i have to say, even though he was in over his head and obviously should have admitted it, he was very fair with billing. Even though he was in there multiple times a month (and sometimes multiple times a week), we were never charged for a visit after his first one. I saw the vet every time, even for a quick glucose check, not just a vet tech. We were only charged for tests done and medications and never for his time.
While Cooper will not go back to him for anything, I do have another relatively healthy dog and this vet is close to home and completely capable of giving him his routine shots. I'd hate to have to drive 25 minutes with the dog and 2 kids for a few shots when I have this vet 7 minutes away. But trust me, if Trapper ever shows signs of sickness, I'll be looking for a new vet for him, too.
Sounds like the perfect plan to me.
Julie, I am so happy that you have an IMS for Cooper now. I like the sound of starting over from scratch and seeing whats what with both the diabetes and the cortisol. That was Your plan and I'm glad this vet agrees with you. Cooper is not the easiest case in the book, but then none of them actually read the book anyway, so you have to figure it out. Just like with your kids, you have to sometimes take the bull by the horns and get done what needs to be done. You did that and we're all so very proud of you for doing so. We know it isn't easy, especially when it means going against your regular vet. That is Never easy to do.
I do hope that this stepping back and starting over is exactly what Cooper needs and you too. You need this under control so that your home life and having little ones I'm sure it is always hectic, can get into some sort of routine. Cooper will do better with a routine too I'm sure.
I just wanted to say that. I know we have all harped on you about this situation and literally some have not slept well, worrying for you and cooper. (yea, it's a mother hen type of forum, we worry together, we laugh together, just like family) :)
So, take some really big deep breaths. You have a plan now. A plan can be just about the best thing in the world sometimes.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
The ulrasound showed enlarged adrenalin glands and liver but no tumors in the adrenalin glands so it should be pituatary dependent cushings, which seems like the good kind to have.
I'm going to ween him off the prednisone for 9 days. 3 days with once daily half a tablet then half a tablet every other day for the next 3 doses. She wants to do an ACTH test 2 weeks after he's been weened off the prednisone with no vetoryl in the meantime. She's also going to do a glucose curve then.
The urine culture will take a few days.
We're going to stay at 30 units of insulin twice a day for now.
If he has anymore twitching episodes she wants me to try to video tape it so her and the neurologists on staff can see it.
I'm very happy with this plan and it makes sense to me with everything I've read and everything you all have told me.
My only concern now is that the weight loss will start again. He was starting to get a pot belly again as he was gaining weight and it's starting to disappear again since we've stopped the vetoryl. He weighed 2 pounds less today than on Thursday, but it was a different scale so he may not have lost anything. I'll be keeping an eye on him and calling the new vet if he looks like he's starting the weight loss again.
I appreciate the "harping", although I didn't see it as a negative thing! You all really helped me see how serious this was. If it wasn't for all of you I'd still be giving him vetoryl and see no problem with it. I shudder to think what would have happened to Cooper. I'm pretty positive he would not have survived much longer under the other vet. I don't know what his future is and if he's going to respond well to treatment, but I do know we won't be putting him through any unnecessary pain anymore.
Oh good, glad you didn't see it as a bad thing. Not that we would have stopped. :)
Here is the thing, diabetes can be a real bugger to get control of, cushings can be a real bugger to get control of, mix them together and it can be a disaster without a pro that is experienced in treating them both together.
I'd say almost every dog with both, or even one, ends up need a specialist because most gp vets are just not familiar with treating them. Some vets are not really experienced at treating cushings at all.
This is a forum with people who live cushings 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year and have been doing so for years and years and years. The road you travel now, is a road traveled by many before you and you gain from their experience. That is a luxury actually that most vets don't have. A specialist is different, in that they train specifically in these kind of things and you hope that you get one that is very experienced in the disorders that you are dealing with when you go in.
We have members who read every new report put out by the top specialist in the field in the USA, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and on and on. So, whatever advice is given here, is based on many things, but it always has a sound foundation from somewhere that can be quoted if need be, to any vet.
We aren't vets, but we have good knowledge from the best around to help us out.
Both of these disease are treatable with a good vet on board and a knowledgeable owners to advocate for their precious companions. So once you get control of this and your specialist has it figured out about correct dosages, your life and Coopers will get much easier I think.
Just hang in there. You are doing really well. It was a rough start maybe, but hopefully that will be put behind you and the road forward will not be nearly so rocky.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Julie, I am so glad that your meeting with the IMS went so well. I know there has been additional expense up-front, but I do hope that, in the long run, both you and Cooper will benefit both financially and also in terms of stable treatment and care. I am SOOO relieved that the IMS has fashioned this prednisone taper for Cooper because that was one of my greatest immediate worries for a diabetic dog -- how to safely decrease the steroid without upsetting his glucose levels and insulin needs. Everything the IMS has suggested seems very reasonable to me, so I am so pleased and so relieved. :)
Absolutely, please keep us updated every step of the way. And please give Cooper some huge pats from his k9cushings family!
Marianne
Hi! Checking in to see how things are going with you and Cooper. :) Are you on the weaning from prednison phase still (you said 9 days right)? How is that going?
Hope all is well, let us know when you get a chance.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
He's doing well right now. His water consumption is up for probably a variety of reasons. He gets his last dose of prednisone tomorrow morning! The vet wants him off prednisone for 2 weeks then we'll do an ACTH test and glucose curve. In the meantime he's totally off cushings meds. He looks like he's lost some weight, but not a lot.
His urine culture came back that he still has a bladder infection. It's the same type of bacteria, enterobacter I think, but it's no longer sensitive to the antibiotics he was on. The vet started him on a 2-3 week course of Baytril. She wants to do another culture after he's been on the antibiotics for 10 days to make sure it's gone and hasn't developed resistance to this antibiotic. I'm going to get a weight on him then and talk to the vet if he's lost more than it seems.
He's got more energy, which is so nice to see! He was hunting a frog in the backyard the other day and I broke into tears! It's been months since he's shown so much interest in things. Granted he's sleeping pretty heavily between his bouts of energy, but it's so much better than sleeping all day!