Page 2 of 21 FirstFirst 123412 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 206

Thread: Chewy:Now, hypothyroid?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Melbourne,Australia
    Posts
    1,246

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Hi Debbie,

    I agree that you should have seem some improvement after 8 1/2 months of the injections. I have never gone through this with a dog but I work with a lady who has just started allergy injections and she was told about 2-6 months for improvement.

    Jenny

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chandler, AZ.
    Posts
    2,589

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    I should have added that overall Chewy is definitely better with the injections. He has had no ear infections. The pads on his paws were always just screaming red, & he was licking/chewing them constantly. His paw licking has decreased by 80%, & the pads are just barely pink, now, so I know the shots have helped.

    Debbie
    Mom to 2 Cushing's angels

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Nebraska
    Posts
    5,606

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Deb, Wow you have had your hands full. I think the "dog gods" must identify suckers and give the sick ones to those that will take good care of them. That is a compliment. Glad Chewie is getting some relief. K

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    6,593

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Lulu wants Chewy to know that being bald is not that bad but it gets cold sometimes.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Melbourne,Australia
    Posts
    1,246

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Just wondering...back to the human and allergy injections sorry. This lady having the injections is only having 3 or 5 or something like that of the things that cause her problems. If she finishes this course of injections then she can have another set of things in an in injection to try to completely clear up the problem.

    I think what I am trying to say is that if Chewy is doing better but not 100% then maybe there are other allergens causing problems that are not being injected against. Are you only treating for certain things?

    Jenny

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chandler, AZ.
    Posts
    2,589

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Jenny, as far as I know, Chew's anti-sera was formulated to cover everything he tested positive for on his skin testing last spring. You have raised a very good point, though, & I will do my best to remember to ask my derm vet.

    Debbie
    Mom to 2 Cushing's angels

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chandler, AZ.
    Posts
    2,589

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Since I really don't have a whole lot to report on either of my boys, I thought I would drop a quick note on Chewy. I have bitten the bullet & have an appointment to take him to see Dr. Lewis, my derm vet, on 3/26. I would like to get to the bottom of this hair loss issue, if it's even possible, so I thought I would let my favorite vet get a look at him since it's been nearly 9 months since Dr. L put him on allergy shots. If there's not a whole lot that can be done for Chewy except to maintain his allergy injections, then I need to start trying to scrape together the money for the little snot to have a dental. I do mean scrape as the GP sent me an estimate of about $700.

    Debbie

    I'm sitting thinking to myself, "Holy Crap, did I ever think I would see the day that I could say I knew a derm vet, much less had a long-standing relationship with one!"
    Last edited by StarDeb55; 03-20-2010 at 12:58 AM.
    Mom to 2 Cushing's angels

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    York, PA.
    Posts
    11,036

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Harley's bill ~ dental cleaning, 2 Oral X-Rays, meds, and with 3 extractions was $474.97. Yea, alot of money, but I really didn't think it was too bad of a price.

    Best of luck to you and Chewy.

    Love and hugs,
    Lori

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Chandler, AZ.
    Posts
    2,589

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Chewy is back from seeing Dr. Lewis, my derm vet. Dr. Lewis still thinks that a lot of the hair loss issue is allergy related. Along those lines, we are going to try a new topical product that they have been using in their practice that has show pretty remarkable results. It is a lipid based product you "dot on" the areas of thinning hair. The lipid should help restore the lipid layer in the skin to improve the skin's natural barrier. I wasn't aware of this, but Dr. L explained that in atopic dogs the lipid layer in the skin is biochemically abnormal which makes it more prone to breakdown, & the subsequent problems that entails.

    Now, to alopecia X. Dr. L will not rule it out, so we will be starting a trial run of melatonin + flaxseed oil. I was explaining about the flaxhulls, & Dr. L laughed, said "You are making this a lot more difficult then I want it to be, so just get the Barlean's." We did discuss the use of trilostane to treat alopecia X. I told him that, IMO, that was way to harsh a treatment for simple hair loss with too many risks. He was in total agreement, & said that his practice absolutely will not use trilo to treat alopecia. Several interesting things were discussed including one of his partners dabbling with using a very low dose of ketoconazole to treat alopecia & is seeing a fair amount of success. He said that it really is almost a holistic type dose with minimal risk that is usually associated with keto. During the discussion of trilostane use, in general, I mentioned that based on what we've seen in our group, I'm not totally convinced that trilo is the "magic bullet" for Cushing's. He is in agreement. In fact , he said that there are a lot of IMS vets that are coming to that conclusion, also, & are switching back to lysodren. He did mention that Dr. Feldman, et. al, at Davis appear to be backing off a whole hearted endorsement of trilo, too. I made the comment that we keep hearing that lysodren production is going to be discontinued. Dr. L said that he had heard that, too, but he heard it from the trilo rep. Geez, everyone has their own agenda. I can't quote you any references to what we discussed, but I thought a number of you would find his comments very interesting.

    Forgot, they also did a skin scrape to make sure that Chewy is not dealing with demodex. It was negative. Last but not least, Dr. L wanted to know if I've finally gotten over the possibility the Chew may have Cushing's. I told him that I'm totally over it as last fall's labwork looked great, no elevated liver enzymes, etc. I have moved on from having 3 dogs with Cushing's. It goes without saying that we are now looking at 3-4 month of a waiting game to see if my poor boy will start regrowing hair.

    Debbie

    Bonus, we got out of there for <$125. YAHOOO!!!!
    Last edited by StarDeb55; 03-25-2010 at 02:55 PM.
    Mom to 2 Cushing's angels

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    6,593

    Default Re: Chewbacca, my other medically needy dog

    Debbie, not sure if I told you this but I listened to a lecture given by Dr. David Bruyette and he said that the best treatment for a bald Pomeranian (alopecia X) is a sweater. After everything I've been through with Lulu, I tend to agree with that statement. I recently ran into a woman with a little male Pom that was bald like Lulu. His only symptom was hair loss. His vet ruled out cushing' and hypothyroidism and ultimately diagnosed alopecia X. He told her that the problem was cosmetic and that dogs don't have a problem with vanity, people do.

    Dr. Feldman and Dr. Bruyette, two very well known experts, have differing opinions as to the most effective treatments. I would be very interested to hear Dr. Feldman's current take on Trilostane. His original take was that it was very good but stressed that it does have side effects, including making a lot of dogs addisonian. He admitted to preferring Lysodren because that's what he's prescribed for over 35 years but felt it was great that vets now had two very effective treatments available to them. Dr. Bruyette is sold on Trilostane and only uses Lysodren if absolutely necessary. In the lecture I listened to he admitted to using Lysodren only four or five times in a year or longer. That's a negligible amount considering the number of dogs he sees in a year...we are talking thousands.

    Dr. Feldman lectures his students that Anipryl, in capital letters, does not work for cushing's and refers students to the FDA website to read the studies for themselves to decide if they think it should have been approved by the FDA. Dr. Feldman doesn't think the FDA should have approved it. Dr. Bruyette, being the developer or Anipryl, admits it's limitations and prescribes it for dogs with mild symptoms and I believe those dogs whose owners cannot afford the testing. What are laymen like us to believe?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •