Rosie has pituitary Cushing's — Rosie has crossed Rainbow Bridge

[FemaleK9]

I haven't posted an update in a while, so here goes!

Rosie continues to do well with the Cushings, still at the initial dosage after two years plus and with her symptoms well controlled. Her next ACTH is scheduled for Dec 11.

However, Rosie's fears have become much worse over time, not better. Anything associated with t-storms is a trigger. Wind, rain, darkness, change in barometric pressure. Since the last spell of repeated t-storms a few of weeks ago when the hot weather ended, she has come to panic every night at bedtime. The anxiety begins at nightfall, then blossoms into full blown panic when I go to bed. I was concerned about giving her so much of the acepromazine, so googled to learn more about it, and what I found concerned me deeply.

Rather than explaining it myself, I thought it would be better to give you the links so you could check it out:

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/storm-phobias

http://www.rileysplace.org/dogblog/w...-or-fireworks/

The progression of Rosie's anxiety and panic problem certainly seems to bear out the warnings, and I feel so bad for what I have unwittingly done to my poor girl.

I voiced my concerns (including the above links) in an email to my vet, Dr Meenan, and she called to say she agrees that we should stop the ace, and just today she gave me a prescription for Trazodone that I had filled by my (human) pharmacy. Rosie will be on this all the time, not just "as needed" because it apparently needs to build up over time to be most effective, and since Rosie's triggers have become so numerous and ubiquitous (it gets dark every night!).

Naturally, I googled Trazodone, too, and what I read reassures me that we're on the right track, but I was wondering if anyone here has had experience with it and with what results?

As for me, I'm doing very well after my hip replacement. Getting back into top dog walking shape is taking longer than I expected, both as to general physical recovery from such surgery and regaining strength and endurance lost during the period when my hip had deteriorated to the point that I was pretty much too crippled to do any meaningful exercise for so long. My first walk barely made it to the corner before I had to turn around and go back home, hurting and exhausted! But I have kept at it and go a certain distance only for a while before increasing it a bit and in this way I'm slowly going farther and farther.

I even took Rosie to the park a week or so ago when we had some fine weather, and Rosie was thrilled. She even got a bit puppyish and "rabbit ran" a couple of times, as well as she could on a leash. Not bad for a 13 year old! I haven't dared go into the woods yet, but I'm hoping maybe in the Spring. I used to let her off the leash in the woods in the park, even though you're not supposed to, because she was so full of joy and just poetry in motion when she was in the woods.

I am now officially a Senior Citizen. About that, all I can say is: it beats the alternative. Mom turned 91 last week. She has been in and out of the hospital, and then in a rehab facility. She's doing much better, and will be coming home 10/22 God willing, but she is going to need a lot more care at home than she has needed up until now, and I'm so glad I had the hip taken care of when I did so that I'm well recovered and able to keep my promise to her that I will do what is necessary to make it possible for her to stay at home, which is what she most definitely wants.

Sorry for the long post, I thought I was going to make just a brief update, but ended up pouring my heart out!

[Harley PoMMom]

My boy, Harley, was really frightened of loud noises especially thunder storms. When he started taking the melatonin it helped a lot. He weighed around 22 lbs and took a 3 mg capsule twice a day. What is important with this medication is that the regular kind of melatonin is used, not a fast-acting or rapid releasing type.

Glad to hear that the hip replacement surgery went well!! Sorry that your mom has been in and out of the hospital

Keep us updated, and take care of yourself.

Hugs, Lori

[judymaggie]

Hi, Karen! Thanks for Rosie's update although sorry to read that her fears have increased. My Abbie has thunderstorm anxiety which has also carried over to strong rain and wind. I have been able to make her pretty comfortable with melatonin and a Thundershirt. Both work better if I know a storm is coming and use them before it actually arrives.

So glad that your recovery has gone well -- a big ar-o-o-o to you and Rosie!

[Squirt's Mom]

The TTouch Body Wrap helped Squirt more than the Thundershirt. Here is a link on that - http://www.oocities.org/foxterrier_rescue/wrap.html

Some videos on the wrap -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WealtLluDcQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WealtLluDcQ

The fear of thunderstorms hit my Squirt in her later years after our camper was struck by lightening while she was in it all alone. We used the body wrap, the Thundershirt, melatonin, Valium (tho that quickly turned on her and made her more nervous), and a variety of herbal teas. The wrap, melatonin and herbal teas helped the most.

[FemaleK9]

I have tried melatonin, but it had no apparent effect for Rosie.

We have a Thundershirt, and it seems to help with daytime storms that aren't too severe, but for the really violent storms and any storm (or weather that Rosie associates with a storm) at night, it is useless.

Last night, our first night with the Trazadone, I had my first uninterrupted night's sleep in weeks, and slept until almost 2pm. But after waking up quite cheerful, having her breakfast and out, she seems to be very anxious and trembly about the grey, raw day and keeps casting worried glances at the windows. I hope her first of the two daily doses will kick in and soothe her soon.

[FemaleK9]

Poor Squirt! I suspect something similar happened to Rosie when she was a puppy. She was kept in a kennel with her mother, in the Adirondack Park. It was a cage of chicken wire, raised off the ground, and had a sort of wooden box at the back where they could go for warmth or to get out of the rain, but it must have seemed very flimsy protection in a thunderstorm. Rosie was born July 29, and thunderstorms are quite common here in August. Her mother may have passed on her own fear to her puppies, if they weren't scared out of their wits on their own. I got Rosie at 6 weeks old, September 13, if I remember correctly, and the fear was already there.

[molly muffin]

i do hope that the trazadone helps her. Molly freaks and shakes something awful during thunderstorms. We use the melatonine, it takes about 30 minutes it seems to kick in so I try to give it early if I know a thunderstorm is heading our way.

Glad you are doing better and recovered from the knee surgery. Hope your mom recovers from her problems too. So touch when you get older.

My sister was Thrilled when she became an official senior. I think it was all the discounts she could get for shopping. She was saying how she earned every single benefit for getting this far. I have to agree with her on that! LOL

[FemaleK9]

It was my hip, I'm glad to say. Glad because in general, knee joints are more complex, trickier to fix or replace, take even longer to recover from surgery, and the outcome is iffier than for hip replacement.

If there are benefits to being a Senior Citizen, I haven't really encountered them. Most things I have seen so far where a discount is offered can be found cheaper elsewhere without the discount.

Oh, lord, it's snowing here.

[molly muffin]

oh fudge right, hip, hmm, a couple have had knee surgery on here. sorry about that. LOL and see that is even after mentioning my sister, who also had the hip surgery!!!!

It snowed here yesterday but then it stopped, sun came out, melted, repeat throughout day till it finally gave up and stayed with the sun option. Our temps go back up tomorrow though so that is good. Not really ready for winter just yet!

[FemaleK9]

Yes, it cleared here, too, thank goodness.

So far, the Trazadone doesn't seem to be the "magic bullet" we would like. The nights have been better, I can't deny, but she seems more sleepy in the daytime and is displaying tremble-y signs of anxiety around the time of each dose, whether it's daylight or dark, and with no actual t-storms.

I so wish she could tell me what's going on in her mind!

I'm considering some things that the vet listed for me to think about trying.

One is a Thundershirt, which we have had for years and only works in the daytime for distant storms or storm-related weather.

The second is a Thunder Cap, from Thundershirt. I doubt Rosie would like it, she HATES the head collar I tried to keep her from pulling on the leash (now I just keep it in my pocket and threaten her with it if she starts dragging me down the street; it works like a charm).

The last is an ADAPTIL DAP Dog Appeasing Pheromone diffusor, which I think might be worth a try. It's also available in a collar, which might be better since it would work wherever Rosie goes in the house, not just in one room. But maybe the diffusor works better. Does anyone have any experience with these? Which works better?