14 yr old dies two days after ACTH - Tia and Tippi have both passed

[gatorgirl_bama]

Hi, I'm Donna. I got my first shih tzu, Tippi, November 29, 1997. I bought her from a breeder in Mississippi (shame on me and I know this now) and was told she was 8 weeks old. When I received her AKC Registration paperwork, the birth date was October 31, 1997. That would have made her 29 days old when I got her. None the less, she has been "our child" for almost 16 years. My husband, children and I could not love her more. She has had bladder stone surgery twice, tendon surgery on her front left paw (sliced it open on a broken bottle at the neighbors house) and surgery on her back left leg (jumped off the bed wrong). We have spent countless dollars on this baby and would do all over again if needed.

She had her first and only litter, five girls, on April 7, 1999. AKC registered litter. It was a hard delivery and I had to help her get each baby out of their birth sack. I had her fixed after this. She was a great mom and the babies were beautiful and healthy. Well, as great a mom as she was, she kept taking one puppy away from the litter and putting her under my bed. This happened several times so I moved her and the babies into my bathroom. She moved the same puppy away again several times. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the baby so I started bottle feeding her and got her fat and happy. My mother-in-law took two babies when they were about five weeks old and Tippi started feeding the other puppy. I named her Tia. Two friends took the other two puppies at 8 weeks. I kept Tia, the reason for this post.

Tia was absolutely beautiful. I always said she should have been a show baby (AKC Dog Shows!) because she had the face of an angel and I told her so! The face of an angel…

Monday, September 13, 2010, I took them both in to have their bloodwork for their annual dental cleaning. The next morning I dropped them off at the vet’s office and went back home. Within a couple hours the vet called and said we have a problem with Tia’s bloodwork. I said no, you mean Tippi. He again said Tia and I said NO, Tippi has always been the sick one, Tia has NEVER been sick a day in her life. When he finally convinced me that Tia was indeed sick, I fell apart. Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia. She was put on medication and monitored with follow-up bloodwork. I researched and read everything I could and I cried a thousand tears.

Last Christmas she got a cough that wouldn’t go away. I called and they said it was kennel cough, but didn’t want me to bring her in. I picked up her medication and gave it to her as prescribed. The cough didn’t go away so he gave her another round of antibiotics. Still they didn’t see her in the office and the cough got worse and she began to pant really bad. I contacted another vet and made an appointment. They examined Tia and took x-rays, enlarged heart with fluid around it. She was put on medication and she started getting better. Two months ago the cough was back so I took her in for a checkup. They changed her meds and told me they suspected she had cushing disease and set up an appointment for her to be tested. Again, I researched and read everything I could about Cushings Disease. I said, ok, no cure but can be managed with medication. We can do this. Friday, August 9, 2013, I took her to the office and left her to be tested and went back that afternoon to get her. Tia’s vet was out of town, which I didn’t know, so the other vet in the office came out to talk to me. She said it was Cushings and a bad case at that. They said they ordered her prescription from a compounding pharmacy and would call me when it came in. The next day she was panting more than usual. I tried to keep her calm and gave her lots of water.

Sunday, I called the office and the second vet said to bring her in. She died on the way to the office. We buried her, but I am at a loss for words (doesn’t look like it, but I am). Monday her vet called me to discuss the results of the test and “our plan” for Tia. HELLO? Did the second vet not even tell Tia’s vet what had happened…no. I had to tell her. She said it sounded like a blood clot. I just don’t understand how Tia could be fine Friday and dead Sunday. I mean I know she was sick but, I never imagined she would die that soon…

Help me understand this, please.

[mcdavis]

I'm no expert on Cushings so I can't really help with understanding, however I did want to tell you how very sorry I am that you have lost your little angel.

[Roxee's Dad]

Oh my goodness, I am so very sorry

I don't think we will ever know what really happened. Could it have been a reaction to the ACTH stimulant test? A blood clot would seem unusual as there was no surgery, but then I don't know how one could be sure.

Rest in peace sweet Tia.....

[addy]

I am so sorry. Please accept my sincere condolences. I'm not sure what it would mean for a vet to say "a bad case of Cushings" unless Tia's cortisol was sky high on the ACTH test.

I dont know if we can know what caused such a sudden death. Maybe it was her heart, another organ failed, I think we would never know.

It hurts so to lose our pups and then to have it happen so suddenly after she had just been to the vet's, goodness, that is so darn hard to wrap your head around and I am so very sorry you have to go through this.

[Budsters Mom]

I am very sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you! We don't always know what causes these babies to die suddenly. Tia knows how much she is loved and have joined our other fur babies over the rainbow bridge. Run free sweet Tia, run free!

[scoora]

I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet girl Tia.
I know how you are feeling. It is so heartbreaking.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[doxiesrock912]

I am so sorry about your loss of Tia.
Panting is indeed a symptom associated with heart trouble.

Despite having Tia treated for the fluid issue, I'm going to guess that this was a symptom of something to do with her heart and that it may have happened again.

My best friend recently went through this with her Pekingese, Gidgit. Sadly, Gidgit passed away quickly as well.

[molly muffin]

Oh my gosh, my sincerest condolences.

It does sound like there was something else going on than cushings and I'm like Addy in that I don't know what they mean by a "bad case" of cushings. The only way that would be is if she had it for a very long time and if her organs were all affected and, you would have known if that was the case as you would have had lots of water drinking and peeing and ravenous hunger. No this sounds like something else, maybe her heart, but there is no way to know for sure.

I know that your heart is breaking for Tia. Just remember how much she is loved now and forever and she'll live on in your hearts.

Again, I am so sorry.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly muffin

[goldengirl88]

I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet Tia. Another member of our group has a baby named Tia who also crossed the bridge. I just wanted to comment on the coughing situation. You dog may have had Cushings for sometime and you were unaware. The coughing coming from a heart problem, could have been caused by the Cushings as it affects the organs and muscles and your heart is a muscle. My dog develop a heart murmur that she never had before also. It was caught early thank God. It could have been organ failure or it could have been a clot. Cushings dogs can develop clots, some are very tiny in the lungs. I hope you are surrounded by your family and that you have a support system to get thru this. God Bless you and Tia. Your other babies name is Tippi well my dog is Tipper- small world. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Dear Donna,

I know your heart is just shattered. We are never ready to lose a baby and when it happens like this, it is just that much more difficult to deal with. Like others have said, I do not believe this was Cushing's related nor do I understand what a "bad case" of Cushing's would be in your vet's mind. A "bad case" would have sent a good parent like you running to their office to find out why Tia looked so old, was peeing and drinking every 10 minutes, eating everything under the sun, panting like crazy, had a big pot belly, no energy, lameness in the back legs and massive hair loss on her back end. Cushing's just doesn't get "bad" without very obvious signs.

Another thought is the AIHA is sometimes treated with corticosteroids which would cause a form of Cushing's called Iatrogenic, which is cured by weaning the pup off the steroids and does not require treatment beyond that. This could be why your vet thought Tia had Cushing's - because the drug would have caused her to have the same signs and test positive even tho it wasn't true Cushing's but due to the steroids. Your vet should have been aware of this if Tia was on corticosteroids for the AIHA. It may be that she could not do without them.

When your heart is up to it and if you would like, you can post the test results and her medical history here and we will try to help you decipher what may, may, have happened. We are not vets and without a necropsy (animal autopsy) you may never really know the answer but we can help you look at things if that would help you. I doubt it was the result of anything in the Cushing's test though if her heart was already weak and compromised, the stress may have been too much if she was one who didn't handle vet visits well. If she had a clot, the increased heart rate may have caused it to break loose. But this is all speculation on my part.

For now, let us hold you in our arms and let our tears fall with yours for the loss of your sweet baby girl. I have no doubt that she left this old Earth on the wings of your love and that she is looking down on you with all that love held tightly in her heart to be given back to you each and every day until you once again hold her in your arms. Please feel free to share your life with Tia in the In Loving Memory section where you can start a tribute thread in her name. Even tho we joined you at the conclusion of your journey, Tia will be remembered and honored here as part of our family always. We are here for you anytime you wish to talk, to vent, to cry - we understand the pain you are feeling today and will help you bear that pain if possible.

Our deepest sympathies,
Leslie, Squirt, Trinket, Brick, Sophie, and our Angels, Ruby, Crystal, Tasha, and Josie

I ONLY WANTED YOU

They say memories are golden
well maybe that is true
I never wanted memories,
I only wanted you.

A million times I needed you,
a million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you
you never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place
no one could ever fill.

If tears could build a stairway
and heartache make a lane,
I'd walk the path to heaven
and bring you back again.

Our family chain is broken,
and nothing seems the same.
But as God calls us one by one,
the chain will link again.

--- Anonymous ---