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Thread: 10 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

  1. #1
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    Default 10 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    My five year old westie/pomerian mix was just diagnosed with Cushing Disease today. We switched vets and the new vet spotted it right away and tested him. His positive results came back today. He has all the symptoms except for the hair loss and skin irritation. He is a wonderful dog and we hope that now he has been diagnosed he will start feeling better soon. We will be using a medication to block the hormone production, I believe this is the trylostain, our vet is ordering it and it should be ready for us in a few days. We are very sad he has this, we just want him to feel better. After thinking back we believe it started about 2 years ago. I wish we had known sooner.
    Last edited by jetsdrog; 08-21-2014 at 10:40 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    Hi and welcome to you and your baby!

    First, take a deep breath - Cushing's is not a death sentence and many Cush pups live out their normal life span, and beyond, in relative good health, passing from things unrelated to Cushing's...like simple old age many times.

    There are three keys to success when dealing with Cushing's -

    1) a knowledgeable and diligent parent (that's you! )
    2) an experienced and Cushing's savvy vet who is willing to work with you as a team
    3) having a family by your side (that's us! )

    We will help you learn what you need in order to give your sweet baby the best chance possible and we will be by your side every step of the way. Ya'll are never alone on this journey.

    A good habit to develop right now is to get copies of all testing done from here on out and keep a file at home. You want copies of the actual test results, not the invoice saying what they did. This file will come in very handy in the years to come plus if your baby should ever need to see another vet, like on vacation or if you move, you will walk in the door with all the info in your hand. Plus it will help you answer all the question we ask! Yeah, questions. We do like to play 20 Questions with new folk so here we go -

    How old is your baby?

    How much does he weigh?

    Does he have any other health issues that you know of?

    Is he on any medication, herbs, supplements, etc?

    What test(s) were done to diagnose the Cushing's?

    Has an abdominal ultrasound been done? (If not, I strongly recommend one if at all possible before starting treatment)

    Were diabetes and hypothyroidism ruled out? (These are just two of the diseases that mimic Cushing's)

    Ok - that's enough to get us started.

    If you would get copies of the test(s) done so far and post the actual results here for us that will help us a great deal in helping you and your sweet boy. Be sure to include the little letters behind the numbers (ug/dl, mnol/l, etc) and any normal ranges given on your paperwork.

    I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more about you and your sweet boy as time goes by.
    Hugs,
    Leslie and the gang
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2014
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    Reno, NV
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    Thank you so much. my name is Jeanette and we live in Reno, NV. I think we found a really good vet. Our other dog (Rocky - Italian Greyhound) had gotten attacked about a month ago and we went to the animal hospital closest to our house because he needed attention fast. Dr. Cassie was on duty and she was awesome with him. She did an awesome job stitching him up and he hardly has a scar. Anyway we really liked her and Brady was due for his dental cleaning so we set up an appointment. She scheduled his pre-op blood work and asked if she could do an extended panel and a urinalysis. She suspected he had something going on so once we got the results back from that test she called and said he might have cushings and scheduled the all day test. Diabetes and hypothyroidism were ruled out. My apologies that I don't remember all the test names and what not. I will get the results and post numbers. Anyway I believe this was not a chance encounter meeting this vet, God was at work for sure. We asked why she thought our vet didn't pick up on this and she said this was the first time she saw him and had nothing to compare him to. And she suspected cushings as soon as she saw him.

    Here are the stats on Brady:
    1. 5 Years old
    2. Pomerian/Westie mix
    3. His current weight is 24.7 pounds (which is a lot for such a little guy)
    4. He has been diagnosed with Luxating Patellas and takes a maintenance dose of Glucosamine

    5. His Cushings symptons are:
    a. Hiding under the bed from 5:30 pm until morning
    b. Serious Weight gain
    c. Excessive Hunger
    d. Excessive drinking
    e. Excessive urinating
    f. Excessive panting
    g. Stopped jumping on furniture, up into the car, etc.
    h. Pot Belly
    i. Discolored dark skin lower extremities

    I will request his results and post them when I get them. He has not had an ultrasound yet. I will ask the vet about that.

    I am so glad for this site, thank you all for being here!
    Last edited by jetsdrog; 08-22-2014 at 11:27 AM.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    Hello and welcome, those do sound like cushing symptoms. Leslie has asked some good questions and it always helps to see the lab results.

    I will just add that the starting dose for trilostane should be around 1mg/1lb. The insert on the medication says a higher dosage, but that has never been changed and the experts are now recommended that for safety it is best to start low and go up if needed, rather than starting high. Every dog is different and you don't know for sure how any one will react to any medication.

    Welcome to the forum
    Sharlene and molly muffin
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  5. #5
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    Can you please let me know why an ultrasound is needed? What exactly would it be looking for?

    Thank you,

  6. #6
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    An ultrasound can go a long way toward determining and confirming whether it is pituitary or adrenal based Cushing's. Also, problems with an organ like the spleen, say a tumor on that organ, can cause false-positives on ALL the Cushing's tests so an US is one of the best all around tests to have in the diagnostic phase in my book. Of course, one saved my dog's life by finding a tumor that was causing her cortisol to be elevated - meaning she did not have Cushing's at that point ( 5 false-positive tests!) and treating a disease that did not exist could have put her life at further risk on top of the tumor we wouldn't have known about without the US.
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    I have Brady's results, he is starting the trilostane today. His vet is starting him at 10mg. He will have another blood test done 2 weeks from today. Hopefully the med helps him and he doesn't have any adverse reactions.

    Blood Panel - 8/15/14 (Only abnormal readings listed)
    Alk Phoshatase 330 (High) Normal 5-131
    Platelet Count 587 (High) Normal 170-400

    Urinalysis - 8/15/14 (Only abnormal readings listed)
    Specific Gravity 1.013 (Low) Normal 1.015-1.050
    Occult Blood 1+ (High) Normal negative
    RBC 4-10 (High) Normal 0-3

    Blood Test - 8/20/14
    Cortisol sample 1 11.4 (High) Normal 1.0-5.0
    Cortisol sample 2 Dex 4.7 (High) Normal 0.0-1.4
    Cortisol sample 3 Dex 5.7 (High) Normal 0.0-1.4
    Last edited by jetsdrog; 08-27-2014 at 08:36 AM.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    With these test results and along with Brady's symptoms it sure sounds like Cushing's to me. I am glad to see that the vet is starting him at 10 mg, for Brady's weight of 24.7 lbs the 10 mg of Trilostane is a very good place to begin treatment.

    Just to clarify for me, Brady's next ACTH stimulation test is already scheduled in two weeks? Also has the vet mentioned that Brady has to have the Trilostane with food and that the ACTH stimulation test needs to be done 4-6 hours after the dose of Trilostane is given?

    Here's a link with this information and more: Trilostane/Vetoryl Information and Resources

    Hugs, Lori

  9. #9
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    Yes I am giving him the trylostane with his breakfast in the morning. We have already scheduled his test for 2 weeks. She talked to me to about the med schedule to make sure I am giving it in the morning so she can do the test within the proper time frame. He did very well on the med today, no adverse side affects. I hope it stays like that.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: 5 Year old Westie/Pomerian Mix Diagnosed with Cushing

    He should do very well starting at that dose. His picture is very cute. Those ears just make him look interested in everything going on around him.

    Sharlene and molly muffin
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

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