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.