Daisy - 6yo labrador diagnosed with Cushings (Daisy has passed )

[arentspowell]

Nope, no skin scraping. Would he be able to diagnose it for sure that way? And if we are able to confirm its CC, is there anything to treat with other than continue the Vetoryl?

[lulusmom]

A punch biopsy must be done to diagnose calcinosis cutis (cc). I believe Sharlene may have mentioned a skin scraping to rule out mites instead of diagnosing cc. As far as treatments, I've never gotten the impression that there are any drugs or topicals that are that effective but some may help Daisy. I've included a link below to a short article that mentions all of the treatments I've been exposed to through our members.

http://www.nevetdermatology.com/calc...cutis-in-dogs/

[arentspowell]

Thanks for the link, that was very helpful. I guess for now we'll keep with the 2x week bathing and see how it goes.

Chest X-ray is today at 4:30. Will post the result as soon as I have them.

[dsbailey]

That's a lot of baths. Maybe throw on some "Mane and Tail" during the rinse cycle. You can buy it at Walmart but purchase it in the pet section and not the human section because the cost is way more for way less.

Darrell and Lo

[molly muffin]

Yes, mites, mange, different thing but for definitive cc you need the punch biopsy.

See how things go with the bathing and if it isn't working then you may want to consider the other tests to find out exactly what it is.

[labblab]

Skin scraping or skin cell collection can also be used to diagnose infections, as well. So even though it cannot diagnose CC, it is a simple procedure that can rule out other issues.

Marianne

[arentspowell]

Good to know that a skin scraping can confirm it. It hasn't reached the point where it's worrying us too much so we are going to hold off on any testing and just wait and see what happens as the cortisol levels get under control with the Vetoryl.

Between the medication, ATCH testing, ultrasound, x-Ray, and office visits every time something doesn't seem right we've spent a small fortune already. We had pet insurance on Daisy through Petplan but my stubborn husband cancelled it when the premium rose. Back then all we were worried about were orthopedic issues and he thought we were in the clear. I still have pet insurance on our mini dachshund and I'll never cancel it after this experience with Daisy.

[arentspowell]

Well looks like we're going back to the vet today. Irritation on the back has gotten worse and is starting to look more and more like CC. Ugh I was hoping it would not rear its ugly head on us.

The chest X-ray last week came back clear. The vet told us she was the easy dog he's ever x-rated. My sweet girl, seems like we can't catch a break around here. I really hope we don't have to shave her down

[arentspowell]

Vet had to shave her down. He's saying he doesn't think it's CC and that its most likely a bad bacterial infection because she's immuno-compromised due to the Cushing's. He gave us antibiotics, an antibacterial spray, and a different shampoo to bathe her with 3x a week. He's not sure if it's contagious at this point so he wants us to be careful about our other dog.

Thoughts?

[Budsters Mom]

Did the vet do any kind of testing, such as a biopsy or skin scraping to figure out exactly what kind of infection (or ?)you are dealing with? Certain antibiotics tend to work better on specific types of infections. There is a large area affected. Seeing a veterinary dematologist would probably be my next step. Shaving down is not a bad thing. It helps to keep the wound cleaner and makes it easier to monitor progress in either direction.

Kathy

Vet had to shave her down. He's saying he doesn't think it's CC and that its most likely a bad bacterial infection because she's immuno-compromised due to the Cushing's. He gave us antibiotics, an antibacterial spray, and a different shampoo to bathe her with 3x a week. He's not sure if it's contagious at this point so he wants us to be careful about our other dog.