Hi our Brindle Boston Terrier Maximus is approximately 9 yrs old (Rescue Dog). He is my husband's best friend, and my little man! Our Cushings journey has been a jumble of confusion and I dont feel like I understand nearly enough of what's going on....
Over the past two years Maximus started staring off into nothingness, and we had an increasingly hard time snapping him out of it. He became increasingly lethargic and spent more time sleeping then not, and there was weight gain. His vet suggested a change in food. I thought maybe a new pup was in order to help keep him more active, and so he got a new sister. His symptoms progressed never the less, heavey drinking, swollen abdomen, panting, endless hunger, patchy hair...ect. Upon his regular vet visit last November it was strongly suggested that we have him tested, and we did so. They suggested that we skip his regular shots while investigating.
Now here is where I see all of you guys talking about result values, testing and more, but quite frankly I dont know any of that....our vet seems knowledgeable and has taken over Maxi's care at the clinic, but she talks fast and rattles off test results in abreviations and numbers and I'm lost...none of it means much to me, and I want to change that.
After Maxi's diagnosis, we were sent out of town for an ultrasound (we live in a small center). That showed a growth on each pituitary gland, an enlarged liver, and inflamed bowel. After all testing was complete he was perscribed trilostane 30 mg once daily, this was in January. In March we followed up with blood work, were I was told that his levels seemed to be ok and we would continue with the treatment. We were still very concerned with Maxi's episodes of spacing out, and were asked to switch his food to a RX Hills Science Diet Brain Development blend which we ofcourse did. During that visit we were told there was no real way to tell how Maxi would progress, but that we should be prepared to lose him. Our vet warned that with his immune system being affected and him not being immunized, that we should limit his interaction with other dogs. Regular testing was recommended every 3-6 months.
Our decision was to make Maxi's remaining time the best it could be! That means we ARE taking him camping and giving him lots of interaction with his furry buddies (all who are regularly immunized), he gets walks as long as he is up for, and lots of off leash exploration time! This is Maxi's Summer!
The treatment was making him more lucid, but doesn't seem to be as beneficial lately...he is suffering from chronic diarrhea now, his back has sunken, and his skin is awful. We brought him back last week with these concerns, and he was given extensive blood work. The vet called me Friday and he is now on a course of 2 antibiotics, Metronidazole and Amoxicillin. Also he has had FortiFlora powder and Omega 3 added to his diet. She said that his cortisol levels were stable, but his liver enzymes were elevated, and we would know more in the coming week when further results come in....
What should I be doing to help my little man?