Duffy - Cushing Testing

[ls1012]

Hi LuLu's Mom,

Thank you so much for answering my questions! I do not know the meaning of measuring the water intake. It is what my "new" Vet asked me to do and he is away until Monday so I can't even ask him. I have a feeling he will not be my "new" Vet for long as he told me he had great news for me when Duffy tested positive for Cushing's which was a bizarre statement to me! He thought it was great news as he said it explained the ALKP. Which as you pointed out we do not know for sure as so many things are going on right now! I believe he just did not want to be bothered getting in to it any further and it was an easy solution to the ALKP problem too..... I have already cancelled my follow-up appointment with him next week and I will take him to the Medical Center and if we need anything in between will take him to VCA Emergency where my Internal Medicine Vet Specialist is who is wonderful but only does tests and procedures.....she is who diagnosed the Partial Laryngeal Paralysis after I brought her a video of him coughing after barking. She did a scope and at the same time she did a Liver Biopsy. She also diagnosed the IBD. I believe IBD can raise Liver Enzymes also. I so wish she practiced general medicine as she is wonderful.

I did read that Metronidazole that Duffy was on for the diarrhea can affect the liver so I am wondering if that made the ALKP go up as it was never even close to that high before (never higher than 400 before).... The ALT was always high but fluctuates up and down.

Duffy was on Denamarin but was taken off and put on Standard Process Hepato Support which I temporarily stopped due to the IBD flare up and also TruBenefits Hepato Support which he is still getting as that helps bring the enzymes down. The Internal Medicine Specialist Vet who diagnosed the IBD believes his IBD is food related as she she sees it a lot in Havanese and it is usually related to Food Sensitivities so we are doing the Hills Z/D prescription dog food test. It cleared the diarrhea right up and it is now 5 weeks later and he is still good so I am currently trying to get him off of the Z/D with "Wellness Simple" if he can tolerate it. It has only been 3 days of mixing the food together but so far so good. I am not a big fan of Hills prescription Z/D but if he has to stay on it so be it! However, I am going to at least try what I have researched........

I will keep you posted to anything new and I will definitely keep you posted as to what the specialist at the Animal Medical Center has to say. I am very grateful I purchased Insurance for him as a puppy. With the amazing Medical Advances for dogs I would never be without it again. I honestly don't know what i would have done without it the last few years.

Thanks Again!
Lynn & Duffy

[Squirt's Mom]

Here is a link to keep up with water intake, which simply means how much water a dog is drinking over a 24-hour period.

https://www.k9cushings.com/forum/sho...s-Water-Intake

I understand what your vet was saying when he said it was good luck to find Cushing's....MANY things are MUCH worse than Cushing's. I work with special needs and hospice dogs in rescue and have had several special needs babies of my own and I can tell you without blinking an eye that I wished a million times several of them only had Cushing's to deal with. Cushing's is a condition that can be treated and the pup live out their normal life-span, even beyond because of the excellent care we give them. So many things cannot be treated or not easily treated and leave the dog with a much shortened life full of pain and loss of joy regardless of our best efforts and the best efforts of their vets. For the majority of cush pups that is simply not the case. So as strange as it may seem, yes, a Cushing's diagnosis can be good news.

[ls1012]

Thanks! Your response is much appreciated. I understand the comment better now. He does have several other health issues so I will still keep my appointment with the Internal Medical Vet in NYC at the Animal Medical Center for a 2nd opinion since all three of the Cushing's Tests had different results...... Maybe he will want to test something else, or one of them over, or go with the LDDS test. We shall see.....

I will read the link you sent me! Your help is appreciated!

Thanks!
Lynn