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Thread: Nightime Panting and accidents

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
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    19

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    I was able to check online and her pre test result was 1.6 ug/dl and her post test result was 1.8 ug/dl. She has been on a dose of 60 mg twice a day and he said to lower it to a dose of 60 mg and a dose of 30 mg each day. They did not check the potassium and sodium levels.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Thanks so much for getting back so quickly with that info! OK, so Rosie’s level did not fall below Dechra’s base therapeutic range of 1.45 ug/dL. But yes, her cortisol level was definitely low enough to justify a dosing decrease. Hopefully, this will do the trick for her, and she’ll soon show more improvement. If not, you still may want to consider a basic blood chemistry panel in order to see whether there’s anything obviously amiss there.

    Please do keep us updated, though. I cannot improve upon Leslie’s thoughtful earlier reply, and I surely do understand how the issues of old age and illness can become intertwined and so difficult to unravel. We are always here for you as a sounding board and a support.

    Take care, and please give Rosie some big pats from her family here.
    Marianne

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    rural central ARK
    Posts
    14,549

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    If Rosie were mine, based on those ACTH results I would give a her break from the Vetoryl then restart on the lower dose. Sometimes even tho the numbers aren't in the actual danger zone according to the papers, it is in the danger zone for THAT dog. So while 1.8 ug/dl isn't technically too low it may well be too low for Rosie and making her feel pretty bad. So I would give her adrenal glands a chance to rebound a bit then start the lower dose. If the electrolytes are out of whack that will really make her wobbly and feel just awful. Completely stopping the med for a bit should allow the electrolytes to stabilize too. I would watch for an increase in appetite and thirst then put her on the 30 mg.

    I did a quick scan of Rosie's thread here and didn't see where you have told us her weight. It was a quick scan tho and I may have missed it. But looking at her pic I am thinking she is a medium to medium large dog. If that is the case then even the 30mg may be too much for her. Recent studies have shown that larger dogs need a much much smaller dose that originally thought - 0.5mg per pound VS the 1-3mg per pound stated in the literature. So if she continues to have issues on the 30mg I would ask for an even lower dose...something like 15mg to start.

    Please stay in touch and let us know how your sweet girl is doing.
    Hugs,
    Leslie
    "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.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Thanks for your suggestions. I haven't weighed her recently but her weight has usually been just under 60 lb. Lately however I think she has lost some weight since she hasn't been eating as much. She has always been a very picky eater since I adopted her. It is frustrating, especially early in the day, to get her to eat something since I know the vetoryl should be taken with food. I've tried adding some cooked rice and chicken and other meal mixers but she will just look at it. The vet office suggested adding some meat flavored baby food which she seems to like but it doesn't always work (and those little jars are expensive!) Any suggestions?

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Hi again from me! If Rosie’s appetite remains “off,” I can’t argue with Leslie’s recommendation that you stop giving the Vetoryl entirely for at least a couple of days as an experiment to see whether her appetite improves. I know you said she’s always been picky, but this is perhaps being made even worse by a cortisol level that’s running too low for her comfort. I don’t want to encourage folks to make medication changes without notifying their vets, so if it was me, I’d call the vet to discuss with him/her what I was doing. But I don’t see how temporarily withholding the Vetoryl will cause any great harm, and it may help you determine whether or not it’s playing any role in the appetite suppression.

    In the meantime, a couple of suggestions that I’ve seen offered by our members is to add some “fishy” water from a can of tuna to Rosie’s food, or try shaking some Parmesan cheese over it. It seems as though adding something with a strong smell may help entice picky dogs. I don’t know why they like this and it’s not smelly, but my dogs have been eager to eat some scrambled egg when I’ve added it to their food when their appetites have been wonky. Hopefully other folks will be by with even better suggestions, too.

    Marianne

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Thanks....I'll try some of those things. The first thing she does is smell the food so I think something smelly might get her more interested in eating. I really don't think the vetoryl is causing her eating problems since it has been an issue for years. She didn't eat anything at all for the first week after I adopted her! She's a very nervous dog and it affects her eating. She lived outside by a freeway offramp for a year before she was rescued.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Omigosh, the poor baby :-(((((. Bless you for rescuing her!!!

    OK, I understand things better now. And hopefully adding something smelly will be more likely to tempt her.

    Good luck, and do let us know.

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Thanks again for all of the suggestions. I've tried shaking the parmesan cheese over her food and she seems to like that. I talked to the vet and he decided to do a blood test to see if anything else was going on. The results were mostly pretty good but her thyroid was too high so we are lowering the amount of thyroid medication. Also, she has been on carprofen for pain and he said that could affect her tummy so he's switching her to a different medication that is easier on the stomach. Hopefully all of these things are going to help with the digestive issues. She does need to gain some weight....she's only at 51 lbs. right now.

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    19

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    Update on Rosie....The changes in her medications have made a big difference in her appetite and I believe she is gaining some weight. However she continues to drink and pant excessively. I'm not sure if this is due to her cushings or her anxiety issues. At night her panting and pacing wakes me up several times. I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to calm her at night. Thanks!

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    rural central ARK
    Posts
    14,549

    Default Re: Cost of treatment

    I'm glad to hear she's gaining some weight and eating better! Do you have the results of the latest ACTH or PVC monitoring test? That might explain the continuing panting and restlessness.
    "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.

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