Introduction of myself and Piper

[LBOGGS20]

Hello, all! I haven’t been a member long but I’m almost positive that joining this group helped save my dog’s life after I read some posts so THANK YOU!

Piper was diagnosed with Cushing’s about a year ago and it has been a total and complete roller coaster. We’ve dealt with the bloated pit belly look, calcinosis cutis (worst case the vet has ever seen), lethargy, anorexia and so so so much more.

Last week, in pure desperation because I felt Piper was going to starve to death (she’s lost weight rapidly the past month) I found this forum and decided to take her down to 1:2 a dose in her meds and overnight she started wanting food again. I called her vet and asked if we could sit down, go over lab results, dose questions I had and the whole 9 yards.

Piper went in for bloodwork and since she was only getting half her medicine her levels had tanked. Because of this we discovered that she was adistonian which made everything make sense for the sudden change. Her levels had been PERFECT for months then BOOM. Had I not made the “doctor mom” decision to discontinue her Cushing’s meds until I could get her in there... I’m not sure how much longer she would have made it. We are now on steroids to fight Addison’s disease which piper converter to. It’s been a huge mess but I feel like we are going in the right direction. On the steroids I have a very hungry, playful and normal family member back in my life.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi and welcome to you and Piper!

OMGoodness! You and your precious girl have been through a lot lately and I am glad you took matters in your own hand to lower her dose. I also glad to read that she is now wanting to eat and on the road to her normal self. I do have some questions about her medical history and your answers will help us help you in a more efficient manner....so here are my questions! What tests were used to diagnose Piper's Cushing's and could you post those results? Could you also post her ACTH stimulation results? What symptoms did Piper display that lead to you or the vet to test for Cushing's? What medication was she prescribed for her Cushing's and what is the dose? Is she still taking the Cushing's medication? Were her electrolytes tested? What dose of steroid is she on and is the steroid prednisone? Does Piper have any other health issues, and if so, what medications are prescribed for them?

I'm sorry for all those questions but the more we know the better our feedback can be, please know we will help in any way we can, and don't hesitate to ask all the questions you want.

Hugs, Lori