Re: 11 y.o. Black Min. Schnauzer, GRETEL, not diagnosed yet - Gabapentin
Hi and welcome to you and Gretel!
It is possible that the Gabapentin is causing the panting from anxiety or pain but I would want her vet to check her out to be sure this isn't an allergic reaction. Gabapentin can make humans feel a bit drunk when they first start taking it so that may be something that is happening too. But I would talk to her vet just to be sure.
If you could get copies of the tests done so far and share those abnormal results here that will help us give you more meaningful feedback. Be sure to get copies of the Cushing's testing too as those results will be important. Those tests are likely to be the LDDS and/or ACTH and/or abdominal ultrasound. The LDDS and ACTH are both blood tests. The LDDS takes all day, the ACTH takes about 1-2 hours. Most pups do not need sedation for the ultrasound and it is non-invasive but gives a great deal of information and can help determine which form of Cushing's is in play - pituitary or adrenal or a combination.
Does your baby have any other health issues? Is she taking any medications?
Just so you know what the signs of Cushing's are, here is a list of the most common signs.
*increased/excessive water consumption (polydipsia)
*increased/excessive urination (polyuria)
*urinary accidents in previously housetrained dogs
*increased/excessive appetite (polyphagia)
*sagging, bloated, pot-bellied appearance
*weight gain or its appearance, due to fat redistribution
*loss of muscle mass, giving the appearance of weight loss
*bony, skull-like appearance of head
*exercise intolerance, lethargy, general or hind-leg weakness
*excess panting
*seeking cool surfaces to rest on
*symmetrically thinning hair or baldness (alopecia) on torso
*other coat changes like dullness, dryness
*slow regrowth and/or failure to regrow of hair after clipping/shaving
*thin, wrinkled, fragile, and/or darkly pigmented skin
*thin, crepey, easily damaged skin that heals slowly
*dark, bruised looking skin
*hard, calcified lumps in the skin (calcinosis cutis)
*susceptibility to infections (especially skin and urinary)
*diabetes, pancreatitis, seizures
I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more as time passes!
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.