Lena, Teacup Poodle w/ adrenal tumor - Lena is now an angel

[molly muffin]

You can see if she responds first to the medication. But it wouldn't hurt to have a name or even a consult written out (however your vet does it) in case you need it later. I would probably try meds first if it where me. If it starts to look worse though what did your vet say to do? Also care credit is a good resource for the next unexpected emergency.

[molly muffin]

That is a good thought too Judy. Is there a t4 test in any of lenas labs for instance?

[Joan2517]

You can see if she responds first to the medication. But it wouldn't hurt to have a name or even a consult written out (however your vet does it) in case you need it later. I would probably try meds first if it where me. If it starts to look worse though what did your vet say to do? Also care credit is a good resource for the next unexpected emergency.

She said if it should look like it's getting bigger to bring her back in.

[Joan2517]

That is a good thought too Judy. Is there a t4 test in any of lenas labs for instance?

Would they have done that in the blood work that began all of this? The one that was so bad? I'll have to ask them to fax me that one tomorrow.

Jeez, I was feeling better, but now I'm starting to worry again.

[molly muffin]

Thyroid is treatable. Not every test will include thyroid but some do. these are Just ideas that we are talking about. The meds are probably going to work though. Gads I had to put Molly on antibiotics, stop the trilostane add in pumpkin when she got a gastro upset that was awful and lasted weeks. She lost weight and I thought I'd lose my mind from worrying. I was never alone though. I had our k9cushingd family. She did get better. She is a diva and a brat and a love muffin all at the same time and here we are still carrying on.
Lena will be alright too. Just a bump on the road this eye thing.

[Joan2517]

Okay, thanks Sharlene...it seems that ever time I start to relax, another thing happens. It's hard to believe that a few months ago, she was a happy little ruler! Now even the cat isn't afraid of her.

I'll get the blood work today. I'm also going to ask for the blood work they did the morning of the dental work...I think that the dental work was the catalyst. Within two weeks, everything got bad. She also had blood done sometime over the summer or in the spring, I'll get that too.

Thyroid....My husband and I both had Thyroid cancer, and we had a Saluki who died of canine lymphoma.....

[labblab]

Good morning, Joan! Two thoughts to throw out to you. First, if hypothyroidism is causing the issue, I would think both eyes would be bulging and not just one. It seems to me that your vet's explanation (infection) is more plausible since only one eye is involved.

Secondly, don't panic if you discover that Lena did exhibit low or low-normal T4 levels on past tests. It is not at all uncommon for that to be the case with Cushpups. Cushing's itself can induce abnormal thyroid readings, and once cortisol levels are stabilized, the thyroid readings often do, too. For this reason, many vets do not immediately treat low thyroid in dogs when they are first diagnosed with Cushing's; they wait a bit to see whether the thyroid remains a problem. Some dogs do suffer from genuine hypothyroidism in addition to Cushing's, but if that is the case, the problem can be easily remedied with oral supplementation. So try not to stress too much over the thyroid results.

Turning back to Lena's eye, does it bulge so much that the eyelid is not able to close properly? If so, then I would think that would be cause for immediate consultation with a specialist. If the lid is OK, then trying the antibiotic for a week makes sense. But if the eye remains enlarged and even if it hasn't gotten worse, I agree with Sharlene and I'd want to head directly to a specialist at that point so as to get an expert opinion as to what is going on. For instance, from the little bit I just now read, if the eyeball has actually gotten pushed out of the eye socket somehow, you want to get it repositioned sooner rather than later.

Marianne

[Joan2517]

Thanks, Marianne...no, her eyelid closes fine...I'll give the antibiotics a couple of days and see what happens.

[Joan2517]

I received the blood work from one in May of 2015 and the one from 12/5 which started the search for Cushing's, but there is so much on them. On the one from the 5th, there are so many HIGH's. I tried scanning and loading into the album but that won't work.

What are the most important parts that you need, from the bad one and the one in May) because it is going to take me a while to type them in.

There is also an in-house blood workup for her dental work day
(11/16) , and a urine analysis from the day of her ultrasound
(12/7).

[molly muffin]

High and lows that are outside the normal range.
So, for example:

05/2015
ALKP 450 ug (range 50 - 150)
ALT 120 ug (range 25 - 75)
and so on.

05/2015
Urinalysis - specific gravity 1.020
protein +2

Does that makes sense?

What you are doing, is creating in One place, a list of the things on tests that where not within range, to which you add for each test and then can go back and look and compare them at any given time and those who see tests all the time, might spot something to mention to you.