Zoe By My Side- Our Journey with Cushings

[apollo6]

Dear Andy
Hope you all are doing okay. Having a senior moment, can't remember if I posted or not. Apollo is doing as well as can be. The weakness in the hind legs is very noticeable. I make him walk a little every day to keep up his strength. Just love the little guy so much.
When they look at you with those soulful eyes, my heart melts and I tell Apollo , we are not giving up and will keep on fighting.
Love Sonja and Apollo

[addy]

sorry, hit the button twice !!!!

see post below

addy

[addy]

yup, the eyes do it every time

Zoe is going for her heartworm test Saturday am, should have results Monday and start her back on Heartguard Plus at that time. That is what she had been on since I brought her home. I think the loose stool last year was unrelated, but if we see a problem we will switch. I could kick myself for letting that go, every week it is some crisis either with the dogs or someone in my family: Now I get to worry she has heartworm

I have upped her to 2 mgs of melatonin in the evening and she is moving slowly and seems like she gets winded faster. It has been very hot and humid so the ac is constantly on so it is quite a transition going outside. This process is so painfully slow with her.

We have not had to use metronidazole for even a maintenance dose for over a week and her poops are very firm. Sometimes I wonder if she is constipated here and there. That would be a NEW problem for us, never had to worry about that one.

I even cut back her probiotic to 3 x a week, once meal per day.

She has had no Shen Calmer for a few weeks now.

What has everyone using melatonin experienced? If she is this slow now what will it be like when she has it durring the day? Do you have to give it twice a day? What if she can't handle 3mgs? Do you have to give 3 mgs? I had hoped it would help her Estradiol. Look how high it was.

Estradiol pg/ml 114.8* 30.8-69.9 102.2* 27.9-69.2

I was going to start the lignans but now have to wait a week for her heartguard dose.

Hoping anyone can shed light on the melatonin.

Thanks as always,

Addy

[Harley PoMMom]

What has everyone using melatonin experienced? If she is this slow now what will it be like when she has it durring the day? Do you have to give it twice a day? What if she can't handle 3mgs? Do you have to give 3 mgs? I had hoped it would help her Estradiol. Look how high it was.

Estradiol pg/ml 114.8* 30.8-69.9 102.2* 27.9-69.2


Hoping anyone can shed light on the melatonin.

Thanks as always,

Addy

Hi Addy,

Some pups do get lethargic on the melatonin. Some parents stop the melatonin, reduce the dosage or they opt for the implant.

The lignans, according to the UTK treatment option sheet, will help get that elevated estradiol level down:

4) Lignan. Lignan has phytoestrogenic activity, and competes with estradiol for tissue estrogen receptors, with less biological effect. Lignan also inhibits aromatase enzyme (lowers estradiol) and 3-beta HSD enzyme (lowers cortisol).

http://www.vet.utk.edu/diagnostic/en...ings201005.pdf

So happy to hear that Zoe's poops are firmer! You're doing a great job, Addy!

Love and hugs,
Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

Hey Addy,

A while back I got concerned about the fact that Squirt was sleeping more than she used to...more than I was comfortable with. So I cut back on her melatonin and she did perk up a bit. Bear in mind, she is an old lady, melatonin or not! However, her next UTK panel came back with unsatisfactory numbers so she went back to the full 3 mg/2X/day recommended by Dr. Oliver. I had rather her sleep than let those hormones get all out of whack.

Squirt will be 13 this Feb. so maybe I expected too much of her in wanting her to be more active. She has her moments when she is full of piss and vinegar, wants to play a minute, and shows her delight or joy over something...and I am happy with these times!

Don't worry over much about Zoe sleeping a bit, especially right now. Her little body may just need some time to adjust. Plus, as Lori said, the lignans are needed to help control the estradiol; it and the melatonin work together to accomplish this. So, right now she isn't getting the full effect of the treatment. Once she is going on both supplements, you may see a change in her behavior and energy level.

Hang in there!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

[apollo6]

dear Andy,
Maybe it is the medicine that makes our little guys more tired. Apollo seems to want to sleep more then before. I am buying a stroller, since Apollo can not walk that far and I get tired carrying home. Never thought it would come to this. But if I mention treat, or dinner or breakfast, boy can his energy level go up. They do know how to wrap us around their paws.

[frijole]

Addy - I've given both my dogs melatonin for sleeping purposes and it relaxes them and yes they do sleep better with it. I've never given it long term - just when there is a storm outside or firecrackers.

Lysodren made my Haley tired until she adjusted to it. Then she was fine.

Hang in there - at least the poop is firm! Kim

[Casey's Mom]

My Casey gets melatonin at night when she is restless to help her sleep. I zonks her out and I give her 3 mg for her 40 lb weight. However she does not need it for her cushings as she has Pituitary cushings and not Atypical.

I echo what Lori said with Atypical you need both the lignans and the melatonin to work together - that much I have learned here.

Love and hugs,

[addy]

Thanks for all the responses. Sorry I did not respond sooner. We had a horrible storm come through Milwaukee Thursday nite and we had no power until late last night. We had 7" of rain in 2 hours and you can't believe the mess

Thankfully, we fared better than alot of people, I just had to stay up all night running a generator to keep the basement dry. We had no water because of course the well need electricity. The dogs were troupers even though it was hot in the house and I was stressed.

Rabies shot opinions please:

Zoe went for her heartworm test this am. They had to muzzle her again. I wonder if they are doing that more often because she has a rabies vaccine waiver and they want to be extra careful. I don't mind but it stresses her even more. She looked terrified standing on the table with the muzzle on. A soon as she saw it she started shaking. After they took it off, I lifted her down and quickly whipped out chicken and told her what a good girl she had been. She ate it and looked at me with those big beautiful eyes and then after I stopped treating her she went into the corner behind me and hid. Maybe I should buy a muzzle and click and treat and practice with her so she gets used to it.

Could you share experiences with rabies waivers? Should I just give her the shot because she is so reactive? I am not 100% positive she will not bite. It would be more of a hard nip not a serious bite if she did but I suppose she might break alittle skin if she gets stressed enough and does not feel well. It would be a problem for her.

She does not like being picked up we had to really work on that, she's been like that since I brought her home. She was doing better with being picked up because we praticed everyday but since her visit to the IMS and the lengthy ordeal and all the tests, she is not happy about it again.

I wonder if it hurts her? Though she did not want me to touch her paws either when I first brought her home.


I did order the lignans today

Addy

[littleone1]

Hi Addy,

Due to Corky's age and medical conditions he will no longer be getting the Rabies shots or any other vaccines. He will be getting a waiver on the Rabies shot. Rabies shots should not be given to dogs that aren't healthy, and Cushings definitely qualifies a dog as not being healthy.

Terri