Anyone have a dog with Cushings Disease??

[rg_girlca]

Hi there;

My sister's dog has been diagnosed with Cushings Disease and I would like to know if anyone here has a dog with the same disease and what treatment your vet has put them on and what results your dog has gotten from it.

I have read up on this Disease, but would like to hear first hand from others who is going through this with their dog.

Thank you for any information or comments that you may have.

[Frenchy]

hi , one of my dogs has cushing ,she has been diagnose back in December , has been on Lysodren since. For some dogs , it's a long process , mine still has accidents in the house. They need to be monitered many times , by vet. How long as this dog been on meds and is it doing better ?

[t.pettet]

My dog Teddy had cushings but unfortunately alot of other health issues also and had him pts last year. His main issues were frequent urination, pot-bellied appearance, voracious appetite and hair loss.

[rg_girlca]

Thank you Frenchy & T.pettet for your replies and t.pettet I am so, so sorry on the loss of your precious Teddy.

Sonia is the dogs name and she was diagnosed with Cushings about 3 weeks ago. She is 9 years old. My sister noticed that Sonia was drinking an unusual amount of water and she was having accidents in the house, so off to the vets she went for tests. Sonia has been on Lysodren for close to 2 weeks, but she also has developed diabeties. Her vet said that she couldn't give her anything just yet for it until they cut down on the Cushings medication. Last Monday my sister had to rush Sonia to the vets as she said it looked like she was having some kind of seizure, but landed up that she was going into diabetic shock. Thankfully it was caught in time and after staying at the vets for a day, she is now on insulin, twice a day and the Lysodren will be cut to once a week. Yes she will be closely monitered by the vet. My sister said that by Wednesday Sonia was doing better.
BUT, her vet said he is not to familiar with this disease and has consulted other vets and some specialist in regards to it. Her vet said she could call him anytime, day or night as this is his first Cushings dog and he is very interested in learning more about it and the right treatments.

I wanted her to try and find a vet that is experienced in Cushings Disease, but she said no, that she has trust in her vet.

Do you think, she should, or am I just being a paranoid Auntie.

[hazelrunpack]

I sure would want a vet with a little experience with Cushings, rg_girlca. How was the Cushings diagnosed? The onset of diabetes often looks similar to the onset of Cushings--is the vet certain that Sonia has both?

[rg_girlca]

The vet did a special blood test and some other test that determined Sonia's Cushings is caused by a pituitary gland tumor and the diabetes also through blood test which was probably caused by the onset of the Cushings.
I'll talk to my sister again and see what she has to say.

Yesterday & this morning, Sonia was doing better, so I guess the insulin and medication are doing their job. If there are any changes, she has to bring her to the vets right away, if not, then she has another appointment in 2 weeks for another blood test.

[Frenchy]

Rainbow posted this for me a while ago : http://www.caninecushings.net/?

it's a forum about cushings , lots of good infos and you can also register and ask questions , read about other people experience with tests and treatments.

[moneterrie]

Hi!
My 15 year old shih tzu was diagnosed with Cushings about 1 1/2 years ago, after a cost of $600 for tests.
The vet then wanted another $150 to determine which type of cushings. The treatment is similiar to Chemo. I didn't want to put my then 14 yr old through that.
At the suggestion of my groomer, I consulted another vet here in Victoria BC who recommends chinese herbs. His name is Dr. Brar at Lifeline Animal Clinic. He prescribed Long Dan Xie Gan Tang. She doesn't like the taste so I use cat food. If I don't give her almost 1/4 tsp twice daily her symptoms come back ( increased thirst and unable to walk). The cost for a bottle is approx $70 for 100 grams. and usually lasts two months. Even though she is almost blind and deaf, she is very alert and actually runs.
His exam cost is $55 compared to $63 everywhere else here. Even the cost of spaying varies from $180-$450 here in Victoria where there is a huge retired population with pets. Some are referring it as a licence to steal. If you live near Victoria, I highly recommend this course of treatment. Or a Vet who practices in Chinese Herbs.
For futher info, please call me at (250) 920-3705.