Checking in for November 2006

[acushdogsmom]

We suspect that we have a good number of folks here who read the messages regularly but who don't post very often. Maybe that's because their dogs are doing well and they don't have any questions to ask, or maybe they don't feel very comfortable about posting answers to other members' questions.

It's perfectly understandable and acceptable for folks to only post here once in a while, but when we don't hear from people, many of us find ourselves wondering what those folks have been up to recently and how their dogs are doing.

"Checking in" is a topic that we start on the first of each month, where folks can post a reply to let everyone else know how they are doing. You may just want to say "Hi! We're still here and we're doing fine" or you may want to tell us more -- about a really good test result, or something funny that your dog did recently, or a camping trip that you went on ... that sort of thing.

We'd love to hear from you! :)

[Loraine]

I still come here often. It is almost 2 years since my beloved Coco went to the Bridge, but I still like to keep an eye on what is happening with folks here. My new pooch, Zedley, has settled in well (perhaps too well :) ) and behaves as if he owns the house and me :D He is not Coco, but he fills a gap in my heart!

Hugs
Loraine (Coco's Mum forever, Zedley's new Mum)

[BestBuddy]

Hi,
Just wanted to check in for the month. Buddy is still going quite well except for his stupid owner making mistakes with his diabetes. I changed his food (because he asked) and it changed quite dramatically his insulin requirements. We are now starting to get things under control again. Cushings still in remission. We should be heading into summer here in Australia but we actually have the heater on today as it is still cold (12C). Today is Melbourne Cup day for those who follow horse racing and we get a day off. I have a couple of small bets on the horses and am spending the day at home (with hubby and the other canine family members) having chicken and champagne lunch watching it on the TV. Cheers:cool:
Jenny & Buddy

[Corgi-walker]

Hi Every one !

Not much to report ....Both girls are doing fine, having a bit of trouble with their arthritis since the weather in the UK turned cooler. We don't go on long walks any more......So sad how they slow up as they get older....but still game to chase any cat's that dare come in to our back garden lol

Sand, Amber & Holly xx

[marygiles]

Boycie our Chihuahua who is nearly sixteen is proving that he is one tough little guy. He continues to do well on his Vetoryl. He happily takes a morning tablet concealed in a tasty piece of meat for his heart murmur. Our only worry is that his eye sight seems to be failing. At times we think it may be our imagination but he seems to do everything by scent only. He is a little trouper! Mary

[dhallett]

Hi. I'm new and so checking in for the first time. Our Penny is a 7 year old Border Terrier, diagnosed in Oct 06. Today was day 10 of her Trilostane meds, and she went in for her first 'post-meds' test. We'll see how it went. From the first day on Trilostane, she was more like her old self -- drinking lots less, weeing lots less, with more energy and more playfulness. I was immediately optimistic, and aside from taking an emotional dip sometimes when I read of others' bad experiences, I remain optimistic.

Penny also has CECS, which is an inherited metabolic disorder (or at least, so they think). It's relatively new -- for more info, Google on Spikes Disease or CECS. A heart-rendingly severe full body cramping episode, that lasts usu. 5-10 minutes. It can look like an epileptic fit, but dogs who have been tested do not show the brain waves that denote epilepsy. Also, the muscular cramp isn't like a fit, really. They don't lose consciousness --the sweeties are still 'there' with you, no loss of control of bodily functions. Seems to be something to do with protein enzyme (especially beef) mal-absorbtion, or something like that. I don't really get the biology of it all.

It felt like an awful raw deal to find out she also has Cushings. At 7 years old.

I realised from reading the intro to this Check-In thread, that there are lots of people who are just getting on with their lives and doing OK on their meds and treatment regimes, and who don't post very often, or at all. It's helped me to realise that those of you here who are having a particularly bad time of it are not ALL of the stories to tell. I admit to feeling sort of depressed as I read all the sad stories here. Now I'm somewhat bouyed to realise there are a lot of good outcomes too.

I'm in Oxford, in the UK.
Thanks.
Debby

[Mackey's Mom]

Haven't touched base in a while. My Max (Mackey or Big Mack to all who know and love him!) has still not received his release letter from the FDA for Trilostane. I've become very discouraged since it's been months since the request was made. Every attempt to find out what's going on is met with "being processed." My vet has called and written (several of his current Cushing's patients have not been able to get their scripts renewed due to the FDA's lack of response). I wonder how many people are having or have had the same experience.

Mackey is about the same -- no better, no worse. He's hungry all the time, and gets tired out quickly, but he's always a happy boy!

Hope everyone else is doing well. We'll let you know if we ever get the script!

Lori and Big Mack

[Jo_79]

Its been so long since I posted about Caesar. I have been reading often, although rarely have the time to write these days.

Firstly the good news. I had a baby girl in September, Olivia. Caesar absolutely loves her. Everytime we are out in the yard he licks her feet and loves sniffing her hair. He gets a little too excited and she is still so little (she'll be 3 months this coming Wednesday) so we never stay outside too long. When she cries he runs around to her bedroom window to check out whats going on with his baby. Its so cute! I can only hope he is around when she grows up a bit more.

Now for caesar. He hasnt been treated with Lysodren since early this year. I wasnt allowed to have anything to do with it during my pregnancy, nor while i still continue to breast feed. His symptoms have gradually returned in the past 9 months and he now has back the big belly, the rats tail and the very dull coat. He is starting to lose hair around his neck and in little tiny patches on his back and his water consumption, while not as high as it was last year, is more than a normal healthy dog. Some days he doesnt eat much, and others he eats normally - a bit at dinner and then comes back for the rest later in the night.

Our vet has moved over to the UK to further her studies and we are now seeing the practice owner. He was the one who treated Caesar when he was really sick, and is very hesitant at giving him Lysodren again for fear of pushing it too far. He is currently trying to find out how he can get an import licence for trilostane from the UK and is very keen to have Caesar on that instead of lysodren if it comes through and doesnt cost me the earth to do.

Add to this that my partner and i are moving to the UK for 2 years at the end of December (we are moving for his work) and Im in a position I dont really like when it comes to Caesar. My brother is going to take Caesar while we are overseas and although Id love to have Caesar on some sort of treatment that my brother can manage before we go, I really dont think it is possible.

Ideally I would have loved to have taken Caesar with us so I could put him on trilostane over in the UK, but I dont think he would cope with the journey and its not fair to put him through that. Plus, if he did come with us and the trilostane worked, when we come back to Australia he would have to be in quarantine for up to 6 months and I couldnt do that to him. So he is staying here and moving to Newcastle.

So my decision overall is to not re-introduce treatment to Caesar. Its been a very hard decision to make and Im absolutely terrified that he is going to deteriorate while Im overseas and that i wont get to say goodbye. it absolutely breaks my heart and i cry everytime i think about it and I pray like crazy it wont happen, but reality is that without treatment it could.

Id love for my daughter to be able to cuddle him, and ride on his back and play fetch with him and all the other wonderful things that kids and dogs do.

I feel mean, and cruel and somehow that I am mistreating him by not getting him back on the lysodren, but i also felt all those things when he was taking the lysodren and i was making him really sick. He was always so tired and so sad when he was medicated. And i think i felt worse then than what i do now.

He is still a happy dog and while he isnt as agile as he was before he starting getting the symptoms and was diagnosed, he still loves life and loves his mum. And i think that is what matter most.

Jo

[Unregistered]

Rosey, my 7 year old basenji, was diagnosed in July 2006. She is doing very well on Lysodren-no problems at all. <knocking on wood>
This site is a God-send and I appreciate it very much, expecially in the beginning when I figured Cushings would be an automatic death sentence. I have learned a lot here!!!

[allend]

I stop by every once in a while. Maggie is doing great many years after adrenal surgery!