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I've been reading about Cushing's today (didn't even know dogs got it)
because of my vet doing this test today.
Baby is an elderly female beagle - I found her in the summer of 1996
when the vet estimated her to be about 4-5 years old. Over the last
two years, her facial and ear fur has whitened considerably. She's had
a pot belly and been lethargic for about 2 years, actually - nothing
recent.
She's always been in good health except for last year she had a
problem with one of her eyes which caused her to be unable to jump
onto the bed or manage the stairs. She also would turn and look behind
herself for no reason. With Rimadyl & some antibiotic eye ointment,
this cleared right up.
This past month, she started having a bit of trouble keeping up on our
nightly walks (I have another dog too), drinking a bit more than
usual, panting a lot even in the air conditioning, losing a pound or
so (in her face & shoulder area only), and has lost a lot of strength
in her legs, especially the front ones to the point where I have to
carry her up the stairs (she can still manage going down but just
barely). I've watched her on the stairs, both up and down, and she has
figured out how to make her back legs do all the work, but isn't
always good at it. Sometimes if she turns too quickly or is startled,
her back legs stagger and she falls over or even rolls. Both bottom
lips have dropped/splayed out to the point where she gets food stuck
there sometimes, but she has no trouble eating or drinking. She's had
no fur problems or scratching, and only 2 accidents in the house. Her
bark has lost about half its strength. When I'm getting her food out,
she runs around and hops a bit like she always has, as if nothing's
wrong at all, and walking on a flat surface, she's fine except for
looking over her shoulder a lot, again for no reason.
I took her to the vet, and there was no temp, no lumps anywhere, but
she had enlarged lymph nodes, infected tonsils & runny eyes, for which
she was prescribed antibiotics, along with the eye ointment again.
A week after the vet visit, we were out walking, and she fell over and
had what looked like a seizure, except it lasted only about 15-20
seconds. My other dog is epileptic (she had grand mals, now only has
petits) - this just doesn't "feel" like a seizure to me. Maybe just a
muscle spasm or partial seizure?
Took her back to the vet, and she had a complete blood count & organ
check, plus a higher grade antibiotic. Vet said there was no way of
knowing about what caused the seizure. He said she probably needs
rimadyl again, or something like it, but he didn't want to give it to
her until her bloodwork came back.
Everything came back fine except for high cortisol, so they asked me
to bring her in for the ACTH test today. In the meantime, she's had
more "seizures," always coming out of them like nothing ever happened
(immediately, with no leg tremble like the other dog, and no loss of
bladder or bowel - but [luckily] my other dog never has had that
either).
Now this test today. Vet said I won't know for 2 days. I asked if we
could start the Rimadyl (it really was a miracle drug the last time
and fixed her up right away), and was told that if we do that, it
won't be Rimadyl but Dermaxx instead, but still, we have to wait.
Questions...
1. She does fit some of the symptoms, but not all. Do you think I have
any hope that it is NOT Cushing's? Possibly that once this infection
is cleared up and she is on the Dermaxx, she might be okay? Possibly
that whatever it is, it's what she had last year, only intensified? A
stroke, or a series of mini-strokes? One of the vets (there are 2
partners and it's random which one you see) said the enlarged lymph
glands may be causing neck pain and making her front legs weak/stiff -
maybe that could be most of it?
2. Is there any recourse for someone on a fixed income who cannot
afford the medicines I've seen discussed on this board? I've seen the
"2 year life span" as well as the people saying that is only an
average because many dogs are elderly when diagnosed - what is the
prospective outcome of relieving the symptoms she is showing and not
starting the meds until she gets worse? Right now, her organ test came
back fine except for high cortisol.
3 - My one fear is that these seizures are not scaring me as much as
they should, since I'm "used to" them from the other dog - what could
they be?
I have been carrying her up & down the stairs, and turning the porch
light on so she can see to go up and down those stairs on her own
(very slowly, but she has a harness and I hold her up a bit so she
can't fall), I've put a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs so she
can't go up on her own, and I take her out a few more times than
before - none of that is any problem. I'm home a lot (have to be, as
the other dog requires meds every 12 hours for the rest of her life).
I hate it that I probably won't be able to afford the medication if
it's Cushing's. I'm already really pushing my budget just with 3 vet
visits and these tests ($260 so far).
??
thank you
cyndi
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