greyhead

No advice, but lots of good wishes for you both. What a greyt name is Padfoot! Keep us posted.

That sounds very encouraging!

Yes, that's the stuff. It was way more effective for us than Petzlife since there was already significant gum inflamation present, though we do like Petzlife for less urgent care. Actually, for a big dog, you do use 2 or 3 drops on each side of the mouth so you can get coverage. But it really doesn't take much!

Thanks for weighing in, Jennifer. The vet's position is that low USG despite normal kidney values is what she has seen in all/most of her Cushing's cases, so it's the combo that's interesting. I'm just wary of always/never statements, especially with relatively indirect measures like these. The UCCR test would have been more targeted to the issue, I'd think, as Batmom mentioned. I probably will just tell the vet that I'm feeling queasy and request that she report Spencer's blood work and USG results to the internist, if she hasn't already. But I'm probably going to hold off for a couple more days' observation at home unless he deteriorates in some way. It's just so easy, I've found, for docs/people to dismiss problems as age-related when in fact they could be rectified with a little effort if taken more seriously. Thanks to all of you for your ideas and support.

No, Alicia, not yet. But thanks for the suggestion. I shouldn't think this problem, whatever it is, would be very greyhound specific. Telling his internist is probably the first next logical step, and she'll probably want bile acids. I have to say that other than the stuff I mentioned before, his demeanor is fabulous. Today I even think the circles under his eyes have diminished. (They come and go, usually lasting a couple weeks when they're around. Have no idea what it means, but just like with people, it never looks like he feels good then.)

No, she hasn't. And that's the thing, she hasn't mentioned doing anything else at all. Btw, I checked, and the last bile acids test was done in the summer of 2011, not 2012. ETA: and it was the internist who ordered it that time.

Thanks, Jey. I'm not attached to a Cushings diagnosis by any means. I'd just like to understand why USG is a rule-out, and what you're saying makes sense to me that it's not. The next puzzle is why there's no suggestion of a follow-up examination of something -- x-ray, ultrasound, whatever. With his history and liver values that far out of range in such a short period of time (since September), I feel like I ought to be doing something besides Denamarin. But I don't know anything except that liver disease isn't pretty, since I lost two cats to it many years ago.

So the vet emailed me that the specific gravity was 1.048 and that that, combined with good kidney values, rules out Cushings. (Seems like kind of an indirect measure, unlike the cortisol/creatinine ratio, doesn't it?) She added that the other clinical signs were doubtless secondary to something else, perhaps endocrine related, and that we don't need to do anything else for now. While I don't want to panic, I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with this response. I suppose I could email the new liver values and symptoms to the internist for her opinion, but that makes me feel a bit sneaky. Of course, when it comes to my dogs, I can probably sneak if that's what it takes to keep them well. But what do you guys think? Meanwhile, he's on Denamarin now, more religiously than I'd been doing it before. I also had discontinued his Tylan a couple days ago, but his poop quality deteriorated and he got a rumbly tummy last night, so his IBD treatment may require that we stick with the Tylan. Eeesh. (I should probably mention that Spencer was on budesonide for 2-1/2 years straight before we were able to discontinue it and just use it when he has flares. He was also on metronidazole for 3-1/2 years and Tylan even longer. I guess these things can add up over time and make the liver unhappy, but it's odd that his numbers have risen so much since he has been mostly off them for months.)

When Spencer had this trouble last year, the internist sent him home with antibiotics and a bottle of blue gel called OraZn "neutralized zinc." Just takes one drop deposited with your finger on top molars on each side. Always clears it up in 2-3 days. Let me know if you'd like more info, such as who makes it and where they are. Separately from that, I concur with the suggestion to wipe teeth and gums with gauze pads. That creates just enough friction to get the job done without making the gums bleed like brushing would at this point. Our vet gave us a whole pack of them -- very handy!

Well, it's dinner time and I still haven't heard from the vet. Dropped off the sample early this a.m. before she got in, and it was far from being dilute! ( It was actually pretty dark, though it didn't look bloody.) So I doubt they even needed to run a specific gravity. But I'm not sure I believe that this alone can rule out Cushings. In any case, I don't know anything official now. Will update when I do. Am I the only one who gets paralyzed waiting for results? I find things to occupy myself, but I don't get in the shower, don't go to the store until I absolutely have to, for fear of missing the call. And I just munch, munch, munch!

I'm so sorry for your sudden loss of Gary after 10 special years.

I'm very sorry she had to go.

This is a beautiful tribute to a lovely, smart, silly girl. I'm so sorry she couldn't have had more time with you.

Oh, how horrible for all concerned! I'm terribly sorry you had to be involved but very glad you kept your distance and your dogs safe. Luck was also with you, thankfully. Sending big virtual hugs to you. :grouphug

We didn't discover that Spencer's tail problem was a break until probably 2-3 weeks after it happened. The x-ray showed the bones growing back together. The vet said the usual treatment for a broken tail is amputation but that since the bones wanted to grow back together and she knew me to be conscientious, she came up with a different plan. She had a tech hacksaw off the tapered end of a syringe case and used it over padding to sort of splint and protect the area until the growth process could complete. (We secured the ends to the fur with medical tape. We had to change the padding every few days, being sure not to make it too tight. Six weeks later we repeated the x-rays, saw the the plan had worked, and that was the end of that! Hope you're as fortunate.

Thanks, Jennifer and Mary!

The vet emailed me today. I'll take the urine sample in tomorrow, and I know she'll check the specific gravity and perhaps the protein levels. I don't know if she plans to follow that with the urine cortisol/creatinine test, but I'll probably request it as it seems like the best preliminary screening test. (Found a really good web site for a crash course on Cushings: http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html ) Then I'm thinking we'll move to ultrasound. Upon reflection, and since the vet told me of a few more observable symptoms than I'd been aware of, I see where his eating, drinking, coat condition, and temperature preferences have not been typical for him. You're always thrilled when an IBD dog eats more! But not only does he eat extra because I'm giving it to him, he also gets uncharacteristically pushy about eating and asks for meals sooner than they normally would occur. And he drinks for a longer time when he's at the water bowl, though I can't tell yet if he goes to it more often. The back end weakness that we chalk up to LSS and disk issues (which he really does have) could be symptomatic of Cushings also, as is his prefrence for shorter walks now. I also learned that these symptoms all creep up gradually and are easy to read as just old age. Not sure what to hope for, frankly, Cushings or liver issues! That web site mentioned a new drug getting good results in Europe for Cushings, called Vetopryl, I think. It's a lot less harsh-sounding than the other treatments. They say you can get it if you get a waiver from the FDA. I can only imagine how hard that might be to get! But I shouldn't get ahead of myself too much now, right? Thanks so much for the info, advice, and good wishes. They are all much appreciated.

I'm very sorry she had to leave. My sympathy to you and the Parkers.

She's so pretty and looks so sweet, and I see what you mean about those little white toes! I'm so sorry for your loss.

Oh no, I'm so sorry! Godspeed, Kelsey. You were loved.

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was so young, beautiful and fuzzy.

Thanks so much, Jennifer, for the information and suggestions. I confess I've felt quite lost this evening, just knowing that it could be a lot of things and not having a clue where to dig in to sort it out. I'll sleep better now with an outline of a plan!

Thanks, Susan. We're doing the closing for our re-fi tomorrow at 2:00, and after that we'll probably just collapse with wine at home. It has been quite a week for everybody in this house -- yours too, I think! We do so much want to meet Toley, though! I'll text you when we're done and see if you're still there.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Godspeed, Dreamy.