Personality/behavior Changes With Cushings? (sorry, Sort Of Long And V

[Guest greythopes]

Did any of you guys with a Cushingoid dog see behavior changes? Jester my JRT was just diagnosed (he starts the Lysodren tomorrow), and I'm noticing some personality changes besides the usual peeing/drinking a lot, fatigue, etc.

 

Jester went all around town with me yesterday, went to a new park we hadn't tried, etc. Last night I had him with me at a petstore, and there was a young foxhound mix who wanted to greet him rather exuberantly. Jester growled and was generally annoyed with him - which is unusual as he loves the dog park, loves to play, and usually the more exuberance the better. Also, while we were there, Jester was red as a beet. Let me explain: I can always tell when my little guy is in a highly nervous state, because he actually blushes. His hair on his ears and other spots is thinner, and you can see his skin get pinker and pinker when he is uncomfortably stressed.

 

After we got home, he did his usual bedtime routine, which is that he gets into my bed and falls asleep right on my pillow. DH goes to bed earlier, usually, so Jester goes in when daddy goes in. Then when I come to bed later, I ask him to shift off my pillow and down the bed. He never has a problem with this, been doing it for years. But last night he just refused, and when I gently moved him myself, he growled again. No teeth, no aggression, he didn't even lift his head - just gave more of what I would describe as a "weary" growl than a serious one.

 

None of his behavior changes are huge, but I see a subtle difference in him. It's like he is more nervously restless AND more bone-weary fatigued at the same time, if that makes sense. If any of you have ever been around an extremely elderly dog who is a grump, that's sort of how he acts, off and on. He will be normal and playing and his usual sweet energetic self, but then he switches over to a "grumpy old man" persona. I'm trying to notice when, exactly, he does it. Is it when we've been "out and about" a lot? I'm beginning to suspect that it is.

 

JRT's are a very energetic breed, as you know, so our way of dealing with him has always been LOTS of activity, lots of car trips, lots of walks, lots of stimulation so he's not bored. In the past, he's been a happier and calmer dog the more "stuff" we did with him. I'm now wondering if he just cannot handle that much stimulation anymore while dealing with this Cushings, and I need to back it off. Then I start wondering if he's been trying to let me know before this, and I didn't read his signals.

 

Sorry for rambling, but I feel really bad that maybe I've been stressing him without realizing it, and wanted to vent. Poor baby, mommy has been operating on the "wear him out" model that has always been a GOOD thing for him in the past, and he is just now letting me know that he can't handle it anymore. Thick-headed mom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grey14me]

Yeah, it sounds like he was just really tired or not feeling well. Sometimes I think they still try to keep up with everything because they are trying to please you and not really letting you know that it's too much.

[Guest greythopes]

Sometimes I think they still try to keep up with everything because they are trying to please you and not really letting you know that it's too much.

 

He always seems pretty eager to go hop in the car or whatever, so that might be part of why I missed it. What you said makes sense: he may have been making the effort for me, or just out of habit. In the past, if he was seeming out of sorts, or nervous, or stressed, or grumpy, the solution in his case was always DO MORE STUFF, so that mindset for us was sort of automatic. But I think I need to shift gears, here. Maybe the boy needs calm, and a nap. Duh.

[TheFullHouse]

Emmy withdrew from the rest of the pack when she had it, part of that was the blindness that occurred along with the Cushings. She was very tired all the time, even had a hard time doing stairs. Keep a close watch and if you think he's having any problems with his sight, have him checked.

[Guest greythopes]

Emmy withdrew from the rest of the pack when she had it, part of that was the blindness that occurred along with the Cushings. She was very tired all the time, even had a hard time doing stairs. Keep a close watch and if you think he's having any problems with his sight, have him checked.

 

 

Thanks. His vision seems okay, as he can still spot a squirrel move at 40 paces! But I will be watching very closely. He is more energetic after sleeping very late this morning, and is mouthing his leash and pawing at me for a walk, so maybe he just had a bad day, after doing too much. We're going to scale it back and see if he is more relaxed with less activity. The other (calm) dogs in the store last night he was fine with - did the usual sniff and greet. He just couldn't seem to handle the one who wanted to be pouncing all over him. His limits seem to have changed.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Cushings is one of the strangest diseases I have ever come across.You already know Misty has it but I haven't noticed any behavior changes other than she wants attention constantly. Her interaction with Ekko and Wayne has not changed at all.If I can ever be of any help, please always feel free to email me at cbudshome@aol.com. Wayne sends his very best to his BDR brother Jester

Edited January 9, 2009 by cbudshome

[Blaidd49]

Yes there can be behavioral changes with Cushings.

Some dogs become a tad grumpy and this will often disappear when they are stabilized as it is the reult of being tired and generally not feeling good

Others seem to be more needy.

Low thyroid can also cause mild increase in aggression - so this should be checked if not already done

Pam

QC Canada

[Guest RooCroo]

Our 16 yr old border collie has had Cushing's since she was 10. She is on Anipryl.

We have seen these changes/effects:

 

Hind end weakness, general joint stiffness

Strange shedding patterns

Excessive drinking and peeing

Dilute urine

General grouchiness, low tolerance of other dogs pestering her

[patricia]

Sending prayers for precious Jester.

[TheFullHouse]

How's Jester doing? He's been on my mind.

[CaliforniaGreys]

We're wondering how the little man is doing too. Is it today you get to see Willy? Please keep us posted on Jester.

[NevadasMom]

Yes, there were behavior changes with Nevada. She was sometimes very restless & had become very aloof. At the height of the disease before we had a diagnosis, she wanted nothing to do with me-it was all about water & food. Symptoms & behavior went back to near normal after she was stabilized. Nevada never became grumpy or growled. At the end of her life she started having neurological problems. Hugs to you......this disease is a tough one.

[Guest greythopes]

Jester is so far so good with 2 doses of Lysodren in him. I posted a bit of an update in my thread on my new brindle loverboy Willy (entitled "I saw my boy today" in everything else greyhound)

 

Thanks for all the support for my little man. Oh, and yes, we did test thyroid, diabetes, etc. as well, and it was fine.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Checking in on Jester. How's the little man doing?

 

Edited to add: Just read your news in the BDR Jester, you are doing so well, that is great!!

Edited January 11, 2009 by cbudshome

[Guest greythopes]

Checking in on Jester. How's the little man doing?

 

He's doing fabulous so far, knock wood. He was zooming around like mad today, doing his patented "JRT spin", and has mashed his quacking duck so much that it's about to make me crazy! He's eating dinner now, and will get another dose after.

 

[CaliforniaGreys]

Checking in on Jester. How's the little man doing?

 

He's doing fabulous so far, knock wood. He was zooming around like mad today, doing his patented "JRT spin", and has mashed his quacking duck so much that it's about to make me crazy! He's eating dinner now, and will get another dose after.

How are you dosing the Lysodren? With Misty, there was a 10 day induction period which we didn't get through because she crashed. She's on 2x a week.

Edited January 12, 2009 by cbudshome

[Guest mzmazzei]

Our 16 yr old border collie has had Cushing's since she was 10. She is on Anipryl.

We have seen these changes/effects:

 

Hind end weakness, general joint stiffness

Strange shedding patterns

Excessive drinking and peeing

Dilute urine

General grouchiness, low tolerance of other dogs pestering her

 

This does not sound like a dog that is being well controlled with Cushings disease. Clinical studies show that Anipryl works in less than 50% of Cushings cases - and that's a generous statistic, since I'm time challenged with this response. My memory wants to say that it actually works in less than 25% of Cushings cases, just don't quote me ;-)

 

The following Yahoo Group is an excellent resource of clinically proven Cushings treatment information. It is highly moderated with expert vet endricrinologist (sp?) members and quack internet "miracle" cures have no representation.

 

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/caninec...autoimmunecare/

 

While this group provides excellent moral support, I've found that the above group provides the clinical expertise that is crucial to the successful treatment of this serious disease. The link library to vet articles and other information is highly valuable. The fact is Cushings disease is still largely untreated in vet practices due to the daunting expense of testing for an accurate diagnosis and the ongoing testing during treatment, which many pet owner reject. Therefore, many vets do not have personal experience treating this disease.

 

Since our 9 yr old (soon to be 10) greyhound was diagnosed in July 2008, we've been successfully treating her with Trilostane with no adverse effects, such as an Addisonian crash. I firmly believe we would not have been so successful with her treatment without the resources and support from the above reference group.

 

I sincerely hope you will check out this group and see if there's information that would benefit you and your border collie.

 

Well Wishes.

[Guest greythopes]

Checking in on Jester. How's the little man doing?

 

He's doing fabulous so far, knock wood. He was zooming around like mad today, doing his patented "JRT spin", and has mashed his quacking duck so much that it's about to make me crazy! He's eating dinner now, and will get another dose after.

How are you dosing the Lysodren? With Misty, there was a 10 day induction period which we didn't get through because she crashed. She's on 2x a week.

 

He's on half a tab twice a day for his induction, which will only be 3 to 5 days. After that, he'll drop to half a tab once a week. Our vet is VERY cautious with the induction period, and would rather risk under-treating, and taking longer to get to optimal results, than crash them. We have pred on hand just in case, but have not needed it. I'm here at home with him pretty much 24/7, so I'm keeping a close eye so that if he starts to bottom out I can catch it fast and not let it progress. Often one of the first signs (before they get the weakness or vomiting or anything else) is they'll stop eating. So Jester is being offered a small treat every couple of hours, as sort of a go by. He hasn't turned one down yet.

 

Oh, and he has not been grumpy anymore. I think he was just doing too much and had reached his limit, poor thing. Scaling back the walks, the outings, etc seems to have helped.

Edited January 12, 2009 by greythopes

[CaliforniaGreys]

Checking in on Jester. How's the little man doing?

 

He's doing fabulous so far, knock wood. He was zooming around like mad today, doing his patented "JRT spin", and has mashed his quacking duck so much that it's about to make me crazy! He's eating dinner now, and will get another dose after.

How are you dosing the Lysodren? With Misty, there was a 10 day induction period which we didn't get through because she crashed. She's on 2x a week.

 

He's on half a tab twice a day for his induction, which will only be 3 to 5 days. After that, he'll drop to half a tab once a week. Our vet is VERY cautious with the induction period, and would rather risk under-treating, and taking longer to get to optimal results, than crash them. We have pred on hand just in case, but have not needed it. I'm here at home with him pretty much 24/7, so I'm keeping a close eye so that if he starts to bottom out I can catch it fast and not let it progress. Often one of the first signs (before they get the weakness or vomiting or anything else) is they'll stop eating. So Jester is being offered a small treat every couple of hours, as sort of a go by. He hasn't turned one down yet.

 

Oh, and he has not been grumpy anymore. I think he was just doing too much and had reached his limit, poor thing. Scaling back the walks, the outings, etc seems to have helped.

Your vet is of the same mind set as my vet. Better to go slow. I am so glad to hear your little man is doing well. Those JRT's are tough little guys. You go Jester!! We are all in your corner