CaliforniaGreys Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Am I remembering correctly that he tested negative for Addisons? I take my little girl in regularly for the ACTH Stim test and always have the results the next morning. He had the ACTH Stim test done and it was inconclusive. He scored just barely in the range of Addison's - he had a response to the injection but not what a healthy dog would have. So it was not a clear "he's got Addison's." His kidney function, potassium/salt ratios, and steroid levels all look like Addison's but Addison's doesn't explain the pain or weakness. He also appears to have an infection (white blood cell count of 17000 - normal is 9000) which isn't explained by Addison's. So they did a second more comprehensive test for Addison's so they can distinctly rule it in or out - I'm in my office and I cannot recall what its called. It needed to be sent to Michigan State U. for analysis and I was told it would be a week for the results. :-( I have more of a handle on Cushings than Addisons. Please keep us posted, I'm worried about him! Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Is he currently in the hospital? Are they controlling his pain now? Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cielo Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Is he currently in the hospital? Are they controlling his pain now? He had to stay in the hospital over night. From what I understand a myelogram is fairly risky and so they wanted to observe him for 24 hours. I visited him last night and he was very quiet and not moving, but I think he was still out of it from the anesthesia. His doctor called this morning and said I can pick him up around noon today and he's suppose to be sent home with more aggressive medication for his pain. I really hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 We're hoping that Demas will come home and be comfortable. Poor guy has been through a lot. Take care of yourself too! Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greydogluvr Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) I am so sorry. Though this may have already been explored, I will share a bit more about Clementine's Addison's journey. Clementine had extreme pain as well. She ended up having pneumonia as well as 2 tears in her lungs. She would scream when touched and even bit the vet tech beacuse she was in such pain when moved (never bitten before or since). She had air in her body cavity that required removal every hour. It was at that time we opted for surgery. She had one lung lobe removed followed by continuous suction through a chest tube (pluravac) for 3 days to assist in closing the exiting hole. This was about a 3 week process. Now she is as good as new. She continues her 3 week percortin injections and daily pred, but beyond that she is back to her fun loving self. Just searching for possible causes for the pain and panting BTW- her ACTH was inconclusive as well. An ultrasound was performed to look for the adreanal glands to confirm. ETA Clem lost over 20 pounds throughout this ordeal. She looked like a hairy skeleton. You could even see her little bone protruding from the top of her head. Edited January 14, 2009 by greydogluvr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cielo Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Greydogluvr: Thank you for telling me - its good for me to know that there can be such complications with Addison's so I can look for it. And its good to hear that Clementine is now living a happy, full life. Demas has had x-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc. everywhere. You name it and its now been done on him. Since last Monday we have paid almost $10K in vet bills. I'm not complaining - I would do anything for my fur babies and I feel blessed that I can - but it still hurts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 My thoughts are with you.....these Cushings/Addisons pups sure ride a rollercoaster. Been there & done that. Hugs to you all... Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greydogluvr Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Greydogluvr: Thank you for telling me - its good for me to know that there can be such complications with Addison's so I can look for it. And its good to hear that Clementine is now living a happy, full life. Demas has had x-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, etc. everywhere. You name it and its now been done on him. Since last Monday we have paid almost $10K in vet bills. I'm not complaining - I would do anything for my fur babies and I feel blessed that I can - but it still hurts. It is amazing what we will do for these special hounds. Thank you for caring so much. My continued healing thoughts coming your way!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trevdog Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 No idea but sending prayers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hoping Demas is comfortable this pm Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cielo Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Hoping Demas is comfortable this pm Thank you. He appears to be. The doctors gave him a mild sedative to help with the pain so he's pretty quiet right now. Fingers crossed that he has a good night. Tomorrow the test results from the spinal tap should be back and possible the second Addison's test. Hopefully they results will tell the doctors what is going on with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greydogluvr Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 So glad to hear your boy is resting comfortably. Let's hope this is a turning point for him. Fingers and paws crossed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 How was your night? Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 How was your night? Wondering here too Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cielo Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Everyone is so sweet here to care so much It was a bad night. When the sedatives wore off there was a lot of crying and pain. He also added a new symptom - *immediate* vomiting of food if he eats more than about a 1/4 cup at a time. I'm going the baby route and trying to feed him very small amounts every hour or so. The results from the spinal tap and possibly the Addison's test should be back today - I hope they provide an idea of whats going on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Everyone is so sweet here to care so much It was a bad night. When the sedatives wore off there was a lot of crying and pain. He also added a new symptom - *immediate* vomiting of food if he eats more than about a 1/4 cup at a time. I'm going the baby route and trying to feed him very small amounts every hour or so. The results from the spinal tap and possibly the Addison's test should be back today - I hope they provide an idea of whats going on We're hoping right along with you. And yes, people here really do care, about you and Demas. They really do need to address the pain!! Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 How confident are you in this Vet? Is it time for a second opinion? Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliforniaGreys Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Wondering how he's doing this am Quote Missing my little Misty who took a huge piece of my heart with her on 5/2/09, and Ekko, on 6/28/12 For the sick, the lost, and the homeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9fun Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Oh my gosh, I am sorry that I have not seen this thread earlier. My dog Boris (Tahsa's brother) had Addisons. We worked with it for over 6 years with monthly injections of Precortin and every other day doses of prednisone. It was very managable and he lived a very normal life to 11. We owe his life and diagnosis to the vet we had at the time in San Jose when we lived there. She was an early adopter of the Precortin treatment and actually worked in trial studies with Novartis. If it had not been for keen diagnosis and quick action he would not have made it. I had never even heard of Addisons when he was dx back in 2000. He was near death with a previous vet dx of kidney failure. The test for AD was quick and not very expensive (at least back then). Basically it was a baseline blood test and then he was given an injection of Precortin and another baseline was done to check the adrenal response. For as sick as Boris was it was like a miracle he was near normal within 24 hours of the injection. His symptoms were listlessness, vomiting, apparent abdominal pain, shakes and weight loss. After we had him stabilized, we could tell after time when he was ready for an injection. Some months he could go 23 days between and other months it was about 28 days it just depended on what was going on in his life month to month and his stress level. We switched to a raw diet after his dx for him and our other 2 dogs at the time and we never looked back. We feel that contributed dramatically to his improved health and well being. You said you joined the yahoo group, I am not sure which one but AD the one I belonged to can be found through this web site. It was a great group and wonderful support. My vet was very open to the information that was shared at that time because we were early in our journey and not much was known at the time about AD in dogs. Good luck to you and Demas and if I can be of any help or support please let me know. Thanks! Quote The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. Living a GREYT life at the Hound Hacienda - Clarkdale, Arizona Always missing our angel hounds; Parker, Lacey, Bella, Figgy, Macho, Aspen, Kingman and Tillie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cielo Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 How confident are you in this Vet? Is it time for a second opinion? Demas is at a specialty hospital where he was referred by his primary vet. Its set up much like a human hospital. He has one doctor who is coordinating everything but he's been seen by and I've met with an endocrinologist, two neurologists, an oncologist, a surgeon, and several others that I can't recall what they were specifically. I know his records have even been sent out to a few out of state specialists for their opinions. So, yes - I feel pretty confident in these doctors. They are even willing to contact a greyhound specialist I mentioned. They appear to be doing everything they can think of. I brought him back to the hospital this morning so he and his charts could be reviewed by a couple other doctors to see what they thought. They are all as frustrated as I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9fun Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Prayers and white light for you that they get to the bottom of this quickly. I know how scary it can be. Quote The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. Living a GREYT life at the Hound Hacienda - Clarkdale, Arizona Always missing our angel hounds; Parker, Lacey, Bella, Figgy, Macho, Aspen, Kingman and Tillie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 How confident are you in this Vet? Is it time for a second opinion? Demas is at a specialty hospital where he was referred by his primary vet. Its set up much like a human hospital. He has one doctor who is coordinating everything but he's been seen by and I've met with an endocrinologist, two neurologists, an oncologist, a surgeon, and several others that I can't recall what they were specifically. I know his records have even been sent out to a few out of state specialists for their opinions. So, yes - I feel pretty confident in these doctors. They are even willing to contact a greyhound specialist I mentioned. They appear to be doing everything they can think of. I brought him back to the hospital this morning so he and his charts could be reviewed by a couple other doctors to see what they thought. They are all as frustrated as I am. Sounds like he's in the right place. I hope things get resolved quickly & he gets pain free. Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I use to be a member of this board and know how helpful everyone was when someone's grey was sick. My boy Demas is very ill. It came on pretty suddenly. Last week we noticed he wasn't eating well and seemed really stiff - he was walking without bending his knees or elbows. We took him to the vet but he wasn't able to determine what was going on - all the blood work appeared pretty normal. Then this weekend he became extremely weak - so weak that he couldn't get up - and he started showing the weight loss from not eating. We took him to a specialty hospital on Monday and he has been there since on supportive care. I have approved every test they can think of but nothing is coming back as a clear diagnosis. Right now they're leaning towards Addison's disease but it doesn't explain the stiffness we saw originally. I've visited him every day and he has improved to the point that he is eating some but he still is very weak and having difficulty moving. The doctor thinks I may be able to take him home tomorrow if his condition doesn't worsen. I've been reading all I can find on Addison's disease and have joined the Yahoo group but I'm wondering if there is anything special to greys that I should be aware of. I've read that Addison's dogs have to be monitored carefully and finding the right diet for them can be difficult. Does anyone have experience with grey having Addison's? Demas is 9 years old - anything special I should know about for older dogs? Thank you so much I had a scottie with Addison's Disease which was diagnoses when he was almost 3 years old. He lived to 12.5 years. I used the regime of florineff and predisone and salt daily(lots) and he lived on a low protien diet. I did try the precortin injections which were not as effective.The are supposed to last a month and within 2 weeks he was showing sign of the disease. He did respond to the initial doasge of steroids which was the tell tale test. It was as if a light switch had been turned on when he was given the test meds. It took some time to adjust the dosage of florneiff and pred. but once I did, he was on the same dosage since I kept his weight stable. I did end up getting my meds from Canada since the price of florineff in the US is absurd. Heat and cold intolerance as well as thinning skin and poor coat are just a few of the side effects. But if it is Addison's your dog should respond well to the meds. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadasMom Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I know that my Vet is currently treating an Addisons puppy. I believe he is on Florneiff and Pred also. Quote Carol-Glendale, AZ Trolley (Figsiza Trollyn) Nevada 1992-2008...always in my heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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