I just talked to Krissy vet and her cortisol levels are 22 when it should be below 13. She will go to the vet on Sunday and spend the night for nore testing as based on the previous testing the vet thinks it is this:
Pituitary gland tumor: The most common cause of Cushing's Disease (85% of all cases) is a tumor of the pituitary gland. The tumor may be either benign or malignant. The tumor causes the pituitary to overproduce a hormone, which stimulates the adrenal glands. Excessive cortisone secretion results. The tumor may be either microscopic or quite large. Depending on the size of the tumor, the presence of signs other than Cushing's will be variable. Generally, if the activity of the adrenal gland can be controlled, many dogs with this form of Cushing's Disease can live normal lives for many years as long as they take their medication and stay under close medical supervision. Growth of the pituitary tumor would give the patient a less favorable prognosis.
My husband wants to fix her no matter what but I worry about her quality of life. She is not happy now and I don't want her to be unhappy for years. This is going to be a tough one to decide whats best. I may try the medication and see what happens and just take it from there.
Her sugar levels are fine so no diabetes.
We will know more after the testing Sunday and Monday. The vet said some tumors don't grow beyond a certain point and she heard of one dog at UC Davis when she worked there doing well for 12 years. |