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Originally Posted by kalina82  How old is Wylie now? he's only a few years old right?
unfortunately with his symptoms is does sounds like cushings...  but there is a possibility its not.
If it is cushings and its determined that he has an adrenal mass they will probably monitor it for the first few months. U/S will be needed to check the growth every few months. if its rapidly growing, i think they'll want to take it out since Wylie is young and otherwise healthy. I don't know if they do biopsies first under ansesthesia with a U/S needle guided aspiration. I don't know a lot about this as i was on the surgery end of the disease and not the internal medicine end.
I had assisted in a few adrenalectomies before and it is quite complicated. Not to get graphic but when the dog is on the operating table on his back all the other organs are basically on top of the adrenal glads. With a smaller dog it might be easier since they are not as deep. As you known and i'm sure you'd do, i recommend a board certified surgeon to do this surgery. Are you going to an Internist at a referral center? If so they probably have a surgeon there that would do the surgery. These dogs need to be highly monitored during and post surgery. Many test need to be run prior, during, and post to make sure the patient is doing ok. After all is said and done, many dogs do great afterwards. I'm not sure if they need to be on meds for life after surgery.
Wylie has a lot of things going for him and I know he is going to be ok no matter what happens!  |
That's also what's odd about this...he's only 4.5 years old, so it's unusual - but not unheard of. Isn't that weird? I will say, he did not come from a good breeder, so there is no telling if this is in his line or what. It seems the cause of Cushing's is not really understood.
I've been reading about the sugery...and I agree, it looks very complex and risky - and the dog is at quite a risk for the 6 mths following the surgery; I will be sure I check out the surgeon if it comes to that. The "mecca" of clinics I'm going to has
all kinds of specialties - this is where the derm is - and she is the one who recommended this specific Internist - so at least I feel good about seeing this new vet tomorrow. I will ask the Internist about the surgeon specialties they have there too.
I don't even know what to hope for...I mean, on one hand - I'd rather it was adrenal so we could remove it...on the other, I almost hope it's pituitary and tiny and he could live w/ it forever w/ meds. But then, you get into the medications to manage it - and those are awful medications too.
And then the prognosis is alllll over the board
! Some say 2 years, some say a dog can live 10 more years. I think I need to remember that *most* dogs are diagnosed so late in life -- and that's probably why the prognosis numbers are skewed. Don't you think?
Thanks for all of your help and kind words...I know I'll get him through this...and I'm still holding out that it's only thyroid - but either way, it just helps to post about it and hear others' thoughts.