[samjane]

Hi, everyone. I'm new here and am hoping this community might be able to educate me and help me develop a list of questions for my boy's next vet visit. A little background to begin:

In 1997 I was an angst ridden fifteen-year-old who cried for three days before my parents caved and went to the pet store to rescue the little Yorkie I was already calling "Toto." (I'm hoping this won't turn into an argument about how we acquired him as it was a long time ago and we weren't educated about puppy mills, etc.)

Fifteen years (and half my life) later and here we are. I'm a "grown up" who moved to California and Toto is a senior who lives with our mom in Florida. He's lost his hearing and can't see very well but my mom swears he still wags his tail for "cookies" and likes to go for short walks.

For at least the last year he has had major issues with barking relentlessly. Day or night, even at 3:00am. Mom says he is constantly wanting to be fed. In the last year (maybe longer) the vet diagnosed him with renal disease and his food was switched to something for seniors, much to his dismay.

My mother has been talking about his skin condition for several months now and I have been checking in with her every day for the last few weeks. He has always had sensitive skin issues but lately his itching and little bumps have gotten worse. He has skin discoloration in the form of dark spots. The vet had her buy a special shampoo a few weeks ago and she bathes him every few days but she says it doesn't seem to be letting up.

The vet mentioned that Toto "might have Cushings" but from what I know he offered no tests to diagnose it. Currently my mother is trying to give him homeopathic "remedies" on the advice of my aunt. To say that I am skeptical of the homeopathic treatment regimen having any kind of effect would be a vast understatement but my mother swears it has helped him with other things before. It's a losing battle so I no longer argue with her about it. She is his primary caregiver and does everything she can. She loves him just as much as I do. She even knows him better since I have lived across the country for the last five years.

She says he won't let her hold him for very long but that he has been pretty good when it comes to the baths (meaning he doesn't put up a fight or struggle). He sleeps on a pillow in her closet. He sleeps a lot. He needs to pee in the middle of the night and when he barks and wakes her up she takes him out.

I want to be respectful of my mom because of all the work she does to care for him and all the love she gives him in my absence. But I don't get the sense that she has been pushing the vet to give him a proper diagnosis.

I am hoping that this community can help me put together a list of questions for her to ask (or present to) the vet when she takes Toto in. She will go this weekend or first thing next week. I want the vet to be more definitive as to what is going on inside of my dog. I know Toto doesn't have a lot of time left but I want to make sure that he isn't suffering. I want to make sure he is never in pain. And I want to make sure that I go home to be with him and spend time with him as soon as I can. Especially if he is about to seriously deteriorate.

I appreciate any help you are willing to give and any kind words you might have to say. Again, I know he's lived a long life and that we are lucky to have had him and loved him for so many years. He has given us so much joy and I want to make sure that in the end we do right by him.

Thank you in advance for your contributions to my first post. I have to go to sleep now. I will be out during the day but I will do my best to check in when I can.