Wylie has Hypothyroid, Pyoderma, and maybe Cushing's Disease

[kalina82]

Hi Ann, just checking in on you guys to see if you got Wylie's test results back. I'm still thinking about you guys each day, hoping its just hypothyroid.

[zoeybear]

Crossing our fingers for good news today on Wylie!!!!

[Lou]

Just checking in for a report.

[Nancy1999]

Hope it's good news!

[yorkiepuppie]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

Hope it's good news!

me too!

[Wylie's Mom]

UPDATE

Well, no definitive diagnosis...I'm kind of upset . Wylie's ACTH number came back as 19.2 -- if it was above 22, they would've said Cushing's - if it had been below 18 - they would've said probably not Cushings. He's in the range they call "equivocal" - meaning he may or may not have it. His "resting cortisol" (before the test started) was 7.8 - normal is 2-6. So his cortisol is elevated, but they still can't be definitive about it.

Bc Cushing's can be so tough to diagnose, they held some of his blood back in case something like this happened. So now, they are sending that blood to the Univ. of Tennessee - and they will do a study on all of his sex hormones and other hormones to see if this cortisol elevation is due to his sex hormones or something else. Then, we may *still* have to do the Low Dose Dexamethasone Test after we get the blood work back.

It takes 10-14 days to hear back from the U of Tenn. - and then we go from there. In the meantime, she wants me to collect another home-urine to test cortisol-creatinine again.

I will say he is drinking/peeing slightly less now that he is on the thyroid...but it is still excessive, just not as much as before.

Any thoughts on the cortisol?

Thanks for all your well wishes ....we now have to wait up to 2 weeks more...I just hate this not knowing.

[QuickSilver]

Aw, I'm sorry you did not get an answer either way. How frustrating. Do you have a better sense of the odds now? Is it more than likely yes or no?

[Nancy1999]

I was wondering, if the fact that he had had low thyroid for a period of time, might throw off the results of this test, did the doctor say anything about this? I know it's hard not knowing, but I'm still hoping and praying it's just the low thyroid, the thyroid regulates things at a cellular level, and can make such a huge difference in every bodily system.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Aw, I'm sorry you did not get an answer either way. How frustrating. Do you have a better sense of the odds now? Is it more than likely yes or no?

I don't even know . I did ask "Wouldn't his adrenals be slightly hypertrophied if he has pituitary based Cushing's?" -- and she said, "no, not necessarily" -- so even his perfect adrenals don't rule-out the pituitary based Cushing's. Dang it. She basically couldn't tell me a thing either way...so frustrating.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I was wondering, if the fact that he had had low thyroid for a period of time, might throw off the results of this test, did the doctor say anything about this? I know it's hard not knowing, but I'm still hoping and praying it's just the low thyroid, the thyroid regulates things at a cellular level, and can make such a huge difference in every bodily system.

She didn't think so...which does seem odd to me, bc I think the whole body is under stress during hypo or hyperthyroid, ya know? So it would've made sense to me if excess cortisol was a secondary thing to any thyroid issue. I wish it could be just that....we'll see what his urine cortisol says 2nd time around too, now that he's been on thyroxine - maybe that'll tell us something...

[yorkiepuppie]

oh man! another two weeks!!!

glad to hear that wylie is doing better though.

[Juliealfies mum]

I have just seen this thread all about Wylie. Iam so sorry you are no further along with all the tests. It is so frustrating when they cannot make a positive diagnosis when all you want is to know what is wrong with your little one.
Sending you and Wylie a hug.

[toke]

I just had to post to wish you and little Wylie well. The fact that he's improving a bit sounds like a good sign to me. This waiting must be driving you flat out of your mind.

At least Wylie has no clue and is just going about his little doggie biz. Sometimes it's really nice to be a pooch.

[Ellie May]

Oh no.
I hate not having answers.
and the money needed just to get this diagnosed...
That number is concerning though.

[kalina82]

oh wow, that is so frustrating Ann. Maybe his levels have been so out of whack for so long because of the hypothyroidism that its just leveling out now with the meds.