Diabetic and Cushings

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by aweitzm1

Originally we did the LDSS test which was normal. About a month later with no change in symptoms we did the ACTH test which came back positive for Cushings Disease. He has been on Veteroyl for about two months now and it seems to be helping. Last test showed his numbers were high normal compared to high the first time.

He still pees and drinks a lot but not as much.

Really glad you did the ACTH so you have an answer to what's going on. Once you get his Vetoryl titrated correctly, you should see the peeing/drinking decrease even more...once the cortisol comes down. Hopefully the vet increased the Vetoryl again, based upon the 'high normal'...? Btw, it took us a good year to get Wylie's Lysodren correctly titrated years ago - bc of the cycle of adjusting meds-wait 6wks-ACTH-adust again -- etcetera. It just takes time.

[GuinnessStout]

I can NOT wait to have Guinness’a level normal... with both diabetic and Cushings this dog is flooding my kitchen every day... I gave up on crating because he would just end up in a lake of pee

[GuinnessStout]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Keep us posted - keep breathing and just know you'll get your baby to a better place !

Question... almost a year ago we noticed the tips of Guinness’s ears were hard so we took him to the vet and was gave EnteDerm and told it was just skin issue. And they cleared up for the most part after the crust fell off BUT now they still flake and the edges are turning dark but the fur did start to come back in those areas. BUT after the diabetes and all his ears where one of the main reasons I pushed for the Cushings test because odd sores and diabetic screamed Cushings.

So my question is did you have to deal with this issue with Wylie? I don’t know if his ear tips are really dying or if it is a fungus I need to keep treating... I don’t know... I know they do not seem to bother him but they are not pretty to look at haha

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

Question... almost a year ago we noticed the tips of Guinness’s ears were hard so we took him to the vet and was gave EnteDerm and told it was just skin issue. And they cleared up for the most part after the crust fell off BUT now they still flake and the edges are turning dark but the fur did start to come back in those areas. BUT after the diabetes and all his ears where one of the main reasons I pushed for the Cushings test because odd sores and diabetic screamed Cushings.

So my question is did you have to deal with this issue with Wylie? I don’t know if his ear tips are really dying or if it is a fungus I need to keep treating... I don’t know... I know they do not seem to bother him but they are not pretty to look at haha

Totally hear you on this. One of the main reasons I kept insisting something was wrong with my Wylie was bc of chronic/recurrent ear and skin infections (in addition to drinking and peeing, and hair loss). So you may fight the ear issues for a while yet.

Was the infection diagnosed as 'pyoderma', and was the bug staph intermdedius...do you know? If so, that's bacterial and most Vets would use Simplicef x 30 days to treat it. If it's fungal and recurrent or not really going away - then you'd probably want it cultured for sure (10-14 days) and then perhaps to a 6wk regimen of Diflucan or similar to really knock out that fungus. To me, it does rather look more fungal.

If you think this could be 'leather ear' - I'd get control of it fast bc this can move down his face and further with time.

[Wylie's Mom]

Also - you may want to get him on grain free food if he's not already bc infections, yeast / fungi etc feed off of carbs. Also would be a better food for diabetes.

Just be sure that you avoid grain-free foods with a high amount (ie, predominant in the first 5 ingreds) of legumes – beans, lentils, and peas – and root vegetables – white and sweet potatoes. This is bc of the possible correlation btwn grain-free foods and some heart issues - in dogs who consume grain-free diets with an excessive amount of those ingreds (released by FDA).

[GuinnessStout]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Totally hear you on this. One of the main reasons I kept insisting something was wrong with my Wylie was bc of chronic/recurrent ear and skin infections (in addition to drinking and peeing, and hair loss). So you may fight the ear issues for a while yet.

Was the infection diagnosed as 'pyoderma', and was the bug staph intermdedius...do you know? If so, that's bacterial and most Vets would use Simplicef x 30 days to treat it. If it's fungal and recurrent or not really going away - then you'd probably want it cultured for sure (10-14 days) and then perhaps to a 6wk regimen of Diflucan or similar to really knock out that fungus. To me, it does rather look more fungal.

If you think this could be 'leather ear' - I'd get control of it fast bc this can move down his face and further with time.

No it wasn’t that they called it and it was never sent off to test... BUT I was putting jock itch stuff on it when it appeared to clear up some and then stopped.

The leather one scares me BUT I just don’t know if that is what it is... ugh.... and I feel like I’m the vet trying to figure all this crap out on my own because clearly all the real vets in my area SUCK!!

Somebody let Guinness have scrabbled eggs this morning so I just came to liquid poo... I need a couple bottles of wine and a vacation at this point.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

Question... almost a year ago we noticed the tips of Guinness’s ears were hard so we took him to the vet and was gave EnteDerm and told it was just skin issue. And they cleared up for the most part after the crust fell off BUT now they still flake and the edges are turning dark but the fur did start to come back in those areas. BUT after the diabetes and all his ears where one of the main reasons I pushed for the Cushings test because odd sores and diabetic screamed Cushings.

So my question is did you have to deal with this issue with Wylie? I don’t know if his ear tips are really dying or if it is a fungus I need to keep treating... I don’t know... I know they do not seem to bother him but they are not pretty to look at haha

This looks like cutaneous vasculitis to me. I have seen it affect the whole body where they have open sores....and then just the ear tips...black on edges and pieces of the ear actually coming off. Ask your vet about it...I think it can be diagnosed with a skin scraping. Some vets don't know a lot about it apparently because it happened to my DIL's dog years ago and the vet kept insisting the dog had been burned. She took her to another vet who diagnosed it.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

No it wasn’t that they called it and it was never sent off to test... BUT I was putting jock itch stuff on it when it appeared to clear up some and then stopped.

The leather one scares me BUT I just don’t know if that is what it is... ugh.... and I feel like I’m the vet trying to figure all this crap out on my own because clearly all the real vets in my area SUCK!!

Somebody let Guinness have scrabbled eggs this morning so I just came to liquid poo... I need a couple bottles of wine and a vacation at this point.

You can find vet specialists at this link....you can search using zip code:

American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine > Home

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

This looks like cutaneous vasculitis to me. I have seen it affect the whole body where they have open sores....and then just the ear tips...black on edges and pieces of the ear actually coming off. Ask your vet about it...I think it can be diagnosed with a skin scraping. Some vets don't know a lot about it apparently because it happened to my DIL's dog years ago and the vet kept insisting the dog had been burned. She took her to another vet who diagnosed it.

Good call, Linda!! It does really look like that!

Alisha - see this article about it - and be sure to see 'Differential Diagnosis' section for sure.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Good call, Linda!! It does really look like that!

Alisha - see this article about it - and be sure to see 'Differential Diagnosis' section for sure.

LOL just another of those wonderful things I have experienced.

[GuinnessStout]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

This looks like cutaneous vasculitis to me. I have seen it affect the whole body where they have open sores....and then just the ear tips...black on edges and pieces of the ear actually coming off. Ask your vet about it...I think it can be diagnosed with a skin scraping. Some vets don't know a lot about it apparently because it happened to my DIL's dog years ago and the vet kept insisting the dog had been burned. She took her to another vet who diagnosed it.

That is what the vet said it was... I could not think of the name.
All he told me to do was put the medicine he gave me on it and watch it... of course now he is retired so don’t know what I am “watching for” lol

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

That is what the vet said it was... I could not think of the name.
All he told me to do was put the medicine he gave me on it and watch it... of course now he is retired so don’t know what I am “watching for” lol

What was the name of the med? I don't know of any topical treatment that will work for it. They use prednisone but that would probably be contraindicated here (there are other meds as well).....if you can find a specialist I think you will be much happier.

[GuinnessStout]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

What was the name of the med? I don't know of any topical treatment that will work for it. They use prednisone but that would probably be contraindicated here (there are other meds as well).....if you can find a specialist I think you will be much happier.

EnteDerm is the name.

It looks like I have to take him back in tomorrow anyway... poor guy started with yellow liquid butt mud again. I need my own waiting room at his vet’s office at this point.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by GuinnessStout

EnteDerm is the name.

It looks like I have to take him back in tomorrow anyway... poor guy started with yellow liquid butt mud again. I need my own waiting room at his vet’s office at this point.

That is not a med I would think would work for cutaneous vasculitis. Ask the vet tomorrow since you are going anyway. So sorry....so stressful.

[GuinnessStout]

Question... I was feeding Guinness boiled chicken and rice and thought it was time to go back to his dog food but his blood sugar spiked back up to the 500s sooo back to boiled Chicken and rice. Is it ok for long term? If so what is the correct measurements for feeding him? What veggies can I mix in?