Tundra is almost 8 yrs old. He has been drinking so much water, and urinating so much -- I have been worried about him for several months because of this ...but a few days ago he was lethargic, and i noticed his gums and under-eyes were not the usual pink/red, but white!!! (well, very pale, almost white).

We immediately brought him to the vet, they did a blood test, and we turned in a urine sample the next morning.

Today the results came back, and our vet, though cautious (more tests to determine for certain) says all things point to Cushing's Disease. She said they have a pamphlet at the desk for us to pick up, that explains Cushing's Disease in dogs. She says more tests are needed, to determine for certain.

She gave me the facts, plain and simple. Tundra may have Cushing's disease -- more tests are needed. It could also be cancer, but most flags are pointing to Cushing's.

If further tests determine that it is indeed Cushing's Disease, treatment is at least $400 per month, and that treats the symptoms but will not cure the disease. Life expectancy is around 2 years, from diagnosis (when people bring their dog in because something isn't "right").

And, well...

I just don't know what to do or think right now. I want to cry. I want to be strong. I must research "Cushing's Disease in dogs". My vet encourages that. I am scared, and sad. My heart beats so fast, then, it seems to stop. I love Tundra so much, you could not even imagine.

My vet is going to gather estimates for the tests to come. I will do whatever it takes.

Do any of you have experience with this? I really need commiseration, and/or advice from anyone who has been through this.

I am trying to be strong, but I keep crying (not around Tundra). I am sorry I sound so dramatic.

Tundra and I are so connected. We are soul mates, if ever a dog and human could be. I am sure we all feel that way about our canine best friends.

Please, anyone who has had any experience with this Cushing's Disease, or even if you just have a suggestion, please respond!

Thank you,

Annie (Tundra's "Mom")

i don't know anything about it but i sure hope its not the case for Tundra keep you both in my thoughts and keep us posted. we are here for you

Thank you

I am so sorry to hear this. You must be so worried right now. I don't know anything about it, but I will keep my fingers crossed that the test results come back okay. I'll be thinking of you and Tundra.

We will be thinking of you. I have not heard of it. Keep us posted. We're here for ya.

Was Tundra a rescue or do you know the sire and dam? I only ask because the owners should be alerted as autoimmune diseases such as this are sometimes hereditary.

Please, do your best to appreciate any time you have left with him. If it makes you feel any better, a friend of mine has a dog with Cushings, and he was diagnosed four years ago. He is still alive and kicking with treatment. You can do this, stay strong.

Thank you jbealer (Jennifer), Ghost, VintageJeans (Jackie) and mheath0429 (megan) for your kind responses. Yes, I am so worried right now!

Megan, yes, Tundra was a rescue, at 1 -1/2 yrs old. He was adopted from the pound at 1 yr, then given up to the pound once again six months later at age 1 -1/2, that's when I adopted him.

He seemed so happy and healthy til now. I still need to research cushing's disease, I really don't know anything about it. My vet told me so matter-of-factly, no beating around the bush, because she said she knew I once worked for a veterinarian (only as an assistant -- not a technician).

Thank you Megan for telling me about your friend's dog, who was diagnosed four years ago! That gives me hope

Thank you all for your support!!

There will be more tests. I will keep you all informed. Thank you for keeping Tundra in your thoughts.

ps: oh, and YES!!! that was one of my first thoughts: To appreciate every moment I have left with him -- to love him every single moment of every single day. (Of course I already do so, but now, my time with him seems even more precious -- not a moment to be taken for granted!)

If only we all could remember this about all the creatures and people we love..the world would be a better place.

mheath0429 wrote:

If only we all could remember this about all the creatures and people we love..the world would be a better place.

Yes, I soooo agree!

I'm so sorry..

I'm in a Vet Tech program right now in school, and we were learning a little bit about Cushing's. We were told that as long as it's treated early enough, the dog can live just as long as they would without the disease. If you didn't want to go with treatments though, Tundra still has potential to live his life expectancy, but he'll just have more side effects of the disease. The treatment usually will just keep them from the excessive urinating and drinking, along with the hair loss.

Oh!! Thank you Jennet! That is very helpful, and gives me so much hope! (Maybe I can sleep tonight, now) I really appreciate your input.

No problem! I'm glad I could help!

Sorry for Tundra's change in health but Cushings does sound treatable for a long life. Best wishes.

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm151209.htm

http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/cliented/cushings.aspx

http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html

Great links. Thank you Len. I will keep everyone posted.

Annie, do you have any updates on Tundra? Was she ever officially diagnosed with Cushing's? What treatments is she on and how's her progress so far?

I have a family member going through the same thing who has so many of the same questions. All tests are pointing to Cushing's and she's seeking the advice and support of others going through the same.

I know this post is really old, but when I saw it, I had to comment!

I had a shih tzu that had Cushing's. I am pretty sure that he had it for a long time because the poor guy didn't have a lot of hair (it was just very thin and sparse. Not thick like you would expect in a shih tzu.) Anyways, this was a long time ago, and I can't remember what it was that led us to find out that he had Cushing's. From what I understand and can remember, it's a difficult disease to treat because it's hard to tell how much medicine to give. You need to find a balance. And that is why it is so expensive because you have to test and retest all the time. For us, we did so many trials that at one point, he was overdosed, and it pushed him over to Addison's disease (which is the opposite of Cushing's!). So now we were treating Addison's disease. SOMEHOW, the problem just corrected itself and he stopped having any of these issues. At the time of all these tests, he was probably 11yrs old already. He went on to live until he was 13yrs old, and he didn't leave us because of any medical or age issues. He was a crazy senior who still ran around like a maniac puppy. My poor baby passed away due to an intestinal blockage from eating something. I still think he would've made it to 18

So my point is that Cushing's (or Addison's) is very treatable, and once you figure out the right dosage, it doesn't seem to bother them at all. But the constant testing and retesting can get very expensive. This was a couple years ago, so apologies if anything I said was incorrect! It would be nice to hear how Tundra is doing though!