Grace has Cushing's Disease

I'm really sorry about the crummy diagnosis. I don't know much about Cushings but I'm sure Callie will have some knowledge. I also thought that Janice (Jessie's mom) had some information on it, but I'm not certain of that. I don't blame you for wanting to learn all you can before you decide on a course of treatment. I hope that there are some good options for treating the disease but keeping Grace as happy and fit as she is now.

Cushings responds really well to diet, but I don't do raw myself.  If *I* had a dog with Cushings, I have always decided that I would treat homeopathically.  In particular, I'd find a vet who does homotoxicology.

Now -- I'm at work, and I honestly can *not* go into this in depth right now, but I'll be glad to discuss it later, in fact, I'll talk to you on the phone if you want.

Meg is absolutely right about the TCVM but I wouldn't use *just* TCVM in the case of Cushings if there is a homotox practioner anywhere you can get to.  However, TCVM is also going to be really really good to the adrenals and also help the body balance -- homotox and TCVM often go hand in hand (or paw in paw) like this.

This isn't something I say lightly -- I've had two different dogs that they suspected Cushings on, and I've actually REALLY considered this hard.  It's a body balance problem -- and caught early (and this sounds *early*) it would definitely be homeopathics for me.

Another thot -- and this is also something to talk about later -- I would be *incredibly* cautious about an ultra high protein diet -- I know there is a huge trend right now to saying that hi protein is FINE for dogs with renal problems - but honestly, that is NOT my experience (and I've had three dogs live to be 19 and over and one, in particular, was in early renal failure the last 3 years of his life and it **never** progressed -- so I am doing something right here).  It's not just what you *can* do -- for me it's all about health and longevity (if that distinction makes any sense to you). But definitely you want to go with no grain!!.

As I said, I'm time-impaired at the moment, but will definitely be glad to discuss this at length and explain the whole homeopathy thing.

  I'm sorry to hear about Grace. Monica has a very informative chapter about Cushing's in her book " Optimal Nutrition." The only advice she had concerning diet was geared towards being proactive to prevent possible complications caused by Cushing's such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, and liver disease. Her recommendations were to feed a diet that is low to moderate in fat, moderate in protein, and low in purines. A raw diet would be contraindicated because they're often high in fat. Jessie was tested for Cushing's a few weeks ago at Purdue because the internist wanted to rule out the disease before starting her on inhaled steroids for chronic bronchitis. Like Grace, she does not look like a Cushing's dog; even at eleven years old her muscle tone is great and she has a thick shiny coat. Jessie tested negative but I read a lot about Cushing's while waiting for the test results and I honestly don't believe Addison's is a real risk if your dog is watched closely ( frequent blood tests ) during the initial dosing period. Lysoderm has been around a long time and vets are very familiar with the potential complications and how to avoid them. Have you heard of L-Deprenyl, brand name Anipril; 

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/pituitary_treatment.html; 

"L-Deprenyl inhibits the enzymes involved in degradation of dopamine. This means that the dopamine present lasts much longer. It also stimulates the production of other neurotransmitters that serve to stimulate dopamine production. It is also able to synergize with dopamine as dopamine binds to the intermediate pituitary gland. More dopamine, means less ACTH release overall, which means less steroid production by the adrenal glands. Because of the unique mechanism of this medication, Addison's disease is not a concern and thus no monitoring tests are required with the use of L-Deprenyl. L-Deprenyl is the only medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of Cushing's disease in the dog. For frail dogs with only light Cushing's symptoms, L-Deprenyl may be a good choice."

  The way to tell if it is working is if your dog's symptoms subside. It is more expensive than Lysoderm and only seems to be effective in about 20% of dogs with Cushing's, but since your dog's symptoms aren't severe it may be worth a try. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the test Wednesday is negative for Cushing's; sending healing vibes for Grace.

 Diane I have no helpful information just wanted to say I am sorry Grace is sick and I hope that you can go a holistic/tcvm route that will get the Cushing's under control. 

We're sending our best healing bird dog vibes her way!

kpwlee

Diane I have no helpful information just wanted to say I am sorry Grace is sick and I hope that you can go a holistic/tcvm route that will get the Cushing's under control. 

Same here.