Cushings & Addison's disease

Cushings is where the body produces too much of it's own natural steroid (cortisol) -- it's usually brought on by long term steroid use (the body gets used to a large amount of steroid and the body simply continues to produce more and more).

Addison's is where the body doesn't produce enough of it's own steroid.  Cause is very different and usually idiopathic (often it's an auto-immune thing).  This one involves (often) things like renal failure and it's simply where the adrenal gland doesn't put out enough of what it should

Both are body 'balance' problems - one where the body produces too much and the other too little, but the causes are way different (Addison's is hard to pinpoint a cause)

Thank you!  I thought it was one was too much, the other not enough.  But, I was getting confused. 

Friday they are giving will the LDDST test--that tests for Cushings. 

 My first dog, Candy had cushings disease. This was back in the late 90's before we knew steroid use was so bad. We would take her in every 3-4 months for a steriod shot to help her itching. Twelve years later, she had cushings. (along with thyroid as well).

Symptoms for her were very thin coat/hair, very overweight with  a "pot belly" (she was a shih tzu, and she weighed almost 18 pounds at her worst. That's obese for a shih)  and she lost all hair on her tail- Im told the rat tail apearance was a common symptom too.She was on medicine for about a year, and she did beautifully on it. She didn't look a day over 6!

 That was also before I or my family knew about the harmfulness of vaccinations. Especially since cushings and thyroid disease (if i remember correctly) are autoimmune disorders. She passed away about a week after we got her annual shots and the Proheart6 that the techs were pushing and pushing.

this is a pic of her in her prime. She died the day before thanksgiving 2003. I got her when I was 7. 

Oh, Laura, thank you for telling me that story.  She was such a little sweetie!  OMG, her little bow is so cute. 

It's interesting, the symptoms you describe can easily be confused with Prednisone side effects.  Tricky!

We're sending good thoughts for Friday!

willowchow

Friday they are giving will the LDDST test--that tests for Cushings. 

 You must be worried sick; I hope she doesn't have Cushings. I'll keep her in my thoughts.

jessies_mom

I'll keep her in my thoughts.

Absolutely -- me too

Thank you, friends.  I groomed her today and she smells like baby powder.  So, she's all clean.  And, she's fasting.  It's funny usually she's not into food but she's begging my husband for cereal.  She never does that.  It's just one of those I can't have it so I really, really want it things, I guess. 

I'm dropping her off at 8am.  And, she will have blood drawn at 8, then a small injection of medication.  Then another blood draw at noon and 4pm.  Then she can come home. 

Honestly, I'm more worried about her being there all day and being too stressed out than the test.  I truly am just humoring the vet.  I don't believe she has Cushings.  But, she does have some symptoms.  So, they want to check.  Especially, since she was on large doses of Prednisone last year.  I guess that can bring it on. 

But, thank you all!  Please send some vibes that I am right and NO Cushings!!  Thanks!!

Lori

Lori, sending NO Cushings vibes for Willow.  That's a long day for her at the clinic and I know she's going to be so happy to get home later today.

Thanks!  Well, she's there.  And, they said she can eat after the first blood draw so I left a snack.  She probably won't eat it though.  I gave her a Pepsid last night with her last meal hoping that would prevent any bile vomiting.  I don't want her to have to deal with that. 

I was upset to see the tech that came to get her wasn't one we knew.  I freaked!!  I was like, have you ever seen Willow before??  She said she had but only once.  So, she must think I'm nuts because I start giving her the run down, she doesn't need a muzzle when I'm not there, she cannot be outside the fence if they take her out, she's not used to a crate, etc. etc.  I think she got it though because as she's walking away I heard her tell Willow "come on, we are going to make you a big comfie bed to stay on".

 My cousin who works there is sick with swine flu so she's not there.  She keeps an eye on her.  But, I told one of the secretaries who knows her well to check on her and she said she would.  She's got a pit bull and we've talked about the difficulties these breeds can have, etc.  So, she understands. 

It's gonna be a long day.  I'm going to try not to call them fifty times. 

Thanks!

Lori

Good vibes headed towards Willow today!! From what I remember, they pull blood every couple hours, and then send the whole batch off somewhere. Let me know if you have any questions about it. We delt with it for I think about a year, and I remember researching my heart out.

 good luck Willow and Lori!!

We're thinking about Willow!

Lori, hang in there.  Willow, hope you have an uneventful and smooth experience at the vet, and the results are NO Cushings.