The way Dr. D (holistic vet) explains it -- after they've had such a critical disease (as Billy's IMHA or Willow's thrombocytopenia) the longer term steroid use creates a situation in the body the sorta sets it up to **look** "Cushingoid" -- that's literally the term she uses. It doesn't mean they HAVE it ... it means they just sorta look "iffy" enough LIKE Cushings that it's the first thing that jumps out at them.
So in total honesty, the **responsible** vet suggestion is to test for Cushings and Addisons'. They are kind of "opposites" (Cushings comes after long term steroid use, Addisons is where the body doesn't produce enough of it) but again the profile almost similarly.
Lori, Billy has been "tested" for Cushings ... hmm, like FOUR TIMES I think over the last 3 years. Simply because he's in a high risk group -- big disease, long term steroids, cruddy skin and/or coat. So they test **first**.
Then -- once that's clear they go on. At this point they've got those tests so they are finding it earlier and earlier. FINDING it is key -- That's why not only do regular vets do it, but the holistic vets stand there and nod and say 'Yeah, you gotta test for THAT'.
The test doesn't hurt. It's a specific blood workup but they have to be fasted for a certain number of hours, and then they draw blood and THEN they feed them and after a certain length of time they draw blood again.
I think your vet is gonna say "No, I don't **really** think it is, but we **MUST** elminate it before we look further.
It's honestly just one of the things a vet has to do in order to be responsible. Because to ignore a Cushings test, when it profiles LIKE Cushings, and go on to other things just isn't the right way to do it. Because if you treat for Cushings (or Addisons) ***BEFORE** it actually manifests in the blood, kidneys or liver -- THEN you've got a heck of a good chance of successful treatment and management of the disease for a long, long, LONG time.
But ... if you let either of those diseases go **until** they manifest in the regular bloodwork? You've got a SICK dog on your hands that may not respond well to treatment.
Four times Billy's been tested and four times it's come back negative. A waste? nope. Because we had to elminate that first. And if it WAS Cushings, then I'd have a whole lot better chance even of treating it holistically without it being a death sentence.
Both Cushings and Addisons are "body balance" problems. That's why the early detection is such a big deal.
It's like renal problems -- if you catch them SUPER early you've got a danged good shot at maintenance for a good long while -- because you're catching it before there is big damage. But if you don't catch it early -- and you wait until bloodwork shows renal failure -- you've got a dog who won't live long.
Really -- don't be afraid of it. It's a p.i.t.a. because she's got to be fasted and she's not going to enjoy it. I think it's like 4-6 hours after food that they draw the 2d vial of blood -- so she does have to be there a while.
I know that isn't good news -- but it's not horrible.
Let's see - how can I compare this to something else to make it make sense?? It's kinda like they want we ladies to do a mammogram annually after a certain age. Then if they find a problem on the mammogram THEN they go further. They don't just zoom in and biopsy the first lump someone feels.
Now some of us are in a higher risk group for breast cancer than others. So you take checking things seriously -- maybe younger or more often. That doesn't mean you're gonna get it -- it just means you have to take extra steps to be vigilant because catching early is critical.
I'm just trying to compare this with something else so it makes sense. There are some dogs who won't EVER have a bile acids test for Cushings. Wouldn't ever even occur. But then there are 'speshul' dogs like Willow and Billy the Venturer who are in that riskier group.