Tuesday, July 13, 2010

We are Getting Closer!

Bentley has been given a  treatment plan for Atypical Cushing's Disease after results came in yesterday.  Like many stories of health, his story hasn't been an easy one to figure out and his test results have left everyone wondering if there is more going on.  The test should have shown multiple hormones to be all over the place, but just one hormone was considered abnormal, which shouldn't surprise us at this point, should it?  Sometimes thyroid tests come back with false negatives, and so at my request (based on the advise of his dog groomer), I suggested we do further testing on his thyroid, and more extensive tests.  Did I say extensive, I meant, probably, expensive tests.  Oh well, we have come this far, and there is a nagging in my mind that there is more going on, and when I asked the specialist, she agreed and felt it was completely reasonable to do more testing on this thyroid.  She offered the testing at her clinic or his normal clinic, so back to his normal vet...

His dog groomer saw him yesterday and took one look at him, and before I could get a word in, she was all over his thyroid.  She raises spaniels and has seen his symptoms in one of her dog's before.  She even asked if he has lost weight, which is funny, because thyroid problems usually mean dog's gain weight.  Bentley has lost weight and has been part of the reason we have backed away from thyroid problems.  She said her dog lost weight and the fur on her dog looked just like Bentley's.

We are supposed to begin a treatment of Melatonin supplement to treat his adrenal gland in the mean time.  In the end, if it is just Atypical Cushing's, we have months ahead of figuring out a treatment plan that works for him.  We have to keep him on Melatonin for four months to see if there is a difference.  If there isn't, then we will have to start him on a more aggressive treatment.  We'll deal with that when we get there.

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