12/21/09 by Lisa
I just got back from taking Emily to get her teeth cleaned. It sounds like such a minor thing, but it's the first time that the vet felt she was stable enough to be put under for the procedure. She came through that fine, but her weight is showing a decline (not major, but a downward trend). It could be that her teeth were hurting her and affecting the amount of kibbles she's been eating, but she certainly hasn't lost interest in table-scraps and we don't feel like she's eating less overall. She is now sacked out by her Daddy on the couch and hopefully her pain medicine will kick in soon (she had to have some teeth out). I'm worried about the weight, but the vet sent off some more bloodwork and she's coming back in 2 weeks for a re-check. Hopefully all will be well. She's such a sweet little girl and took all of this with not much push-back (except that she had to be carried into the back room to get the procedure).
11/6/09 by Lisa
Emily just had her annual exam with her primary doctor. Her big lump is normal and nothing to worry about. She's stable enough now that the doctor feels comfortable putting her under to clean her teeth as a precaution - just one more possible place of infection to avoid. Emily will hate it, but it's better to get it done. I wait in the lobby while she is in there the whole time in case something goes wrong, so that will be quite stressful. But, it means we can go home as soon as she's recovered and she spends the least amount of time possible at the vet.
9/6/09 by Lisa
Emily's tests were all clear! Her senior blood panel was fine. Her kidneys and all functions are good, and her other levels are being managed by the treatment. It was all worth it to be sure it's a good idea to keep her on the treatment (though I'm sure she'd disagree).
9/1/09 by Lisa
Emily went in for her 6-month test today and her senior bloodwork panel. She handled it really well, but she is not happy with me. As soon as we got out of the car, she ran away from the doors to the building. I betrayed her trust by going for this "ride". She did get chicken, but it may take her a while to forgive me. Hopefully, we'll know the results in the next few days.
8/16/09 by Lisa
Emily is continuing to astound us both with how well she is doing on her treatment. It's almost time for her every-6-months all-morning test, so hopefully that will go well (I'm more nervous about it than she is). The lump on her chest continues to grow, but she doesn't have any problems with it. It doesn't bother her when she has her chest and belly "furminated". She loves the Furminator! I think she likes the close attention (as if we ignore her the rest of the time), and I imagine it feels good to get rid of the loose undercoat. She keeps being a trooper, so hopefully the treatment will continue to work for her.
5/11/09 by Lisa
Emily is now completely off her antibiotic and feeling fine. She just has her regular trilostane treatments. It was probably a coincidence, but while she was on the antibiotic, she wouldn't/couldn't jump up to the couch or bed on her own. Now, she's back to being a jumpin' fool. :) She's had a bad week with all the storms each night, and is completely stressed by them. She at least gets to catch up on her sleep during the day.
4/7/09 by Lisa
Emily went in for her intermediate exam to check the growing lump on her chest and to address an infection we thought she had. Her lump is fine - it is just a fatty-type that is nothing to worry about, and one other new one got checked as well. That was really a relief since it was so big and so close to her heart. All indications are that she did have the infection, and they sent off a culture so we will know what kind of antibiotics to give her. She doesn't mind those - that just means chicken for lunch too! We're supposed to hear from the vet tomorrow, so hopefully it is the kind that responds well to antibiotics. She's loving the cold weather snap and even the few snow showers here today!
3/22/09 by Lisa
Emily has been doing really well, and has been feeling good enough to do a few "insane dog" routines for us - running around the house as fast as she can. It is always a happy sight to see! She really enjoyed her walk to a new place today, and was very energetic. She isn't having any major problems right now. The lump on her chest is getting bigger, but the last test was benign - it doesn't seem to bother her (it scares me of course). She's having some ear problems, but that is pretty typical. She is due for her intermediate evaluation soon, so I'll let you know how that goes. She is just being her typical self and we of course love that! Thank you for keeping her in your thoughts.
1/3/09 by Lisa
This Christmas, Emily officially exceeded the average survival time after a diagnosis of Cushings. Every time I looked at her throughout the holidays, I thought about what a trooper she has been and how patient, loving, and tolerant of vet visits she continually was. We are really lucky to have found a treatment that she is responding to and thriving under. The vet visits are still very stressful, and we are single-handedly funding the Trilostane pharmaceutical market :), but of course she is worth it. She has been in very good spirits. She is still tired a lot, she has had a runny nose for a while, and the lump on her chest is growing a little larger (it was biopsied before and was not cancerous). Other than that, she is doing well and lets us know how well every time she smells chicken in the house. Her decibel level is definitely unaffected! She had a great time today at the Autrey Mill nature preserve and we've been taking her on special walks like that more often lately. Right now, she is pawing at my chair for attention - so off I go!
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