vet appointment next friday (kinda long)

[guinnessgirl]

just looking for some quick advice... i have a habit of not preparing myself properly, and when i get to the vet, i usually forget to ask all the important questions i had planned.

so, we are taking guinness on friday. i'm a little concerned (ok, a lot) about her hips and about the possibility of cushings. i know that a little bit of information in the wrong hands can make a lot of trouble, but after reading some of the posts about cushings and the symptoms, it prompted me to call and make an appointment. on her walk the other night, she peed some high volume output three times! normally, we only allow her to go when we tell her to, but my husband said he just couldn't stop her. and, if i forget to close the door, she will sneak into the bathroom at night and drink the toilet bowl practically dry (gross, i know). that, combined with the weight gain despite less food, a roundish belly and not wanting to play anymore triggered it. also, she is on PPA on and off for nocturnal bed wetting. the doctor originally told us that the vet that did the spaying probably messed up her bladder... now i am wondering about that... i am thankful for these forums, because i would never have known that these were symptoms - i might have gone on thinking that rotties were just a lazy bunch prone to hard to remove weight gain (hey, why not... thats pretty much my lineage! LOL!!!)

after i made the appointment, it also occurred to me that guinness has been sleeping on the floor at night (she usually sleeps on the bed with me until my husband gets home from work about 4 a.m. ). i tried to call her up on the bed last night, and she got up after a bit of prompting and just put her chin on the edge of the bed. i had to help her up. she kept stamping her front feet like she was going to try to jump, but just wouldn't.
now i'm worried about her hips, too.

i'm so concerned. the last two times i brought a pet to the vet for something other than a well visit - they didn't come home. i'm getting nervous now that its going to be bad news for guinness.... in some ways, i just can't wait until friday for answers, and in others, i'm scared to death to bring her.

oh, sorry to get so off track, i'm just so upset and confused right now.
so, back to the advice i was looking for. is there anything specific i should ask the vet for? specific tests? how are the xrays normally done? guinness has never had xrays... when they did my kitty, they just took her in the back. will i be allowed to be with guinness? i don't want her to be afraid. also, please tell me... am i over reacting by making a vet appointment? the symptoms i mentioned... do they sound normal, or even perhaps like something else???

sigh.

susanna

[Bruce Lanthier]

Before you go to the vet that morning get a urine sample. The very first one of the morning, it will be the most useful. Have the vet draw blood. Let him know you suspect cushing's and that this is what you want to pursue. I would put the hip business of for now. My girl has Cushing's and everything you describe sounds just like it. She can't jump on your bed IMO because of the swollen abdomen and loss of muscle tone and control, not hips. I would very much test for Cushing's before I did anything else.

[guinnessgirl]

thank you for your response... i hope your girl is doing ok? how long did it take to get her diagnosed? what is the prognosis for cushings? are there treatments, or is it just a "biding time and making comfortable" type of thing? if its treatment, have you seen a marked difference in behavior/weight/energy/hair loss/pot belly? did you have to change the diet?

i feel guilty now that i even let it go on as long as i did... i wish i had found this site sooner... like, 4 years ago when we got her!

also, as for the urine collection... not to sound ignorant, but what happens if i miss the morning urine? and how much do i need to collect? i think i'm actually going to start practicing the collection this week, so that it doesn't cause a distraction on friday morning. is there anything special i should collect it in? (ie, plastic vs. metal... does any particular material react with urine???)

ok, thats about it for now. again, thank you so much for your input.

kindly,
susanna

[RottiMomCT]

To get a sample - go outside with her, bring a pie plate or baking dish (metal, glass, whatever - just make sure it is clean). When she squats to pee, slide the dish under her so she pees into that. Then transfer into a jar or a tupperware container (and put that into a plastic bag just in case it leaks ).

You don't need much - I used to work in a urine cytology lab and we were able to make slide from as little as 10 mls of urine...

The first morning pee for some reason is the best sample to use. If you miss it that's OK, just get the next one.

[Bruce Lanthier]

Here are some links to threads that explain my circumstances - Link1 Link2


Here is a link that describes it very well - Cushing's

The first urine in the morning is the most concentrated. It has been percolating all night. I just held a little plastic measuring cup under her and collected it.

[guinnessgirl]

thanks for all the help so far...

bruce, i'm so sorry to hear about holly. she is a very lucky dog to have you, indeed.

as for guinness, we have been practicing the collection... at first, when i put the container under her she kept spinning around trying to see what i was doing. this caused a pee-stop-spin-pee-stop-spin cycle.... eventually, i figured out that it was the pinging sound the metal pie plate was making. LOL so, the next day i tried a tupperware container, and had no problems. so i think we are good for friday.

i am very nervous about this possibly being cushings. after reading everything... the cost of medication, the side effects... i'm really hoping its not the problem. guinness is only about six years old. she's a good hearted dog, and has already been through a lot. i don't want her to have to deal with something else.

well, anyway, thanks for the support.

kindly,
susanna

[guinnessgirl]

well, guinness went to the vet today. we have no answers to anything until tomorrow. the vet said her urine looked a bit cloudy, and is testing for a urinary tract infection as well as cushings, hypothyroid, and diabetes. so, hopefully tomorrow we will have some preliminary answers. thanks for the suggestion to bring urine... the doc was very happy!

on another note, guinness gained 20 (!) pounds in less than 5 months. that is absurd, so i feel better that at least i'm not going crazy and something IS wrong... whether it be medical or just my fault (poor diet, not enough exercise). but even the doctor said that it is highly unusual to go from 85.9 pounds on 4/15/05 to 107 pounds today, and that given her current diet and exercise schedule, it was probably something medical.

at least guinness was a good girl, though she did manage to pin the doc to the floor... by sitting in her lap and putting her head on the doctor's shoulder! LOL

well, off to the nutrition board to make sure guinness' diet is acceptable.

kindly,
susanna