Question:
As some of you might know, Misty was diagnosed with Cushings some months ago. We went through the loading phase and then she was put on a maintenance dose. Her maintenance dose was increased slightly as her cortisol levels were slightly elevated.

Last weekend, we went back to the vet's to get her ACTH Stim test done to check on her cortisol levels and to make sure that her maintenance dose was correct. She also has a couple of lumps that we discussed having removed and she also needs to get her teeth cleaned so we booked her in for the surgery on June 27th.

Well, her test results came in, her Cortisol levels are back up. This now means that we are going through the whole loading phase again starting Sunday. This period terrifies me. We have to be extra observant to her habits. If there is any change in her eating or drinking habits or if there is any vomiting, diarrhea, etc. we have to stop the medication immediately. If she is given too much it could throw her into drug induced addisons which may not be reversible. Now she can't have surgery until her cushing is brought back under control.

This worries me because one of the lumps is on her bum, right below her tail and above her anal opening. I'm afraid of it starting to interfere with her bowel movements as it is growing. The vet feels more comfortable putting her through surgery once her Cortisol levels are brought back down to normal levels. I'm just very worried about the whole thing. I trust my vet, he is awesome, but I'm just worried about my baby.

The lump on her bum scares me too. I'm afraid of it growing to the point that surgery will cause a problem with her having her regular bowel movements. I'm also scared about her recovery. I keep thinking that the surgery is going to be painful to recover from. Has anyone had a dog who has had this type of lump removal?

Answer:
Hi Beaglemom,I've been there with Daisy (golden retriever 10 years old) 2 months ago.She had a lump (mast) on the side of her anal opening and it maybe not be the same kind of lump but,it grew very fast (from the time we discovered it until the operation,3 weeks,almost the size of an orange) the operation was a sucess ! It was a first for my vets and I am very "proud" of them.After the operation,she had to eat high fiber food to help her with her stools and I had to put vaseline on the area until the stitches came out so the area would stay "tender".(ok,not the right word!) It went so much better than I tought.The thing you have to look for now is her stool.Just before her operation,Daisy's stool were starting to come out very "slim" because the mast was growing and pushing on her anus,making it smaller.I'm sure I couldn't have waited one more week.So don't worry about the op,but keep an eye on her stool and lump.Good luck and keep us posted.

Answer:
Thank you Frenchy for your great advice. Glad to hear that Daisy's operation was a success!

Misty's lump was discovered a few months ago. It has been growing, but not that quickly. I'm concerned that we are postponing her surgery until we get her cushings under control may take longer than we anticipate. Having her go through surgery before then is risky as cushingoid dogs are more prone to infections and would healing can take longer.

Answer: