I hope that no one thinks that it is silly that I devote some time to blogging about our family dog, Buster. As I wrote before our nine year old beagle has two blown knees and might have Cushing.
Originally, the vet told us that if Buster did have Cushings that his treatment would be expensive. With surgery on his two back knees running nine hundred per leg, the thought of paying for expensive medicine that might not help was very troubling.
Well, good news. Buster does indeed have Cushing's but our vet is giving us a less expensive medication, Anipryl. We get a two months supply for $26! That is a relief when you consider that the next popular medicine for this disease is Lysodren. Not only is Lysodren expensive but we would have to pay for frequent tests for Buster. Lysodren destroys the outer layer of the adrenal gland. The dog has to be monitored while on it. Luckily, Anipryl is more gentle. Buster won't need frequent tests-although I think he will still have to occasionally visit the vet.
Many of his symptoms that have baffled me are explained by Cushings. We thought that our dog was senile. He whined for food and acted as if he was starving constantly. Even when he was taken outside frequently and used the bathroom, he occasionally had accidents. This was strange because he had always been so well house broken until last year. We blamed his lethargy on his growing age, but it looks like Cushing might be the culprit.
So, now that we have a diagnosis and a treatment, we are hopeful that he will improve. I probably am the only dog owner who is overjoyed that her pet really does have something wrong with him.
As far as his knees, the vet has promised to work with us on the payment. But, amazingly enough, his knees have improved enough that he is able to once more take walks with the boys. So, we can put off deciding about his knees for a bit.
The news is much more hopeful then I had imagined. The vet thinks that Buster's prognosis is good.
For those who are curious, my vet is Dr. Jenny Rodriguiez of Manchester Animal Hospital of Spring Lake. She and her staff have been very helpful and supportive. They seem to really care about their patients. So, if you need medical care for your pets and you are in the area, I would definitely recommend my Dr. Jenny Rodriguiez.
Friday, September 19, 2008
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2 comments:
Thank you for the updates. The darlings and I were praying for Buster. (Which is a great name for a dog. We can't have a dog, but I like picking dog names like Xerxes, or Pinto, or Ratzy. etc.)
My oldest prayed for Buster, because "Their only heaven is here." Meanwhile I liked saying "Buster". I guess my kiddo is a little more advanced than I am.
$26 bucks is a bargin. And, yes it it good to know what's wrong. Dr. Rodriguiez is a champ!
Not only do I thank you, Lola but my kids do also. They were very touched that someone that they had never met was praying for their dog.
We got Buster from the pound when he was already a year old, so we didn't name him. Somehow he fits his name.
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