# Golden acts Starved need advise.



## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

Hello all, and ahead of time thanks for any advise. I have an 8 year old golden and she has been an angel all of her life, she has always loved food and snacks but recently she is acting bad, getting into trash, stealing food, she eats twice a day 3 cups in morning, 2 at night because she is overweight. She has been around 85 to 95 lbs for years but now is 106lbs, with a fatty belly. She has always drank a lot of water but seems its worse now, she always pants heavy even in the air conditioning. Her hair grows slowly if at all. She has always had sensitive skin with occasional rashes and hot spots her whole life. About 2 months ago I took her to the vet who said she had "kinda low" thyroid numbers, he put her on Soloxine 1 twice a day. But nothing has changed. She has always been timid and gentle when taking food but now if you hand her anything she will scarf down your whole hand. I have been out of work for a couple years now waiting for disability so I don't have any money. My mom paid for her last vet appointment, and i still owe the vet $600 for my other dogs ACL repair. I don't know what to do. Should I beg borrow and steal to get her back to the vet? Does it sound like hypothyroidism to you? Thanks from Halo and Michelle


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

What thyroid test was done? A basic T4 or the 6 panel test? Either way you need a to test it again to check the levels, preferably the 6 panel one sent off to MSU or Dr Dodds (Hemopet). Those run around a hundred bucks but tell you the real thyroid story where a simple T4 will not.

5 cups a day for an 8yr old is a HUGE amount of kibble, wow. Decrease the kibble amount and add green beans frozen, fresh, or canned (no salt added) to fill her up. Just my 2 cents.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I don't know anything about thyroids, I hope other members will catch that part, but your title caught my eye, because I have a girl myself who is on prednisone at the moment and acts like she is starved all day.
However, Tess only gets 2 cups a day compared to the 5 cups your girl gets...of course I don't know what you feed, but it sounds like a lot to me, and if she is still hungry...I would probably get her back to the vet. Did you get the actual thyroid level? Our members have very good experiences with sending them to Dr Dodds. I do hope others will chime in.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Mriddl02*

When did Halo have the thyroid test?
How long has she been taking the medication?
I would call the vet and ask what they think it could be. 
You said you still owe the vet $600, so I'm assuming he will let you pay as you can.

I agree with the others that 5 cups a day is way too much. My dogs get 2 cups per day.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Call the vet and let him know that nothing has changed and see what he says. Agree with the others 5 cups a day is alot.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

By the way, meant to say welcome to the forum. 

Wanted to say also when cutting back the food to do it gradually, or you might run the risk of the dog going into what is known as starvation mode. Makes it much harder for them to lose weight . Can you walk her daily with your disability? Exercise is key too but if she is not use to it take that gradually too.

I know money is tight as you mentioned but wanted to say a Cool Bed 3 for 50 bucks from Amazon makes a huge difference in their comfort. the A/C was not enough for my old boy either, the Cool Bed made a huge difference.

Use the search feature for the forum too, vast amount of knowledge at your fingertips.


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

I am on the phone with the vet now, seeing if we can work something out. As for the test it was done 5/30/12 she has been on 2 pills a day since then. They did a comprehensive health panel and in it was the t4 her level was .4 ..... As for the food when i took her in the vet said i was under feeding her with 3 1/2 cups a day and to put her on fit n trim increase the amount to 6 cups ( 3 every 12 hours) for 2 weeks then slowly decrease to 5 cups. I could no longer afford the Iams weight control. I made an appointment for tonight Vet says he wants to recheck her kindey levels i guess something was off on them and check her for diabetes. I will post more after the appointment. I will mention the fact that seems I am over feeding.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Mriddl02 said:


> I am on the phone with the vet now, seeing if we can work something out. As for the test it was done 5/30/12 she has been on 2 pills a day since then. They did a comprehensive health panel and in it was the t4 her level was .4 ..... As for the food when i took her in the vet said i was under feeding her with 3 1/2 cups a day and to put her on fit n trim increase the amount to 6 cups ( 3 every 12 hours) for 2 weeks then slowly decrease to 5 cups. I could no longer afford the Iams weight control. I made an appointment for tonight Vet says he wants to recheck her kindey levels i guess something was off on them and check her for diabetes. I will post more after the appointment. I will mention the fact that seems I am over feeding.


Oh she is eating low cal food. It normally calls for more per serving. I agree with him that 3 1/2 cups of reg food at her weight was not alot. So perhaps that is why he wants to run other tests. Good luck!


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

How do you post pictures. I want to show a few pictures. I got one of her big ol pot belly. =)


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

I cant figure out how to post pictures here so there are some in the gallery under Soldiers halo of liberty. If you want to see my pride and joy.
























http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=17846&c=7


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*So glad*



Mriddl02 said:


> I am on the phone with the vet now, seeing if we can work something out. As for the test it was done 5/30/12 she has been on 2 pills a day since then. They did a comprehensive health panel and in it was the t4 her level was .4 ..... As for the food when i took her in the vet said i was under feeding her with 3 1/2 cups a day and to put her on fit n trim increase the amount to 6 cups ( 3 every 12 hours) for 2 weeks then slowly decrease to 5 cups. I could no longer afford the Iams weight control. I made an appointment for tonight Vet says he wants to recheck her kindey levels i guess something was off on them and check her for diabetes. I will post more after the appointment. I will mention the fact that seems I am over feeding.



So glad you have an appt.-let me know what they say.


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

Ok back from Vet. He tested her kidneys and glucose those are normal. The thyroid test someone recommended was around $150 so I had him do the "free t4" to check her levels. She has lost 11 lbs since may 30th. So she is now 95 lbs. another 10 to loose, but around 90 to 95 has been her normal for years, cant seem to get lower then that. Doctor thinks she has cushing's disease along with the hypothyroid. Her big pot belly hasnt gotten smaller but she has lost weight on her sides etc. The excessive thirst and hunger and the hair not growing back and being thin and no longer that soft in spots, are all symptoms and the excessive panting. I wont get the results from the t4 till tomorrow he might adjust the dose of her thyroid meds. The testing for cushings in around $150. plus $200 a month for treatment its going to be awhile before I can afford that so i have to read up on the disease and do all i can with no money until I can get her tested. As it is this appointment was $130 on my mom's credit card which is almost maxed. I love my baby (now old) girl so much I don't want her to not feel good, but what can I do. He also said the 5 cups a day of fit and trim is good for weight loss but wants me to put her on 6 cups now so she doesnt feel so starved and will still loose a little more weight.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

You need to have a 6 panel thyroid test done. Thats what I ran on my guy and it showed he was low. Next week I am just running his T4 to see how his levels are but the month after I will re run a 6 panel. Money is tight for me this month so I figure running the T4 is better then nothing then just running the rest at a later date. 

What dose is she on for Soloxine?


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Besides the Hypothyroidism, yes, it also sounds like Cushing's disease.
Once you can afford the Cushing's test, I would do it. I do not understand why it would be so expensive and why the meds for Cushings would run that high. I know you trust your vet, but if money is an issue, I would check around other clinics and get the test and the meds priced to see if you get a better deal. 
With the food, I was never really a fan of low cal or diet foods to get dogs to lose weight. Mine never lost on diet foods. I just feed three smaller meals a day and when they gained some weight, I cut the regular food by 1/3. Both my large dogs lost the weight they needed to lose.
Good luck to your furbaby and you and keep us posted,please.


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## SBennett36 (Nov 10, 2011)

I realize no one wants to acculumate more debt but a suggestion may be to apply for a care credit card if you are able. I have had one for years and the great thing about it is you can use it at your vet's office or your own physicians office. I am not sure about the approximate interest rate is but I do know that they run introductory rates of 0% for the first 18 months if you pay of your balance in full in the 18 months. I would never suggest a credit card to anyone typically, but this particular card helped me out tremendously when I was a student and my golden was sick and he had to have a laparotomy (sp?) and the cost was $1700. I hope everything goes well for you and your girl and welcome to the forum!


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

cgriffin said:


> Besides the Hypothyroidism, yes, it also sounds like Cushing's disease.
> Once you can afford the Cushing's test, I would do it. I do not understand why it would be so expensive and why the meds for Cushings would run that high. I know you trust your vet, but if money is an issue, I would check around other clinics and get the test and the meds priced to see if you get a better deal.
> With the food, I was never really a fan of low cal or diet foods to get dogs to lose weight. Mine never lost on diet foods. I just feed three smaller meals a day and when they gained some weight, I cut the regular food by 1/3. Both my large dogs lost the weight they needed to lose.
> Good luck to your furbaby and you and keep us posted,please.


One of the meds used in one of the Cushing's tests is TERRIBLY expensive, so that's why the test is rather costly. And the other test commonly done for Cushings disease requires the dog to be in the clinic for at least 8 hours with three separate blood draws, so it's not a quick cheap test either. 

There are few meds for Cushing's. The newest one/supposed to be safest one just came out fairly recently and there is no generic at this time. And treating Cushing's requires regular blood testing (and not just monitor liver/kidneys, but the expensive test used to diagnose the disease).

Unless the dog is having severe side effects, a lot of people choose not to treat.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks, Iowa Gold!
When I was working in Michigan, we had a lot of dogs come in for the all day test for Cushing's disease, with the several times a day blood drawings, I guess it is the "low-dose dex suppression test"? That is why I was wondering why it would be so expensive. The dogs were also put on meds for it and every 6 months bloodwork schedule. 
My vet recently suggested that I should keep an eye open to Cushing's symptoms in my 11 year old lab mix, because his Alk Phos was elevated. No symptoms so far at all.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Mriddl*

Mriddl

Glad you went to the vet and please keep us posted on how Halo is doing. I saw her pictures in your gallery and she is a beautiful girl!


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## photoweborama (Dec 6, 2007)

I know this is a stupid question, but I don't see that anyone has asked yet.
How much exercise does your dog get?

I know it's a simplistic answer, but the less active my golden is, the more he seems to have similar symptoms.


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Halo is doing great. Her t4 test said her level is .8 now up from .4 so he lowered her dose from 1. to .8 twice a day. 

I did research on the cushings and I think for now I am not going to test or treat, at least until i get more income. I am going to call other vets in the area to get pricing. I am thinking of switching vets once I get the care credit paid down some. 

I have a care credit card but it is maxed from my other baby (the doberman mix) who had a torn CCL in February and had to have surgery. Why is it when your your dogs mean the world to you, they get sick when you have absolutely ZERO money. 

As I said before I am disabled and have applied for ssi and am in the waiting period for my hearing. My mom is supporting us on her social security at this time. We are living on her credit cards mostly because her check goes to bills and rent. I need a job i can do from home without to much sitting, or standing, I have managed to figure ways to prop up in bed and use my computer but not sure i could do much work this way. 

As for exercise we have an acre and a half fenced in yard. I play ball with halo daily with a tennis ball sling shot i got from Cabela's. She will only play for a few minutes then gets to hot she does run and play with the other dog. Soon I will be able to walk her again probably not daily but she doesn't do good on walks on hot days and in Michigan it has been a horribly hot summer. Some days its hard to get her to go out to potty. She does play ball almost all day long in the house its short bursts of exercise but its something.

The hardest thing for me in all this is halo is an angel never done anything wrong in her life I can raise an eyebrow at her and she will stop doing whatever it is. but since her cushings or thyroid (don't know which one) she has been not listening, going the other way when you call her, getting into the trash, if you go to give her a cookie or her pill in cheese or peanut butter she chomps on your fingers too. My gentle angel is now a brat like her brother LOL. The thyroid meds have helped some but we also have had to figure new ways to slow her down when she eats because she eats so fast I am scared of bloat.

I had fed both my dogs Iams their whole lives, Pirate is a finicky eater we have had problems getting him to eat so believe it or not I have to switch foods about every 2 months or he will stop eating. He went 4 days without eating a few times before I figured out he just gets sick of his food. Kibbles and bits is junk food but he loves the new kind Kibbles n bits healthy morsels. Its cheap and he eats. The vet suggested the fit n trim as inexpensive to help her loose weight and since she had been on Iams weight control for years I figured the change would be nice. She loves it, but I mix it with Beneful weight control because the beneful seems better for her. IF you have suggestions of inexpensive foods and the amount I should feed her so she doesnt gain back all her weight I will try them once her bag of Beneful and Fit n trim is gone. I know you will be tempted to offer advise on Pirate's eating habits but there is not much I havent tried. He is a brat temper tantrums and all. and if he doesnt like his food he will lay by the bowl and guard it snapping at the other animals and even my mom when they walk by, until I pick it up. He would never try that with me... The junk food seems to do the trick he will even remind me to feed them in the evening by way of temper tantrum if I am running late. 

I think that is all for now. Posting an old picture of my babies but it shows how much of a brat pirate is.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Mr*

Mr

Your Dogs, Halo and Pilate, are just beautiful. Praying Halo gets better.
Praying for you also, that you are able to get SSI.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for the update. That picture made me laugh! 
Seems like you are doing the best you can under the circumstances. If your girl is doing well on the food she is on, then don't change it. 
I was just talking about personal experience with the diet foods never working for my dogs. If they are working for your dog, that is great. 
Good luck to you and your furbabies!


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Mriddl02 said:


> Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Halo is doing great. Her t4 test said her level is .8 now up from .4 so he lowered her dose from 1. to .8 twice a day.


You may want to ask he wanted to lower the dose of thyroid meds. .8 is still below the T4 1.0-4.0 range.

If you are concerned about fast eating find a nice big smooth rock to put in her bowl so she has to eat around that. They do make slow feeder bowls but a rock is free. Another trick is using a baking pan for cupcakes, that slows 'em down too.

I had to smile at your slingshot for tennis balls. I made my own from wood and surgical tubing back when I had Deardra. Still have it somewhere.


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## Mriddl02 (Aug 1, 2012)

Hello all I am hoping you remember me. I have been trying very hard to get help and donations for helping my golden with getting a correct DX. Here is the info....
Hello everyone. My name is Michelle Pekrul and I am trying to get some help with my 8 year old golden retrievers vet care. She is quite ill and needs to be diagnosed. We think its Cushings disease and Hypothyroidism, however it could be one or both of those and a tumor on her spleen or liver. Either way she is getting worse daily. I need help to get money for her to get x-rays of her abdomen to see if it is a tumor, if it is most likely it would be too large to do anything about guessing by the size of her belly. BUT if it is not a tumor and is in fact just Cushing’s I have contacted many organizations that will help out with her vet care once she is diagnosed, but they won’t help unless they know what is wrong and what the prognosis is. My dogs are very important to me, they are my babies!! I need to know I did everything I could to help her if she is dying then I will except that once I see the x-ray. I need enough money to pay for an appointment and x-rays, then if it’s not a tumor we will worry about the cost of blood work later. Think about it if 30 people donated $5.00 that would pay for the x-rays and visit. You can help by going to my chip in site and paying through paypal a free secure website, you can do this as a guest and not make an account if you don’t have one. ChipIn: Help save-my-golden-retriever from cushings disease Or if you don’t want me to see the money at all you can go to Tail Wagger's 1990 - Emergency Assistance and click donate but make sure you call 734-855-4077 or email [email protected] them to say you want the money to go for the care of Halo & Michelle Pekrul. Then they will pay the vet directly and I will never see who or how much was donated. Please help even one dollar would help, I need to know what is wrong with her before the big organizations will help her if she can be helped, or if my baby girl is really dying. (FYI I have zero income right now I had to file for SSI and state disability and after a year I am still waiting) If I had a last cent I would spend it to pay for all this myself instead of asking strangers with big hearts. If you would like more info you can contact me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelle.pekrul or my email is [email protected] Thank you for listening. Michelle Riddle Pekrul.
I added a link to the new chip in event. I forgot that they make you choose an end date so the last one ended yesterday. Thank you again.


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