Tagged: “Senior Dog”

Duncan Recovers from Cushing’s Disease

Duncan Recovers from Cushing’s Disease

We thought you all might enjoying seeing the before & after this boy’s transformation while in foster care. The top picture was taken when he first came into foster care and the outdoor ones were taken last week. His skin infection (a typical complication of untreated Cushing’s disease) has resolved and his fur is growing back. Many thanks to his foster mom for his care and all of you who donated and supported our fundraisers so we could provide the veterinary care and surgeries he needed.

 

11053315_953749928019331_6252197104004879206_n

 

Duncan's fur is starting to grow back in!

Duncan’s fur is starting to grow back in!

 

Duncan's recovery continues.  Look at that fur!

Duncan’s recovery continues. Look at that fur!

Canine Quality of Life Assessment

One of the tough realities of opening our hearts to a Cavalier (or any other dog) is that their life span does not match our own. While their life span may range 12-14 years (or longer), we all know that 25 years would not be enough! As our pups age, or deal with serious illnesses, managing their quality of life becomes key.

Since our work in the Cavalier Alliance is focused on senior and special-needs Cavaliers, we created a spreadsheet to track our dogs’ health while in the program and shared that data with our veterinary care providers and 24 hour animal hospital affiliates. We also shared the prototype with several families to see if they found the tracking helpful.  We incorporated changes and now want to share it with you as a resource.

Of course, an assessment like this does not make recommendations as to quality of life decisions – it simply provides a tracking and a discussion point as to your dog’s health and activity levels.  We recommend completing this assessment on an annual basis while they are healthy and more frequently (weekly or monthly) if in the midst of a more serious illness.  You can download the pdf below:

Cavalier Alliance Quality of Life Assessment Chart

We hope you find it a useful tool in the on-going care of your Cavalier. If you find this chart and the other resources on our site useful, please consider making a donation to benefit the Cavaliers in our program.

 

Duncan’s Recovery Continues

Duncan’s Recovery Continues

Duncan, our long-term foster boy who has been struggling with Cushing’s disease, is finally on the mend. His recovery is progressing well and our vets tell us that most pups with this disease take 3 – 6 months to stabilize. Since joining our program, this sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has had four ACTH tests to ascertain his cortisol levels and had his medicines adjusted to stabilize him.

Due to the generosity of our donors, he has also had a much-needed dental, with extractions, to allow his gum disease to heal.  His tail was also amputated – only part-way – a complication of his untreated Cushing’s disease.

Now his skin is healing, his fur is growing back and he loves to wander the garden. Take a look at his latest home movie!

 

Duncan is ready for adoption and a more detailed overview is posted on our Rescue page. At this time, he is taking a daily dose of Trilosane to manage his Cushing’s disease and will be on it for the rest of his life.

If you would like to contribute to Duncan’s on-going care, please consider sending a donation to our paypal account (cavalierhelp@cavalieralliance.org) or consider sending a check to our address at: 64 Cedarwood Road, Boxborough, MA  01719.

 

 

Cushing’s Disease in Cavaliers

Cushing’s disease, otherwise known as Hyperadrenocorticism, is a condition that results when the body produces too much cortisol.

Our foster boy, Dudley-Duncan has Cushing’s disease and just started treatment. Fortunately, he’s responding well to treatment! You can read more about the disease, in the link below:

Cushing’s Disease in Canines

 

32012624_1.jpg

Molly Update

Thank you to all who have donated to Molly’s care! We are so pleased that she’s our first grant recipient. We were able to contribute $200 towards her care in December and are sending an additional $300 to her vet this week. We could not have done this without your generosity! 

Our first grant recipient, Molly

Our first grant recipient, Molly