Bonnie da Westie update 2/6/15

Updates

02/06/2015

by H Case Wotcha pals,

Juzt a quick update, dis is Mojo cuz sis cant see nuffin at all now to rite.

She is doin really well on her meds for her Cushings. Mum has to take her to the vet next Monday 9th February for another ACTH stimulation test to see if she needs the dose increasing, wich she probably will cos they only started her on a very low dose. It's a potent drug, so they have to build it up gradually, til it controls the symptoms of Cushings.

Mum has to get her to the vet for 12 noon, so will be leaving home about 10.30 as it's a long drive. Mum and me got to leave Bonz there for 2 or 3 hrs as she has to have a blood sample taken, then have an injection of steroids, wait a couple hours then take another blood sample. This measure how much cortisol is being released. Then both blood samples are sent off to a lab and we get the result in a few days. So probably end of next week sometime.

This link tells you all about the ACTH stimulation test and also what coritsol controls in our bodies.
http://www.vetsecure.com/natomasamc.com/articles/211

When the vet gets the results she will then know how much to increase Bonz meds by and she will start on the higher dose. Then sis has to have another ACTH stimulation test in 4 wks time to check if the higher dose is controlling the Cushings or not. If not they adjust the dose again. Eventually and a few ACTH tests later she should be on a stable dose and will only need testing every 3mths.

These tests are quite expensive, as are her meds, so muvva has decided to keep her donation page open. Although there are enough funds in there at the moment after everything that we've had to pay for, until March.  As the dose of Bonz drugs goes up, so does the cost of the meds.

Then on 20th of February we have another long trip to the eye specialist we saw at Newton Abbot for a final electroretinogram and some other tests. This will be, hopefully, the last time Bonz will have to be seen by this specialist. This isn't for her Cushings, this is for the SARDS. Another condition. Mum will leave me with hoouncle probably and go up with sisfur on her own.

So we got a lot of travelling the next couple of weeks, and the tests.

Generally sisfur is doing very well. She's adjusting to her blindness and to look at her she still has those lovely dark brown eyes, and always will have. So she looks like she can see but of course she can't. With cataracts and other eye diseases and conditions the eye goes pearly white or discoloured. With SARDS the eye looks normal.

She is used to her halo coat and it does a fab job of preventing her knocking her face and hurting herself. She's also used to her wagon now and enjoys it when mum takes us out for walks. She sits in her wagon like Lady Muck BOL. Mum does let her have a walk around at the nature reserve on the extending lead, but for her safety she always rides back in her wagon. I get a lift in there sometimes too. It's great cos I can see much more as it's high up, well it is to me anyway I've only got 3" long legs. It's like being ontop of Everest and looking down on the world.

So that's about it for the update pals. I'll write another one once we've been to the vets on Monday. I'm kept busy at home making sure sisfur is ok, and I have become really protective of her.

Have a super weekend my friends,
All our love
Bonnie, Mojo and Muvva
xoxoxoxo