Mexican hairless…..

Wow, May has gone by so fast….!  It’s nearly June and my computer has finally been returned to me.  It’s taken a couple of days to get everything reloaded and updated, so that it’s finally back to normal.  You don’t really think about how much of your life is on your computer until it’s gone.  Fortunately we have Time Machine and it had done a complete system back up just prior to having it’s meltdown! Otherwise, I’d be LOST!!!

To update you on Rio’s progress, we’ve spent a lot of hours in the vet’s offices this month.  The calcinosis cutis has progressed to the point where her entire back is covered with tiny little bumps and flaky skin.  There are portions of it which are all crusty, and if you pet her, her hair falls out easily.  I told her she’s turning into a Mexican hairless.

We finally had a consult with the internal medicine specialist, and did the preliminary Cushing’s test, called an ACTH stimulation test.  It didn’t come back as conclusive as what the doctor thought it would be, given how bad her symptoms are.  They typically measure where a number over 10 is definitive for Cushings.  Rio was at 8.  However, the weird thing about Cushings is that a dog with numbers over 10 may have zero symptoms of the disease, and likewise a dog with numbers even lower than Rio’s may have raging symptoms.

Rather than pay for a bunch more tests, and put Rio through all of that — two of the tests are 8 hours long — we’re are proceeding with the theory “looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, must be a duck” and the ACTH test will simply act as a baseline for determining how she is responding to treatment and what the dosing should be to correct her symptoms.

We started her on Trilostane Monday of this week.  So far, no obvious changes….  Although she does seem to be in really good spirits and we’ve seen more of her old playful and fiesty self.

Zephyr, Monkeybutt Supreme, graduated from her Advanced Beginner’s agility class this week.  I used to take her when she was a puppy, because she was very timid, and I thought it would build her confidence, and it was a fun thing for us to do together.  Then Rio got sick, and I stopped taking her until a friend of mine wanted us to go again with her and her dog last year.  We took a couple more classes, and then Rio got sick again, and all of my time and attention went to helping her recover from her amputation surgery.  I think that period of time was really stressful for Zeff, because she started chewing on her feet until they were raw.  So I decided we’d go back to class — give Zeffy her own alone time with mom.  And give her something other than her feet to focus on.

I don’t have any delusions that Zephyr will compete at agility.  That’s not why we’re doing it.  She’s four years old, neither very fast or competitive, and she struggles to stay focused for any length of time, but she completed a 15 obstacle course 3 times without any mistakes.  And that’s something worth saying “Paws Up” over.  And she’s so cute when she knows she did a good job!

So that’s all the news that’s worth printing here in K-town.  Oh, except yesterday we topped 74 degrees!  It was the first time in more than 7 months that it’s been over 70 degrees here!!!!  And it was only 3 days short of breaking the record for the latest date where temperatures were over 70 degrees.   (So it hasn’t been just my imagination that this spring has been abnormally cold.)  Of course today, it’s 53 and raining!!!

7 thoughts on “Mexican hairless…..

  1. geesh rio, hope you can get your ‘cushions’ under control…nothing worse that a lumpy or un-cooperative cushion….oh, wait, cushings…geesh, we’re sorry… hope you get to feeling better and the meds and tests help bunches. glad you have your ‘puter’ back and can keep us up to date going forward!!!

    charon & gayle

  2. Poor Rio! You need that pink sweater all the time, don’t you? Going bald plus lousy weather. I have a great pink sweater that I absolutely cannot stand…you want it? Don’t know if you remember that my Woman made me wear a pink one after my surgery to keep me from licking. Where the heck are you that your weather is so bad? Are you down the road from me? ‘Cause my weather is like that, too.

    I think Zephyr should definitely have some alone time with your mom. It’ll keep her from chewing on her feet and from being a monkeybutt. That’s all good! Maybe Evelyn should also do agility so she’ll leave me the heck alone. I don’t let her know, but I am impressed with her jumps and leaps. She’s really good!

    Good luck with the new meds, Rio. I hope you feel better soon!

    Love, Dakota

    • Dakota,
      I saw the pink humiliation that your momma made you wear. You can see by my picture how good I look in pink — so if you don’t want your pink sweater, and Evelyn doesn’t want it either, I’d be happy and proud to wear it for you. It would definitely keep my chilly butt warm.

      You expect crazy spring weather in the Rockies (isn’t that where you live?), but Washington is supposed to have more consistent weather this time of year. We actually had snow flurries in late April this year! I’ve lived here for 26 years and have never seen a spring springing this late.

      Oh, and Monkeybutt Evelyn might have fun with agility. If the ADD Princess, Zeffy can manage it, then pretty much any dumb Monkeybutt can. Hahahaha!

      Rio

  3. Rio,
    Mom saiys that she will be glad send you some of Monkeybutt Samsons hair since it covers every inch of our house. She thinks he must be molting cause there is twice as much as normal. (Remember Pig Pen in the snoopy cartoons- that’s Sam) Maybe your mom could knit you a black and white sweater! ago… Glad to hear Zeffy did well and we hope you are feeling better soon!

    • Daisy,

      Our Monkeybutts are molting, too. Must be spring. And it’s so funny that you call Sam “Pig Pen” because that’s what we call Zephyr! She goes outside for two seconds and comes back in wet and muddy and covered in yuk! She’s got a knack for finding the messiest part of the yard and bringing it in with her!

      Rio

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