From:
katharine
Date: 2001-06-15 10:48:00 UTC
Subject: Vets Please: Non-Surgical Treatment for Adrenal
I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that there was
a suspicion that Champ (kidney disease) might be
adrenal again based on some skin problems. He has
no other symptoms but he also had no symptoms the
last time, and his right adrenal was huge when Doc
did an exploratory (his right had "re-grown" after
apparently a remant was left during cryosurgery
about 6 months previously). An exploratory was
done because we couldn't figure out what was going
on with him but there was definitely a problem.
Shortly after this surgery was when his kidney
problems started (January).
Here's my question. Is it safe to treat for
adrenal, such as Lupron injections, if you're not
positive there is an adrenal problem? Champ is
not a surgical candidate because of his renal
failure and a heart murmur. I absolutely wouldn't
allow it even if Doc wanted to do surgery (which
he doesn't). He did take enough blood today to do
the UT panel. He is running a CBC and said we can
get some indications from that and we'll decide
whether to send the blood to UT after he looks at
the in-house bloodwork. He wasn't sure about
treatment without a definite diagosis but and said
he could make an educated guess. We agreed that
the answer is probably that it wouldn't be a very
good idea.
I have no problem doing the UT panel but would
prefer to put the $ toward his treatment if I
can. I have pretty much quit doing the UT panel
on the obvious cases (Cedes is probably next and
is showing classic symptoms) but this may be one
of those borderline cases where I don't have much
choice.
I left Lany at the vet to have two skin growths
removed. I thought they were probably mast cell
tumors (she has a history) but Doc doesn't think
they are. Anyway, she will come home with little
stitches in two places.
Katharine