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| Trudy, Chloe's look alike sister. Photo by Denise Mahaffey Pernell |
Many of you know that Trudy is Chloe's older sister and almost a look alike in terms of her sable colored appearance. Trudy was born four years earlier at the Weems Family Kennel in Portales, New Mexico, and from the same cocker spaniel parents, Buster and Minnie. We received some news earlier this week that Trudy may be suffering from Cushing’s disease.
With Trudy being Chloe’s sibling, it interested me to research the issue further, where I came across an article written by Ron Hines, DVM PHD as both informative and easy to understand. Officially called Hyperadrenocorticism, it is an illness that affects a dog’s endocrine gland system, particularly the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) and the two adrenal glands (positioned just ahead of the kidneys). At issue is the adrenal glands of a dog are over producing a particular hormone known as corticosteroids for their body. It's not an easy disease to diagnose since the symptoms have a tendency to sort of ebb and flow with a dog’s activity. Treatment can be a lifetime of medication that often requires dosage corrections determined through blood testing, or even surgery in an attempt to remove a slow growing tumor the typical root cause of the problem.
As with any issue that life throws at us, becoming informed on the subject is our first line in developing the right game plan for the situation. Chloe and I lend our prayers and support for Trudy and her family during these trying times. Get well, Trudy!
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