Hello Scottish Terrier Health Network:

My name is Angus Fala – I’m a soon to be 12 year old Scottish Terrier (on May 5th). I was diagnosed with ATypical Cushings Disease back in November of 2010 when I was 9 years old.

Originally, my hoomans thought something might be wrong as I gradually drank more and more, and needed to go the bathroom more and more, as 2010 progressed. In September of 2010, my vet, Dr. Pokey, said my Liver values were high, and we needed to recheck them in 6 months. In the next month, my symptoms became worse – the drinking, the urinating. So in November, they tested again, liver values way high.

Dr. Pokey tested for liver disease, Cancer, and Cushings. Couldn’t find out what was wrong. They referred me to an internal medicine Dr. Pokey 2 hours away. Eventually, after several tests and visits, and much money later, they sent off a test to the University of Tennessee, which is the experts, they told us, in ATypical Cushings. Sure enough, they diagnosed me with ATypical Cushings, which the way they explain it to me, has the physical symptoms of Cushings, but ATypical is an increase in sex hormones while Typical is an elevation in steroid hormones. Who cares, I still have the same symptoms.

My picture is my sister Ainsley and me, on the passenger seat, heading to one of my many vet visits back in 2010. She just went for the rides and the inevitable trips through McDonalds.

Since then, I have been on Vetoryl – 30 mg a day. Also Tennessee told me to take supplements Lignan and Melatonin, which eventually may lessen the symptoms of the excessive thirst. I have been 3 mg of Melatonin 2x a day, and take a 40 mg HMRLignan pill once a day (those took a bit of research to find).

Anyway, I’ve been doing pretty good. They do say that the Cushings will eventually send me to the Rainbow Bridge, and Dr. Pokey says I am living on borrowed time. I did have a scary flareup last Spring, but perhaps more on that later.

If anybody wants to know more about my dealings with Cushings, just direct message me, or write on my Facebook Wall. I love talking about my favorite subject…me.

Angus Fala