We’ve had some amazing support from our friends reaching out to us to ask about Bruce Wayne’s health. I figured I’d write a Part II post about Bruce Wayne’s medical journey to give everyone one update since I have some test results.
First, again, we can’t thank everyone enough for the likes, comments and DM’s reaching out to us to not only check on Bruce Wayne, but to also lend us their support.
I just talked to Bruce Wayne’s veterinarian, Dr. Zulty, this morning. Dr. Zulty stated that his test results show that Bruce Wayne has a rare atypical form of Addison’s Disease. Addison’s is a complicated disease that can often mimic other problems or symptoms so diagnosing Addison’s can be tricky. Diagnosing Atypical Addison’s is even tougher. You can google “Addison’s Disease” to see exactly what it is (it’s too long and complicated for me to try and explain in a way that even I can understand). However, long story short with Atypical Addison’s Disease and in Bruce Wayne’s case is that his body is not producing enough cortisol hormones. This means that his body cannot handle stress the way that most dogs can. Again, you can google “Atypical Addison’s Disease in dogs” to learn more. Obviously, since I am not an expert on the subject and still learning about it myself, I do not want to pass on any incorrect information.
What does this all mean? Well, it explains why Bruce Wayne is so lethargic and has an on and off again appetite. Unfortunately, it also means that he will need lifetime care and treatment. Right now he is on a very low dosage of Prednisone once a day. Next week, he will go in for an ultrasound so that his vet can take a look at his adrenal glands and check for any lumps, bumps or tumors (prayers appreciated for negative results).
We may not be taking our usual funny, creative photos, as the goal with Addison’s and Atypical Addison’s is to help reduce the stress levels as much as possible. The next few weeks will be a new journey and I’ll have to see how he responds to situations with the help of the Prednisone. Obviously, Bruce Wayne’s health is my number 1 concern.
I’m not telling you that you should be running out to your vet’s office demanding an ACTH test or anything, but I’m sharing my experiences with you so that you can keep it in the back of your mind. As I said, Addison’s and Atypical Addison’s can mimic many different illnesses, so it may be up to you, as the pet parent, to keep pushing your vet to do more testing to get to the bottom of any illnesses. A Chihuahua with Addison’s is almost unheard of; a Chihuahua with Atypical Addison’s is even crazier; and a young Chihuahua with Atypical Addison’s is just bizarre. As my vet put it best “some dogs just don’t read or follow the textbooks” LOL!
Again, thank you for your support, prayers and love! I may not be able to get back to every single comment (I’m not perfect and I sometimes do miss a few), but I read all your lovely words to Bruce Wayne. We feel your love! 🙂
Our next update will be after we get the results back from his ultrasound next week.
I am so very sorry to hear this. I was hoping and praying the results would come back negative. We will continue to keep both you and Bruce Wayne in our prayers. And we are here if you need an ear! Much love.
Thank you so very much! As much as we hated get these results, we are happy to finally have some answers. It’ll be a long road, but nothing we won’t be able to get through. We truly appreciate your friendship!
Totally agree! Not easy to get bad news, but better to finally know and move forward! Your a tough cookie! You got this! 💖
We are so sorry for this. We will pray so this is a manageable condition and Bruce Wayne can be with us for a very long time. Sending you guys lots of love and good vibes 😘😘
Thank you so very much, Yamile and Mason! We are so thankful it is manageable, as it could be much worse, so for that we are thankful. 🙂
Give Masons hugs for us please.
I’m very sorry to read about Bruce.. I’m sure the prednisone must be very concerning for you.. There is a natural product that mimics this – and helps relieve the stress on the adrenal gland. I’ve just started taking it myself – I’ve been on prednisone for 14 years.. Blessings to both Bruce and your family! Chloe Elle and Deidre
Thank you very much, Deidre and Ms. Chloe Elle! If you wouldn’t mind sending us the name of the natural product, we’d greatly appreciate it. I’m certainly always open to trying natural remedies. I just learned about a great immune broth that I’ve started making for Bruce Wayne. We thought of you, I think you’d really like it for Ms. Chloe Elle. I will be posting about it soon! 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you have a diagnosis even though I hate that little BW has an illness. I know how difficult it is to have a sick baby chi. He’s lucky to have such a caring momma. Please know that BW is in my prayers especially for a negative US. xoxo, Cathy, taco & belle
Thank you so very much Cathy, Taco and Belle! We truly appreciate your support. We are blessed that it is a manageable condition, even though it requires lifetime care. BW is a strong little guy 🙂 Give your babies kisses for us! xoxo
Little Lady & Bruce Wayne, we are sorry to hear of this news but at least you know & can go from there. I hope it’s manageable for you both!! We love our fur babies so much & would do anything for them. We continue to pray for you & hope the ultrasound goes well!! Hugs & doggy kisses.
Thank you so much, Carina and Coco! We are blessed that it is manageable and hopefully we can get to the point that the medications are not needed nearly as much, as it can have damaging long term effects. Please give Coco extra kisses from us for always being so sweet!
Wow! Bruce your so lucky to have such an alert & caring mommy. Looks like illness is something that could be easily missed. We’re sending our love your way😘❤️
Thank you so much, Kristen and Roxi! 🙂 That’s exactly why we wanted to share Bruce Wayne’s illness with everyone. Hopefully, it can help people who might be going through the same. It’s not a highly talked about disease so we are hoping to shed more light on it. Please give Roxi our love and kisses!
So happy to hear that you have finally figured out what is wrong, and that it is something manageable that you can move forward from. Thank you so much for sharing, we really enjoy following your journey!