everyfourweeks,andherdosehadtobeincreasedeachtime.
Sadly,shehadthesameadverseeffecteachtimethedosewas
increased.Duringthisperiod,shehadtwourinarytractinfections
thatweattributetoTrilostaneaffectingtheimmunesystem.
Thereareotherdrugsavailable;however,thiswasthebestforus
becauseweareamultiple-dogfamilyandwithTrilostaneyou
don’thavetomeasurewaterintake.Thediseaseiscontrollednow
andJoujouisactinglikeapupagain.”

“Throughregulartestingandtweakingofhermedications,we

feltwegotPrincess’stestresultswheretheyneededtobe.She
seemedtosuffernoilleffects,butremainedhealthy,activeand
alert.Nothingwouldhaveindicatedshehadsuchasyndrome.
Wehadacoupleofroughpatches—oncewhenshewas
diagnosedwithpancreatitis.Aswestrictlywatchfoodanddiet,
wefeltitwasduetotheCushing’sbeingoutofwhack.Wegot
theneededtreatmentsandPrincessneverhadanotherflare-up
ofpancreatitis,wasnotsubjecttomultipleinfectionsand
maintainedgoodweight.”

Whatisthelong-termoutcomeforaPBGVwith

Cushing’s?PBGVsdiagnosedwithCushing’saretypically
seniordogsthatmayhaveotherhealthissues.SeveralPBGV
ownersdescribedthecostoftreatment.

“Thereisnodoubtthediseasehasputabigdentinour

pocketbook.Thereweremonthlybloodtests,at$400each,until
hernumberswereinthenormalrange.Thetrilostaneis$40a
month,obtainedfromacompoundingpharmacy.Whenshe
needsCereniaforvomiting,itis$35aday,unlessa$100
injectionisneeded.Thisdiseaseeasilyrunsintothethousands.”

“IamnotsureofCharlie’slong-termoutcomegivenhisage

andseverelycompromisedimmunesystem.Thecostoftesting
andtreatmentwouldalsobeprohibitiveforalotofpeople.”

Princess’sownerleavesuswiththesewordsofwisdom:

“Getagoodspecialistwhohastreatedthediseasesuccessfully
beforeandhasagoodtrackrecord.

“Neartheendofherlife,Princessexhibitedsymptomsagain.

Thelastsixmonthsofherlife(atage18)becameaguessing
game.Wewereatthevet’sofficealotandworkedcloselywith
themtokeephercomfortableandgoingaslongaswefeltshe
wantedto.Intheend,weneverfeltCushing’stookherfromus,
ratheracombinationofoldageandherlittlebodyjustwearing
out.Wehavealwaysfeltthatshewasanawesomeexampleof
howadogwithCushing’sdidnotneedtogiveupqualityoflife.
Sheremainedalertandwithusuntiltheend.Asfarasimpacton
herlifeorours,wefeltvirtuallynothing.Princessneverstopped
doingwhatshe’dalwaysdone—shepatrolledforvermininthe
yardwithhernose(agingdidgivehercataractsanddiminished
vision),barkedtodemandherchowatfeedingtimes,criedfor
attentionwhensheneededbellyrubs.Wechangednothingaswe
arenotbigtravelersbutareprettymuchhomebodies.Weprefer
tobeonthecouchwiththekiddoesbesideus.Pillsweregivenat
appropriateintervalsandneveraburdentoadminister.

“Princesswasmyonce-in-a-lifetimeloveandImisshertothis

day.Iwashonoredtohaveherasacompanionandconfidante
for13years.ThethingItryhardesttoconveytopeoplefacing
Cushing’sisthatitismanageable.Itiscostlyinthebeginning,so
thefirstyearcanberoughfromacheckbookpointofview,but
afterthatregulartestingcangiveyoumanyyearsofgoodquality
lifeandcompanionship.”

I

SaberTails

IWinter2014

www.pbgv.org

29

Delegatecontinuedfrompage16

lawschooloutreach

programforfuturelegislatorsandpolicymakers.TheCanine
LegislativeSupportFundEducationalGrantsProgram
supportsclubs’educationalactivitiestoadvanceresponsible
dogownershipandtoprotectfutureownersandbreeders.

TheAKChasamissionofbeingtheleadingauthorityfor

andvoiceofdogs.Breederswhofollowparentclubhealth
testingrecommendationswillbeidentifiedontheAKC’s
websiteforpeoplelookingforapuppy.In2013,theAKC
had20millionindividualvisitors,and95millionpage
views,ofwhich3.2millionwerethebreederclassifieds.A
subcommitteeoftheParentClubCommitteeispullingthis
projecttogether.

Mr.Kalterreportedthataproposalisbeingmadetothe

boardtotelevisetheAKC/EukanubaNationalChampionship.
Mr.KaltercongratulatedtheAKC’scommunicationteamfor
gettingsomeverypositiveexposureonthe“Today”show,
andavideowasshowntothedelegates.

PresidentReport.Mr.DennisSprungrecognizedthe

25thaniversaryofAKC’sCanineGoodCitizenProgram.
AKC’swebsiteWOOFipedia,launchedayearago,achieved
1.1millionuniquevisitorsand4.2millionpageviewsin
August.Thissiteaddressesyoungerpeoplelookingfor
informationaboutdogs,andprovidespositiveinformation
aboutbreedersandresponsibledogownership.

TheNationalOwner-HandledSeriesisofferedsome600

timesin2014withmanyclubsseeinganincreaseinentries.
ClubsofferingtheNOHSwillreceiveassistancefromthe
AKCpromotingtheeventthroughemailspriortotheshow.

CFO’sReport.Mr.PeterFarnsworthreportedthat

revenueYTDisabout$38million,about$1milliondown

from2013,butexpensesarelowerthanin2013sonet
operatingprofitisabout$4million.Revenuerelatedto
coreactivitiesissteady,butrevenuerelatedtoroyalties,
sponsorshipsandadvertisingaredown.Personnelcosts
aredownin2014becausepeoplewholefthavenotbeen
replaced.Investmentsequalabout$112million.TheAKCis
investinginthedevelopmentofnewandeasierservicesfor
us,includingTheOnlineCompetitionManagementSystem,
theBreederEasyRegistration,ourwebsiteandoutreach,and
ourFacebookpresence.

ExecutiveSecretaryJimCrowleyreadtheproposed

amendmenttoChapter14,Section11of“TheFieldTrial
RulesandStandardProceduresforRetrievers.”Mr.Timothy
Carrion,delegatefortheAmericanCheasapeakeClub,
commentedontheproposedamendmentandsaidhis
clubwouldbeofferinganamendmenttotheamendment
readtoday.

Mr.Crowleyreadthenamesofthreedelegateswhohave

served25yearsandcongratulatedtheNewJerseyBeagle
Clubforcelebrating100yearsofAKCmembership.

Mr.Crowleyreadthenamesofthenominatingcommittee

forcandidatesfortheAKCBoardofDirectors,Classof2019.
Itswrittenreporthasbeenreceived,anddelegateswill
receivethenamesoftheproposedslatewithinfivedays.
AnydelegatewishingtorunbypetitionwillhaveuntilNov.
15tosubmittherequired50signaturestobecomeacandidate.
Todate,candidatesincludeMr.SteveGladstone,Mr.
CarmenBattaglia,Dr.TomDaviesandDr.GregoryPaveza.

Mr.CrowleyreportedthattheTeller’sReportfortheAKC

DelegateCommitteesisn’tyetreadytobeannounced.The
resultswillbeannouncedduringlunch.

I