01/10/2025
✨ Meet Roxie!✨
Roxie first came to see us for what was meant to be a routine dental clean. As part of her pre-anaesthetic blood work, we noticed her liver enzymes were mildly elevated — something that had been slowly trending upwards over the years.
To investigate further, Dr Sam performed an abdominal ultrasound. This showed an increased amount of sludge in Roxie’s gallbladder and dilated bile ducts. Because high blood fats (triglycerides) can contribute to gallbladder sludge, we ran an additional blood test — and sure enough, Roxie’s triglycerides were elevated too.
Roxie was started on medication to improve bile flow and reduce sludge, along with a low-fat diet. One month later, her repeat ultrasound showed fantastic progress — her gallbladder was back to normal! 🎉
However, this time we were able to clearly see her adrenal glands, which appeared mildly enlarged. This raised suspicion for Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism). Further testing, including urine and specialised blood tests, confirmed the diagnosis. In Roxie’s case, it was pituitary-dependent Cushing’s, meaning her pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, was continually stimulating the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol. This also explained her high triglycerides and gallbladder changes.
Roxie has since started on treatment for Cushing’s, and her owners tell us she is the happiest and healthiest she has been in years 💕🐾
We’re so proud of Roxie and her dedicated family for working through this journey with Dr Sam. Early detection and thorough investigation made all the difference in uncovering what was really going on beneath the surface.
