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Thread: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
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    Default Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Hello,
    Our 9.5 year old pit bull was recently diagnosed with Cushing's. We suspected that she might have Cushing's in the fall of 2016 however at that time we were seeing a dermatologist and treating a skin infection that she had. After multiple rounds of antibiotics her skin got better but she still had patches of missing fur. I started researching Canine Cushing's and I learned that the medications used to treat the disease come with some pretty terrible side effects. Some say that the medications can do more harm to the dog than the disease can. I am not a veterinarian so I am not sure that is true but I really didn't want to start medicating our dog with dangerous drugs. I found a holistic vet in our area and made an appointment with him. He wasn't convinced that she had Cushing's however he did say she had something going on metabolically and suggested started her on some supplements which would help her liver, kidney's and adrenal's. We started these supplements but within two weeks of starting them she started to have bloody diarrhea and was vomitting. We rushed her to the emergency hospital and it was determined that she had pancreatitis along with ulcers. After a stay in the ICU, fluids and intravenous GI protectants she was feeling much better. She came home and was on medications for her GI for about a week along with a bland diet. While we were in the emergency room with her the vet brought up Cushing's and suggested having her tested after she feels better. I mentioned my concern with the medications used to treat Cushing's and she said that not treating Cushing's can lead to blood clots, reoccurring infections, etc. So now I was scared and at a loss because I did not want our dog to die from a blood clot because we chose not to treat the disease however I also did not want to put her on a medication that could cause her harm. I was beside myself, running out of options and at this point I made an appointment with our regular vet for an ACTH test. Our dog went in for an ACTH test on Friday June 2nd and the results showed that she does have Cushing's. Her pre-ACTH cortisol level was 4.6 dg/ul and her post-ACTH cortisol level was 25.9 ug/dl. Our vet suggested Vetoryl and after researching it I agreed to give it a try. I truly feel like there is not that many options, which is sad. Our vet prescribed 60mg Vetoryl capsules once in the AM and once in the PM (total dosage 120mg a day). Our dog weighs 88 lbs so I have been only giving her one 60mg capsule in the AM with her breakfast. I researched the medication and read that larger dogs can be more sensitive to it thus the reason I am giving her one 60mg capsule a day. So far she is responding well on the medication and she is not having any issues but we are still in the early stages since we just started the medication on Sunday. I am sorry that this post is long but I would love to hear from other members about their experiences with Cushing's and Vetoryl. Any other advice or suggestions you have are welcomed as well! I want to try and do the best thing for our dog so she can live the rest of her life as comfortable as possible. Thank you!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Glen Cove, NY
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    1,941

    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Hello and welcome... The recommended dose is one mg per pound, so the 60mg you are giving her is a good starting dose. Others more knowledgeable than I am will be along to ask you lots of questions. If you have other blood work results, they would like to see those...highs and lows along with the reference ranges.
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  3. #3
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    Apr 2009
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    York, PA.
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    11,037

    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Hi and welcome to you and your Girl!

    Unfortunately I'm at work and have only a moment to post Dechra, the makers of Vetoryl, recommend a starting dose of 1mg per pound of a dog's weight so for your girl the 120 mg was too much and I am relieved that you decited to give her 60 mg instead.

    The two medications that are mainly prescribed for Cushing's are Vetoryl/Trilostane and Lysodren/Mitotane, and yes, these are strong drugs and both have some pretty scary side effects, however, adverse effects are minimized when the proper treatment protocols are followed. Safe and effective treatment requires an experienced vet and an educated pet owner and it is when one or both is missing that dogs get into trouble. We have many members that are treating their cushdog with Lysodren/Mitotane or Vetoryl/Trilostane and are experiencing success.

    I want you to know that Cushing's is not a death sentence and with proper treatment, a dog can have a great quality of life and there is every reason to believe they will live out their normal life expectancy.

    I'm so sorry for the circumstances that brought you here but glad you found us and we will help in any way we can.

    Hugs, Lori

  4. #4
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    Apr 2009
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    Florida
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Hi -- I wanted to add my "welcome" to you and your pup (name?)! I agree that the 60 mg. a day sounds safer than the prescribed 120 -- did you discuss what you decided to do with your vet? Good communication between the vet and client is always important and especially so when dealing with a disease process. Has your vet discussed follow-up testing? Dechra, the manufacturer of Vetoryl, recommends the first follow-up ACTH between 10-14 days after starting the medication with a second on at the 30 day mark. Unless the ACTH results are below recommended levels, dosage changes are not recommended until after the 30 day test as cortisol levels can continue to drop during the first month.

    Here is a link to Dechra's technical brochure -- page 6 has an excellent timeline for treatment and monitoring:

    http://www.animalhealthinternational...s-v6-15-15.pdf

    Please don't apologize for a long post -- the more details you can provide the better we can offer our guidance!
    Judy H. (Always "Maggie and Abbie's Mom" & now "Sadie Sue's Mom")
    Venice, FL

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
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    Canada
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    I just want to say hello and welcome to the forum.

    The brochure that Judy provided the link for is really good and you can even print it out and give to your vet.

    With vetroyl/trilostane, the goal is to get the cortisol down low enough that it won't be causing any harm to the body but not too low to cause any adverse affect. So you will want to test after being on the vetoryl for a couple weeks to see where she is. Cortisol can continue to drop on the same dosage for about 30 days.

    You are right, some larger dogs need less and some smaller need more. Every dog is different and that is why they now recommend starting lower.

    It may take a bit of adjustment here and there but you will see how she is acting and know what post cortisol level works best for her.

    Unfortunately dogs with cushings are prone to pancreatis. A moderate fat take diet will help with that.
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  6. #6
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    Jun 2017
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    7

    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Thank you so much to everyone for the warm welcome! I feel better hearing from each of you and knowing that we have a support system. I called our vet yesterday and scheduled Taiya's ACTH test, which will be her first follow up test since starting the Vetoryl. I am anxious to see what her test results will be. I will be sure to post her test results. Her apppointment is on June 19th so we should have the results on the 20th. She is still doing well on the Vetoryl and we have had no issues so far. I have noticed that she is more active and I hope things continue to improve over time. I also reached out to get her blood test results and thyroid test results so I should have those in a few days and will post them then.

  7. #7
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    Jun 2017
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Just wanted to post a quick update. When we saw our holistic vet in May he recommended having a thyroid test done on our dog. He suggested using Hemopet which is owned by Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM. Our local vet drew the blood and I finally got a copy of the results today. It looks like Taiya also has low thyroid levels. Here are the results of her test:

    T4 Result- 0.58 General Range (0.80-3.80)
    Free T4 Result- 0.38, (0.55-2.32)
    T3 Result- <10, (30.0-70.0)
    Free T3 Result- 1.10, (1.60-3.50)

    I just called our vet because I assume that she will have to be put another medication in order to regulate her thyroid levels.

    Does anyone know if this is common for a dog to have both Cushing's and low thyroid levels?

    Thanks again for all the help!

  8. #8
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    Apr 2009
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    Georgia
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    Hi, and yes, low thyroid readings are very common in Cushpups. In some cases, the dogs genuinely suffer from hypothyroidism as an additional primary health issue. However, Cushing's is an endocrinological condition that can cause lowered thyroid readings as a "secondary" condition that will actually spontaneously resolve once cortisol levels come under therapeutic control. If you want to Google it, "sick euthyroid in dogs" would be the search term for this type of situation.

    Comprehensive thyroid panels can offer some clues as to whether a dog is likely suffering from primary hypothyroidism vs. a "sick euthyroid" condition. I believe the TSH level is particularly helpful in this regard. Did Hemopet measure the TSH level, and/or make any written interpretation re: the overall results?

    The thing is, vets may defer starting thyroid supplementation if they think there is a good chance that the hypothyroid readings will resolve once an underlying contributory condition (in this case, Cushing's) is resolved. So your vet may or may not advise beginning thyroid meds quite yet.

    Marianne
    Last edited by labblab; 06-08-2017 at 04:03 PM. Reason: To reword.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    What did the vet want to do? Wait to see if it would get better or start thyroid meds?
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  10. #10
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    Jun 2017
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    Default Re: Dog Recently Diagnosed with Cushing's- looking for advice

    I spoke with both our regular vet and also our holistic vet and both wanted to treat her with medication. The lab that ran the test, Hemopet also suggested medication per their veterinarian. They listed specific dosing instructions right on the test results and our holistic vet suggested we follow their recommendation and then test her levels again within 4-6 weeks. She is on Soloxine 0.6mg tablets twice a day, AM and PM. Our dog is still doing well and we've been noticing an increase in her energy levels, instead of sleeping most of the day she is up and about and more alert. I want to thank everyone for their replies and giving me more information, it is greatly appreciated! I will continue to post as I have more updates.

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