Native Remedies Petalive Cushex Drops

[lulusmom]

I'd like to share further proof that the manufacturers of what we call snake oil are as ignorant as you can get about the endocrine system. I stumbled upon this article entitled, "First Rule Out High Cortisol Levels in Hyperthyroid Dogs" Say what? I'm positive they meant "hypothyroid". Cushing's suppresses the thyroid hormone causing transient "hypo"thyroidism. "Hyper"thyroidism is rare in dogs and is caused by two things, a thyroid tumor or over supplementation of synthetic thyroid hormone (Levothyroxine, Soloxine). I wrote to them letting them know that they made a mistake that needs to be corrected. They probably know me by now as I've called them on the carpet for a few things.

http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/articles/out-high-cortisol-levels-hyperthyroid-dogs.html

[lulusmom]

I saw a post on facebook that prompted me to contact the manufacturer of Adrenal Harmony Gold to ask them about their claims....claims which I was pretty sure were bogus. Luckily I was able to chat with a Dr. Elaine on their site and pose my questions there. The only nice thing I can say about our exchange is that she was honest in her responses. I copied our exchange below:

[Glynda] Manufacturer claims that Adrenal Harmony Gold's "Adaptogens" are a classification of herbs considered to support the adrenals, helping the body adapt naturally to stressors and produce normal, healthy levels of cortisol. Unlike drugs, adaptogens will not stimulate or depress adrenal function but, rather, help the adrenals normalize their hormone production. This is a rather startling revelation and I'd like to know if the manufacturer has done sanctioned clinical trials, using the usual acth stimulation tests, UC:CR, LDDST, etc to support the claim that this product normalizes adrenal function.

[Elaine] Hello, thank you for contacting Customer Support. My name is Elaine. Please give me a moment to review your question.

[Elaine] No there have been no clinical trials done on this product as of yet

[Glynda] Then how can you possibly make claims that are unsupported by credible evidence?

[Elaine] Our products are used for support and have proved very successful, we have an overall return rate of less than 10%

Elaine then quickly ended our session before I could tell her that a return rate of only 10% is woefully inadequate proof of safety and efficacy. I also wanted to tell her that I must have missed the part where the manufacturer got a conscience and told their audience that Adrenal Harmony Gold doesn't really normalize adrenal function but because they have absolutely no idea what their product does, nor whether it is safe, they recommend it as an adjunct treatment with conventional drugs that actually have been proven effective in reducing cortisol levels. This is the same outrageous response I got when I called this same company out for their false advertising of Cushex Drops. This is probably the same crap in a bottle with a different name and Dr. Elaine can't possibly be a doctor of anything. This company is shameless and I remain dumbfounded as to why there are so many great reviews for this product.

After having said all that, I admit that I know nothing about Chinese herbs so perhaps there may be something in this formula that does make a dog feel better in some way but this company is apparently unable to explain why that is. Argh!

I highly recommend that members do their own research and ask questions about any product being touted as an effective treatment for cushing's. The common claim among most of these online companies is that they all claim that their product normalizes adrenal function. Some are even bold enough to claim it is effective for cushings and addison's. I can only assume that they are either the most ignorant bunch of people on the planet or they are the most devious and assume that most people are completely ignorant and desperate enough to believe their outrageous claims. Unfortunately, that is the most likely scenario. I was once completely ignorant and desperate after having received the cushing's diagnosis so I get it. We pet owners with precious cushdogs are the perfect target market.

Glynda

[mytil]

I have also advised others to do intensive research themselves before giving this to their dogs and just because they use big medical terms and in some cases your first bottle is FREE does not make it worthwhile and in fact it can do more harm than good.

Terry

[addy]

Zoe was on Shen Calmer when she was diagnosed with CUshings. No one could tell me the exact ingredients because they were written in Chinese on the bottle. I did some pretty serious digging and did find one herb in the Shen Calmer could cause frequent urination.

We all must be diligent in finding out what if any side effects can be caused by anything we give our dogs. Just because they are herbs does not make them benign. Just because a vet gives us a drug does not mean it won't have side effects.

As for the Harmony Gold, well I think Glynda summed that up quite well,,,:):):)