Alivia was recently diagnosed with Cushing's - Alivia has passed

Great news!!! I switched Zoe to 1/2 lower fat food and she has dropped some weight as well. Hopefully that will help her arthritis.

I hope you are feeling good as well, Mary Beth.

Take care of yourself and the pups!!!!

hugs

Just as long as she doesn't lose any more weight! Max is a healthy weight per the vet and he is 23 pounds! Ali is much smaller boned than Max, but this is the most their weight has ever varied.

We are having a week long fundraising event at my job to benefit the 3 biggest animal shelters in the area. We're collecting supplies the shelters need and, of course, cash. My company is going to match all the money we raise. Representatives from the 3 shelters are bringing animals in on Friday and my company is going to underwrite any adoptions that day! Cross your fingers that at least a few animals find new forever homes (and, NOT with me!). :rolleyes: Today and tomorrow we had a bake sale to raise more money. My contribution was home made, wheat free dog treats - I even grind my own rice and oat flour, since I don't give Max and Ali wheat anymore! I posted a picture of them. They sold out.

Best of luck to you all, Mary Beth! What a wonderful event! I, too, hope at least a few babies find their forever home.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Sounds awesome! :):D Good luck on the fund raising!

You are amazing:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

What a wonderful project, MB, how exciting and worthwhile. You could package the treats and call them:Ali Bites";);)

Speaking of our beautiful Alivia, how is her skin doing?

Thanks, everyone! The bake sales raised $600, so that will double with the company match. We also have a ton of cash donations that haven't been added up. When it's all over there should be a couple thousand dollars for the shelters, plus TONS of supplies from their wish lists. And, I hope, a few animals in new homes!

Addy, the treats are packaged and named after both Maxwell and Alivia (of course!). I posted a picture of them.

Ali's pyoderma is clearing up. The fur is starting to grow back on the bare spots. Unfortunately, her Cushing's symptoms seem to be reoccurring. She is drinking and peeing a lot and just doesn't seem to be herself. She gets VERY clingy when she doesn't feel good and wants to be right beside me all the time (and I mean RIGHT beside me), so that is worrying me. I was hoping she'd have the amazing result of her symptoms going away after the antibiotics, like she did before, but no such luck this time. We may have to see the IMS sooner than scheduled and re-visit treatment options. :(

The adoption event today was a HUGE success!! 14 dogs and cats and 1 bunny found homes (and NONE of them with me!)!! The shelter said it was their best offsite event ever! I am so happy!!

That is amazing!! good job on finding all those babies forever homes. :)

It was the Alivia and Maxwell treats. I saw the picture. They looked awesome!!!!!:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Thanks, Addy. You can probably see one in the picture, every package of bones has one heart in it because they are "Packaged with love". :)

Ali is beginning to seem very old. She walks very stiffly, especially in the morning. This morning while I was in the bathroom I heard her fall down the steps. It sounded like she fell about half way. It broke my heart. :(

I hope Ali is okay. Did she get hurt? It is very hard to watch our little ones age. They are our perpetual children, it isn't supposed to happen.

Mary Beth, what antibiotic is Alivia on? I just wondered because after Zoe's surgery, she has so much trouble walking, front legs gave out, then the back legs. A friend of mine had a similar problem with her Lhasa mix after a growth removal. Her Pup had been on the same antibiotic as Zoe- cefaloxin I think, it is a skin antibiotic most vets use. Anyway, we were comparing notes and she always thought her pups problems stemmed from the antibiotic so when Zoe had similar issues we wondered about. Maybe just a coincidence.:confused:

I can surely sympathize with how you are feeling, I am there myself.

I hope she is okay and that you have a wonderful weekend. Think about seeling your dog treats on line!!!!!! Or if you have some dog friendly restuarants in town, maybe you could sell them to them;).
What fun to have a dog treat on the menu!!!!!!

love ya

Oh poor Ali. I hope she is okay.

The stairs is one of my biggest fears with molly. She runs down them like a little she-devil or a bat outta hell as the saying goes. It scares me to death that she is going to miss a step and fall and hurt herself. There doesn't seem to be any way though to stop her. :(

Anyway, I do hope Ali is okay. It's so hard to see changes occurring in our little ones as they get older or as diseases take their toll.

Hugs,
Sharlene

Hi Mary Beth,

oooo, I know how scary that was! :( And if you're like me, self-recrimination beat you over the head for hours after. When Squirt had her knees done at an early age, they told me she was never to do steps or stairs again, especially going down. Well, the Queen set out to prove them wrong right off the bat! She wouldn't attempt going up but would fly down before I could grab her and I could see the "neener neener neener" in her eyes with every step. :rolleyes: She stumbled and tumbled a couple of times before I managed to make her understand that those things were a part of her past. I have carried her up and down for years now and tho she occasionally will still try to take them herself, she typically stands there waiting in all her Royal impatience for a lift. :D

I hope Ali is ok this morning and that you are done beating yourself up. It happens, and we all learn so don't let this get you down, 'k?

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Ella is the worst with steps...since she had been in a kennel all her life she'd never learned how to do the steps! She loves the carpeted steps to the basement but the wood steps upstairs are hard! She bunny hops all the way down and kinda lets gravity take over. She's fallen a couple times but shakes it off! She has a nervous habit of circling since being in the kennel and sometimes she tries to circle in the middle of the steps!!!! That never works out well :/

Thanks, everyone. Ali seemed okay after her fall. The steps are hardwood and had never been a problem before. I immediately ordered carpet stair treads for them. I hope they arrive quickly and that they help. Alivia loves to snuggle with you but she doesn't like to be carried. :(

Yes, Addy, she was on Cephalexin for the pyoderma. That's improved but her hind end is so swollen and red. We just can't seem to get that cleared up. I can't imagine what she could be allergic to - she's on a grain free diet. I wonder now if her licking and chewing has become a nervous habit and if I should attempt one of those soft cones? Or, would not being able to scratch an itch be torture for her??

I understand your thoughts as the derm vet thought Zoe was more OCD with the chewing yet the eye doctor thinks she has allergies.

My thoughts would be if you use the soft cone, a topical would be needed as well, to treat the area and hopefully relieve some of the itchiness and soreness. DO you think she may need a repeat antibiotic dose?



Since the heat wave broke here in WI, the grass is very wet in the early am and later pm and Zoe is chewing at her paws more and more. :rolleyes::rolleyes: Wet paws seem to really bug her.:confused:


I know it is so hard, MB, allergies can drive us bonkers. It is so hard to watch them be so miserable.

Mary Beth and Alivia:
Tipper has been chewing her feet, the underside of one paw, and scratching her mouth area until it bleeds. She had allergies as a puppy which the Vets then used steroids to correct when they were uncontrollable. That is what brought us to this bad place we are in. It seems like the allergies are kicking in again after all these years of not having any problems with them. I hate to put a "cone" on her as she is dealing with enough already. I did notice her stomach etc. looking real pink, and that is how the allergies would start as a puppy.The thing I am most worried about are these episodes that seem to be tumor related, so much so that I cannot sleep. Also it seems the worst symptoms, labored breathing, tremors, waking up not knowing where she is, are the worst at night, even though she gets a split dose. How long has Alivia had cushings? Also I noticed Tipper being reluctant to jump up in the last few days. She had rock hard leg muscles like springs being a Jack Russell. I thought they experienced the weakness before treatment?? She has been on treatment since August 23rd. Doesn't this stop the muscle wasting?? Thank you so much for all your kindness and help.

Ali is not on Cushing's medication, but she can't jump like she used to. I have steps for her to get on the bed and couch.

It seems like there are a lot of Jack Russells with Cushing's! Seems like the percentage here is higher than other breeds. Anyone else notice?

I was trying to look myself & see what breeds are on here the most. Seems like a lot of Boston Terriers as well as the JR. :(

I did just read somewhere that Jack Russell Terriers do have a higher than average rate of Cushings. I thought it seemed like it!

Has anyone read the recent (3/2012) VERY promising study about treating atypical cushings with a daily low dose of prednisone? The amount is much lower than the typical amount prescribed for inflammatory problems and is basically the same amount that would be produced by healthy adrenal glands. The theory is when the body realizes there is cortisol replacement circulating in the body it stops over stimulating the adrenal glands and when that happens the levels of precursors and sex-hormones decline towards the normal range.
In this study:
92% of elevated sex-hormones were reduced, with 64% returning to within normal limits.
100% of all estradiol levels were reduced.
88% of all cortisol readings were reduced AND 100% of all elevated cortisol levels were reduced!

One of the dogs in the study was a female JRT. ;) I am definitely going to be talking to Alivia's vet about this!!

WOW what a promising study. That is Very exciting possibilities. Do let us know what your vet says.

hugs,
Sharlene

Mary Beth, that does sound like good possibilities. Where did you find the study?

Even with 2 ultrasounds it was never conclusive that Alivia has an adrenal tumor. Her sex-hormones were elevated, though, so I feel more comfortable at trying the low dose Prednisone regime than I do with either mitotane or trilostane. If this really does work, just think how very unhappy the drug companies will be! Much less money for them and for vets treating cushing's, as well. The study seems to make a lot sense to me.

Here is the link to the study:
http://www.petcarebooks.com/pdf/Atyp...-treatment.pdf

The test group is small but the results are quite impressive. Thoughts anyone?

Hi Mary Beth,

Even though this publication of Caroline Levin's is relatively new, her concept of giving low-dose prednisone for treatment of atypical Cushing's is one that she has advanced for some time now. It is not a treatment approach that has been substantiated or endorsed by the conventional veterinary community. I believe this article, like many of her previous books and articles, is self-published by Ms. Levin as opposed to appearing in a peer-reviewed, professional journal.

Here's a link to another thread in which a member earlier asked about her treatment theories (in this member's case, it was in relation to SARDS -- the syndrome involving sudden blindness along with hormonal abnormalities).

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3869

I have not had the time tonight to thoroughly read through this newest publication. However, just upon glancing through it, I see that Ms. Levin references "significant" improvement with low-dose prednisone treatment, but without presenting any statistical computation to support her use of that term. In scientific research, true statistical "significance" must be established before asserting that there is any genuine treatment effect.

As you can tell from my replies in that thread, I would not choose to pursue her treatment recommendations, myself. However, certainly you should discuss them further with your own vet if you think they might have some merit for Alivia.

Marianne

Hi Mary Beth,

The thing that came to my mind is this - many feel that Atypical, elevated intermediates, is a precursor to true Cushing's - elevated cortisol. That seems to be the case with my Squirt. If I had started giving her pred, even a low dose, when her cortisol started rising last summer, I wouldn't have known it was from the cortisol and would have blamed the steroid. That means, her body would have had to deal with the excess cortisol her body was producing PLUS the pred - which is used to replace cortisol when it gets too low. So Squirt would have had a massive amount of steroidal side effects with no clear indication of why.

I always have issues with authors of such articles and books that reference themselves as much, or more, than others. Ms. Levine has done this in everything I have read that she has written so I have a difficult time trusting her "conclusions". ;)

If I were offered this opportunity for Squirt based solely on Ms. Levin's article and conclusions, I would probably laugh in their face then get very angry that they would put my baby at such risk playing guinea pig with her. Give this a great deal of thought, do a great deal of research to support her findings, talk to your vet, to other vets......dig DEEP before you put Ali on this "protocol". She has been through sooo much already. ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

well fooey. Now see if this is just one persons conclusion with no studies to back it up, I'll be very irritated. These are our beloved companions, members of our families that they are messing with.
You know the thing to do is ask one of the world renown specialist for their take on it plus your vet.

hugs,
Sharlene

But, Leslie, isn't she saying that the ADDITION of the low dose of prednisone keeps the adrenal glands from over producing on their own and thereby lowers the cortisol? Keep in mind that the dosage she suggests is MUCH lower than the doses commonly given for inflammatory problems.

I know it's a long shot, but I also know and believe that the drug companies and veterinary community in general make a TON of money selling drugs that are overpriced and very restricted in how they can be obtained. Same with the repeated testing. It really is not in THEIR best interest to invest time or money into finding a better treatment that would essentially take a massive amount of money out of their pockets. So, maybe Ms. Levin does not have a lot of back up on this in part because the drug companies certainly would not support something this simple. I just think her findings are too significant to be brushed off so easily. What would her ulterior motive be for going against the conventional wisdom of the big drug companies? It's not like she's trying to sell a snake oil cure for her own personal gain.

Quote:

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What would her ulterior motive be for going against the conventional wisdom of the big drug companies? It's not like she's trying to sell a snake oil cure for her own personal gain.

---

I don't know Ms. Levine but I do know that there are folks who simply like to see their name in print, who like to know folks are talking about them, who like to make themselves appear much more than they actually are - in other words, who are full of self-admiration and promotion. She would gain recognition, status, admirers, and she does make money from the books she sells that offer some of these thoughts as "science". It is entirely possible that she will see your post here supporting her idea, saying you are going to try it on Ali, and use your words to "endorse" her "cure via pred". (PLEASE - I am NOT saying that is something she would do, just that it is a possibility.)

A true scientist would never offer such a treatment with a med that is already known to have serious side effects at any dose long term for a condition that the EXPERTS cannot agree on without extensive testing, trials, peer reviews in medical journals and so on. Just because pred is a recognized and known drug does not mean it can't be used as a snake-oil treatment. If the AVMA picks this up and runs with it, then I will reconsider but not until then. ;)

Just so you know, I am a HUGE proponent of alternative, complementary, nutraceutical, Holistic approaches and agree completely with your assessment of the drug industry's power. I am studying herbs for pets and humans, use them often for myself and my babies and will always look there first before a pharmaceutical, chemical solution. But I never, ever look at one source, talk to one person, and decide what to use. However, there are times and situations where herbs and alternative treatments do not work as well as the pharmaceutical treatments and we must keep an open mind concerning all approaches for each situation that arises. There is no one approach that will work for all in all situations. If we blind ourselves with our preconceptions and prejudices we lose the opportunity to learn and grow...as well as lose the opportunity give our babies the best possible aid.

We cannot tell you what to do with your baby - she is yours and the consequences of your choices are yours...but remember Ali will be the one to bear the physical effects of your choices. All I am saying is be thorough in researching this and don't rely on Ms. Levine's say-so only. Write some of the experts in canine Cushing's like Peterson or Feldman or Bruyette and see what they say; talk to your vets; talk to your human docs; read, read, read.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi again, Mary Beth.

I don't pretend to be an expert re: all things Cushing's -- not by a long shot. Over my years here, I've had my eyes opened multiple times. Just when I think I've got something doped out, a new fact or approach may appear. However, when it comes to "Atypical Cushing's," I've always felt that Dr. Jack Oliver at UTK truly has been a premier scientific authority on the subject. He is no longer alive, but as I say, I don't believe Caroline Levin's theory/approach is new, and it is something that he would have had the opportunity to investigate and subsequently endorse if he believed it had merit. Over-the-counter melatonin and lignans have remained a first-line recommendation of UTK, and neither of those drugs are expensive nor fancy. So I don't believe there would be any financial motivation for them to ignore prednisone if there was evidence that it was helpful.

The thing is, prednisone is not a benign drug. So even at a low dose, I would personally want assurance that there was a valid, solidly researched basis for administering it to my dog. As far as I know (and once again, of course I don't know everything :o), I am unaware of any veterinary endocrinologist who endorses this treatment.

As far as financial incentives, here's a link to the "Order" page for Lantern Publications which is listed as the publisher of Ms. Levin's research summary. You will see that Lantern publishes her other materials, as well, and that payment for books and DVDs goes directly to Ms. Levin.

http://www.petcarebooks.com/orders/ordering.htm

Marianne

Leslie,

I do agree with you that you cannot look at any single source. I also think the "experts" have not done a great job when it comes to treating canine Cushing's. The current choices are selecting the lesser of two evils : Mitotane (a derivitive of the pesticide DDT) and Trilostane. Although both of these can have good results, no one here would ever say that either of them were perfect treatments and not without serious risks and considerable expense. When it comes to treament for Alivia, I am definitely between a rock and hard place. I have an e-mail from Dr. Oliver advising me against using Trilostane because it would increase her sex hormone levels and she would still exhibit all the symptoms of Cushing's. Lysodren is not a good option for Ali as she does not and has never had the consistent ravenous appetite that most cush dogs exhibit and it would be impossible to know when she was on an appropriate dose. Because of that, Dr. Oliver's only suggestion was to try a maintenance dosage of Lysodren, but even he admitted there were no studies on that treatment:

Me: You brought up the option of using melatonin, lignans and Lysodren without the loading dose. This sounds like an interesting option, but I can’t find any additional information about that treatment or its success rate. Could you direct me to any studies/journal articles/etc. of results with this treatment?

Dr. Oliver: Unfortunately, I don’t know of any good studies. But I can tell you that many veterinarians use this protocol, and seem to like it. I’ve seen repeat adrenal panels for dogs with this treatment, and they usually show a good response. Certainly maintenance Lysodren has been used for years, after the loading dose is given, so maintenance Lysodren is safe as long as you measure the cortisol levels. The same is true of melatonin, lignan and maintenance Lysodren; it’s important to measure the cortisol levels just like you would with the traditional Lysodren treatment where induction was used. [copied and pasted verbatim]

So, that was an expert on cushing's suggesting a protocol and candidly admitting there were not really any studies to back it up. (Marianne, I had typed this before seeing your reply mentioning Dr. Oliver!). I do have the utmost respect for Dr. Oliver and all he did and I had several email communications with him. He was kind enough to review all of Alivia's test results and personally comment on them. He also was honest enough to say there was no good answer for her.

I had actually purchased Lysodren but just did not feel comfortable giving it to Alivia with no studies to back it up. Maintenance doses of Lysodren (potentially a very dangerous drug) have not been solidly researched in Dr. Oliver's own words.

I just don't feel like there is much of an effort in finding any better, safer ways of treating cushing's and perhaps it is because there is a lot of money being made the way things stand. There are treatments being used by vets with not a lot of scientific evidence to back them up. It just seems like a crap shoot at times.

As far as Ms. Levin making money, a lot of people and companies are making money off of all of us treating our dogs. So, that in itself is not reason enough for me to discount her opinions.

I am keeping an open mind about all of this: holistic, herbal and anything else. Many dogs do get good results from Trilostane and Lysodren, so I certainly do not intend to discourage their usage. It's pretty much all there is right now. I would love to see continued research and better options, though.

Quote:

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When it comes to treament for Alivia, I am definitely between a rock and hard place. I have an e-mail from Dr. Oliver advising me against using Trilostane because it would increase her sex hormone levels and she would still exhibit all the symptoms of Cushing's

---

Sweetie, that is what Dr. Oliver told me about using Trilostane with Zoe. I turned to Dr. Peterson and he felt Zoe would be better off on the Trilostane. Dr. Peterson told me I should not even know about her intermediate hormones at that point. He felt the lysodren and her IBD would be a problem and with Trilostane I could start and stop the dose without worrying about losing a "load".

Point is, MB, we all make decisions and follow our heart with as much information as we can glean from the experts. My IMS gets frustrated because even the endocrinologists cannot agree.:(

I do wonder sometimes if the increase in macros we have seen is because of the increased usage of Trilostane. I think we would all prefer not to use either drug.

I am sorry Alivia's symptoms are coming back. I had Zoe on melatonin and lignans for quite a while before starting Trilostane. She was doing okay, not horrible symptoms except her coat and skin were getting worse and her back legs.

Her cortisol was sky high but her intermediates did come down. Dr. Oliver gave me the maintenance dose option too. You never know if it will work or not. I have read on other forums that dogs responded to that treatment without loading. Perhaps their cortsiol was not so high as Zoe's.

All we can do is try what we think best in our hearts.

love ya

Hey Mary Beth,

I definitely agree that there is no perfect solution to Cushing's treatment and that there is much more research to be done. However, I think that the research arena differs considerably between conventional Cushing's and what UTK has labelled as "Atypical Cushing's." I do agree that the significance and ramification of elevated intermediate hormones other than cortisol is currently an under-researched and controversial area, as is effective treatment.

I don't believe the same can be said for conventional Cushing's. Since I used trilostane with my Cushpup, I am more familiar with related research studies for trilostane than those that may exist for Lysodren. But I can guarantee you that there are a number of serious, scientific, peer-reviewed research studies that have been generated in association with trilostane treatment. And I am aware of NONE of them which advocate giving supplemental prednisone to a dog who already suffers from elevated cortisol.

When Dr. Oliver spoke to you about the lack of good research studies, I would guess he was referring to treatment of elevated intermediate hormones other than cortisol -- and not conventional Cushing's. There has been a LOT of research concerning conventional Cushing's. And once again, in my own mind, if giving low-dose prednisone seemed like a more reasonable option for treatment of "Atypical Cushings" than those recommended by Dr. Oliver and UTK, I would think that somebody, somewhere (other than Caroline Levin) would have picked up on it.

But I'll go ahead and shut up now, because truly, you need to do whatever you think is best for Alivia. But I do think there has been a lot of academic research conducted re: treatment of conventional Cushing's and associated medication, and I just want to point that out to others who may be following our discussion here.

Marianne

Addy,
I was wondering the same thing about the Trilostane & Macros. I was talking with Kim about that same thing recently. I know she had mentioned that this forum is seeing way more Macros that ever before.

Makes me really wonder if Trilo has anything to do with it & maybe I should be treating with Lysodren. Such hard decisions to make.

I would love to do a poll on this board of to see if the dogs on here with Macros past & present were all treated with Trilo or are both drugs showing these.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boriss McCall

Addy,
I was wondering the same thing about the Trilostane & Macros. I was talking with Kim about that same thing recently. I know she had mentioned that this forum is seeing way more Macros that ever before.

Makes me really wonder if Trilo has anything to do with it & maybe I should be treating with Lysodren. Such hard decisions to make.

I would love to do a poll on this board of to see if the dogs on here with Macros past & present were all treated with Trilo or are both drugs showing these.

---

Theoretically, both trilostane and Lysodren ought to have the same effect re: macros since it is the disruption to the ACTH feedback loop (which both drugs create) that probably hastens tumor growth. There is at least one research study that established this potential for trilostane; it has not yet been documented for Lysodren.

One thing to keep in mind re: what may appear to be an increase in macros: very few are actually definitively diagnosed via MRI or CT imaging. So we are making a lot of assumptions based on symptoms that MIGHT be related to a macro, but also might not. That was the case with my own Cushpup. He developed problems that could have been consistent with a macro, but he might have had a different type of brain tumor altogether or even some other issue that was causing his problems. But we never pursued the imaging that would have told us for certain.

Over the years, we have become more familiar with macros here on the forum, so I think we may be more quick to ascribe problems that appear in our dogs to macros than we might have done in the past. So that may contribute to our sense that macros are more common, whether or not that is actually true.

(And Mary Beth, thank you for allowing us to hijack Alivia's thread for a little while here!)

Marianne

I am glad we can have these conversations as it is helpful to us all
and yes MB, we thank you for allowing us to high jack your thread. There are always so many decisions to be made by each of us, it is so hard to see the right path sometimes.

I think most importantly, whatever path we all chose, we should not feel quilty and play the "if only" game. We all love our dogs or we would not be here and we all do the best we can with the love and support of our family here. IF we have to always remember that we really do the best we can.

love you all

[QUOTE=labblab;83386]Theoretically, both trilostane and Lysodren ought to have the same effect re: macros since it is the disruption to the ACTH feedback loop (which both drugs create) that probably hastens tumor growth. There is at least one research study that established this potential for trilostane; it has not yet been documented for Lysodren.

So, by the disruption to the loop it could cause the tumor to grow? Am I reading this right.
If that is the case why would we ever want to stop the loop? I might be confusing what I am reading.

Sorry to high jack little Alivia's thread one more time. I just want to make sure I understand.

Amy, here's a quote that may explain the effect more clearly. And as I said above, there is now at least one study that has indeed documented the potential for the effect with trilostane.

Quote:

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Because most chemotherapeutic agents have no effect
on the pituitary itself, they do not inhibit ACTH secretion,
which may actually increase with therapy.This phenomenon,
known as Nelson’s syndrome, has been well
documented in humans with pituitary tumors treated
with bilateral adrenalectomy. Nelson’s syndrome refers
to rapid enlargement of a pituitary mass that occurs after
loss of negative feedback from adrenal cortisol production,
which has an inhibitory effect on ACTH release.
While this phenomenon has been suggested to occur in
dogs, studies have shown no correlation between
treatment with mitotane and pituitary size or rate of
pituitary tumor growth. However, because the exact
mechanism behind the development of Nelson’s syndrome
is not completely understood, the potential for tumor expansion
as a result of adrenal corticolysis or decreased cortisol production seems plausible.

---

http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=229

My own thought is that this possible effect probably should not be a reason for owners to opt out of Cushing's treatment for otherwise strongly symptomatic dogs who don't exhibit neurological issues. Across the board, it is not common for canine pituitary tumors to enlarge to a size sufficient to cause major neurological problems. And so when weighing quality of life issues, it is important to consider the damage/discomfort that is known to be associated with untreated Cushing's in symptomatic dogs. My own dog was miserable prior to starting trilostane treatment. He then had several months in which he rebounded prior to exhibiting serious neurological abnormalities. So even had I known that the trilostane might hasten the growth of his enlarging tumor, I still would have chosen to treat for those months in order to relieve him of his awful Cushing's symptoms.

Marianne

Thanks Marianne,

I do agree quality of life is very important. But, I don't think it hit me until just now after reading this article the meds can make the tumor grow faster.

But, on the other argument these tumors continue to grow either way with or without treatment. ugg.. this all just sux. :(