I'm always terrified about questioning the medical profession - human or animal - cos they're meant to be the experts!
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I'm always terrified about questioning the medical profession - human or animal - cos they're meant to be the experts!
I think if you calmly tell him your concerns, and your stress level, he will be glad to accommodate you and give Cairo a lower dose.
You will be okay :)
A few of us had had discussions and disagreement with our vets. If my vet wasn't willing to work with me, he was fired and another vet was found. I finally found a vet that would have open discussions and worked with me and my concerns. We all learned from the experience.
Ha ha .. I remember one time he was a little upset and said " I went to vet school for this !!!" the discussion was about an ear medicine that side effects were loss of hearing... anyway he excused himself, went and looked it up then came back an apologized LOL I loved this vet because he was willing to listen and discuss.. BTW, he stopped using that ear med on the local police station canines :-)
It was this group right here that helped me research it... there is not much that gets past this group of members right here :D
If you are torn between the advice you are getting from your vet and the advice you are getting from the folks on this forum, listen to these folks! I did, and I'm so glad I did!
My vet wanted my dog fasted before the first ACTH after she had been on Vetoryl for two weeks. I'm so glad I posted full information, because the people here picked right up on it and warned me that the test has to administered after the dog is given their Vetoryl dose with food - as it is always to be given. Testing a fasted dog means the test will be invalid, and basing dosage on such a test could result in an overdose, because the food is needed for the Vetoryl/trilostane to be fully effective. Without the food, the Vetoryl isn't fully absorbed, therefore the dog's cortisol is not fully controlled, and the test will read higher levels of cortisol which could lead to an unneeded increase in dosage.
I had a discussion with my vet, who thank goodness was willing to work with me and learn something, but I had to go over a stubborn and rude technician first. And it helped that, thanks to the people here, I had the reference information printed out as well as website addresses that they could check, not just my own opinion.
If you make it clear that you are just concerned for your beloved Cairo, not trying to be a confrontational know-it-all, you should be able to convince your vet to start at a much lower dose. The only risk to the lower dose is that you may need additional ACTH tests and several dosage increases before you arrive at optimum control - and you might not (my dog was started low and stayed low). High doses risk going into an Addisonian crisis and even possible death.
Your vet may be comfortable with that risk, but if you aren't, you really need to be brave and speak up.
Calmly expressing your concerns should in no way be threatening to a good vet. They should understand that you have fears that need to be addressed and that it doesn't hurt to take a more cautious road when the owner has concerns.
So many of us have been down this path and it can be hard having that first discussion, but after you've had one, you'll find the next 100 to be a piece of cake. :)
Sharlene and Molly Muffin
Quote:
I'm always terrified about questioning the medical profession - human
As my husband always says- just because they went to school doesn't mean they got an "A". There are a lot of "D" vets and doctors out there.;);););)Quote:
or animal - cos they're meant to be the experts!
You must be the voice for your pup and that means never blindly following doctor's orders and it also means asking questions when you have them and it can also mean saying "NO".:):)
No worries, we will get you ready!!!:):)
Addy's husband is so right! Not all health professionals (animal or human) are created equal! You can only hope they will listen to your concerns and work with you so you can feel confident and comfortable with the choices made.
I grew up with parents who would never think of questioning a doctor and didn't, so I understand how you feel. Sometimes it's intimidating to even ask a question, but a good doctor/vet will welcome your concerns and answer your questions...if they don't , it's time for a new one! ;)
Barbara
I've not had a chance to speak to our vet yet as she's on days off and I wanted to speak to her, but I contacted Dechra and this is the reply I got:
Thank you for your enquiry regarding Vetoryl. Please be reassured that the dose of Vetoryl prescribed by your veterinary surgeon for your dog is consistent with the recommended dose range on the Vetoryl datasheet. We are unable to discuss the details of individual cases with animal owners so if you have any concerns regarding the treatment of your dog with Vetoryl, we would advise you to discuss these with your veterinary surgeon. If your veterinary surgeon would like to contact us to discuss the case further they would be very welcome to do so.
I hope this helps you with your enquiry.
Wow this is strange - not like what we have seen before.... are you by chance located outside of the US? That might explain it. Thanks Kim
Allison:
Are you located in the US?
Yeah, I'm in the UK