Joined Today (Orlando has passed)

norocarp/carprodyl is very cheap too. [ tasty pills]
i buy 20x 50 mg pills for 8.50 euro[=10$]
i have smaller dogs but it is cheaper this way. i break them in 4 equal pieces.
that is very easy to do.
no side effects after using them 1 year together with vetoryl.

Orlando had his ACTH test and the numbers were greatly improved. He is now on 50 mg of trilostane per day and I am happy with his current state. He is peeing much less, eating normally, less lethargic, and less arthritic. We are still walking less than we did in the past, but the distance is increasing each day. My vet is going to a meeting this week with other medical professionals regarding Cushings and has told me that she will contact me when she gets back with any further information or changes in dosage. Over the years she has expressed an interest in alternative medicines and therapies and actually trained to become a professional veterinary acupuncturist. When the whole Cushings dx first came up, she mentioned that there were new alternative therapies, but I assumed she meant products like Adrenal Gold and Cushex which do not interest me. If she wants to try melatonin and lignans, where do you stand on that? Have people had success? I did read the abstract from the U of T about it;parts were confusing to me, some were not. In your opinion, it is given with trilostane or does it replace it?

Melatonin and lignans work on the intermediate hormones - Estradiol, Androstenedione, 17-Hydroxyprogesterone, Progesterone and Aldosterone - which are involved in Atypical Cushing's. Atypical pups have NORMAL cortisol but elevations in one or more of these five hormones.

Melatonin does have the ability to have a mild effect on cortisol but it cannot cope with the massive amounts in our cush babies bodies. It works on temporary elevations from stressful situations or things like jet lag. Lignans, spruce (HRM) or flax (SDG), do nothing for the cortisol that I know of. They will not replace Trilo. ;)

Complimentary and integrated medicines use things like herbs (both western and from other approaches like TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine), diet, supplements, acupuncture, and so on ALONG WITH pharmaceutical medications like the Trilostane or Lysodren. This is more than likely the approach your vet is talking about.

The most important thing about using any of these approaches for our cush babies is keeping up the testing to see what the cortisol levels are (the ACTH). Herbs, diet, etc. CAN make the signs better, but they can also mask the underlying issue so it is vital that the cortisol continue to be monitored if a pup is taken off the traditional meds for another approach to be sure that approach is working as well as the drugs. ;)

Thanks so much. I am not inclined to take him off of the trilostane at all and appreciate the clarification of what the other two treatments can and cannot do.

I have my fur kid on Trilostane. She also gets supportive therapy from a Chinese medical vet who also practices western vet medicine. My personal belief is this is what has her here with me today. Like it has been said this is only to support the western stuff, not replace it. She gets regular testing too.

Angela & Shasta & Family

Orlando is still on trilostane, 50 mgs, after the last ACTH test. He should be up for another one in mid July. I have not used any other supplements and noticed that with the lowered dose of trilo that the arthritis was less noticeable. We continue to be very happy with Diamondback and their service; they are very easy to communicate with and are very professional.

Great to hear that Orlando is doing well on trilostane.
Yes. Very one has good things to say about diamondback. Glad to hear that is working out well for you.

Orlando is holding his own and will go back in for the next stim test in a couple of weeks. I wanted to double check the time frame between giving the last dose of the trilostane and the administration of the test. How many hours should the med be given before the test?

The only issue we seem to be having is a lot of panting. Admittedly, it is hot out here in LA, and it has been humid, a condition to which we are not accustomed. However, I do have fans running all day, and central AC which comes on periodically. Is the panting indicative of anything related to Cushings? Orlando has not lost any weight with the treatment, and our exercise is lessened quite a bit, especially due to the heat. He just does not want to go very far, even in the cooler parts of the day.

You need to have Orlando to the vet's office 3 to 4 hours after his morning dose of Trilostane. Make sure his dose is given with food.

Panting is definitely a symptom of cushing's that does improve with treatment but it can take a while. My little Pom, Lulu, sounded like a freight train most of the time but it was especially worse on warmer days. Dogs with cushing's have various stages of muscle wasting which contributes greatly to the exercise intolerance. That can take a while to improve as well so just like everything else you've experienced so far in this cushing's journey, you can expect your patience to be challenged for a bit more. Coming here and talking about it helps so keep checking in with us.

Glynda

What a cutie Lulu is! Thanks for the answer. I will definitely watch the time frame of the trilostane before the test. O is a GSD grazer and absolutely will not eat much except on his own time frame. That has been an issue with the meds, but he will take his favorite chicken jerky with them. It is reassuring about the panting as he does sound like a freight train at times.