Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: dosage question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    2

    Default dosage question

    hello I'm new here today. My 10 year old male boxer guniness has a tumor on his adrenal gland and is drinking and peeing constantly along with the rear leg weakness he has lost alot of weight. my vet has recommended vetroyl 120mg twice daily I have not purchased it yet. but i am questioning the amount of dosage since guiness only weighs 97 lbs now isn't 240mg a day an awful high dose to start with? thanks for any advice you can give.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    rural central ARK
    Posts
    14,549

    Default Re: dosage question

    MODERATOR NOTE: Your post has been manually approved so that members can start responding to you. Please check your email for a message from k9cushings. You will need to reply to that email so that your post go directly to the board and are not delayed waiting for approval. If you have already received and responded to the confirmatory email, please be patient. Your registration will be finalized shortly. Thanks and welcome!
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: dosage question

    i misspoke regarding guniness's tumor its on his pituitary gland not his adrenal gland sorry for the mix up

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: dosage question

    Hello and welcome to you and Guiness!

    I have only a moment right now to reply, but yes, a daily total of 240 mg. is twice the dose that would generally be recommended in starting out. I am very glad that you've held off on buying the medication. If Guiness is going to be dosed twice daily with brandname Vetoryl, 60 mg. twice daily (for an overall total of 120 mg.) would probably be as high as most specialists would currently recommend.

    Before talking further about dosing, though, can you tell us more about Guiness' health history and the testing that led your vet to diagnose Cushing's? If you can give us the actual testing numbers, that will be great.

    Thanks so much in advance,
    Marianne

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    16,150

    Default Re: dosage question

    Hi to you and Guiness. Definitely too high to start with. Some vets seem to want to start high, but most of the experts in the field now recommend that you start at the lowest dose for the weight and then move up as needed.

    It would be good to be able to see the tests results and see how they might have come to the conclusion of cushings since thryoid, diabetes, kidney issues can all mimic the same symptoms. We like to make sure that everything has been ruled out prior to starting medication for cushings.

    Some things you learn through years of experience with this particular disease and we have some here who have been dealing with this for over 8 years and are very familiar with the testing and the medications.
    It is treatable though once a definite diagnosis is made, however, since very dog reacts differently to the medication, we've seen large dogs on small dosages and small dogs on large dosage. There are a few that even read the textbooks and dose at right where they should.

    Sharlene and Molly Muffin
    Sharlene and the late great diva - Molly muffin (always missed and never forgotten)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    West Australia
    Posts
    464

    Default Re: dosage question

    Hi and Welcome!

    Before you start considering a dosage strength, the question has to be asked. Are you absolutely sure Guiness has cushing's? The reason that question gets asked, is that the symptoms can easily be mistaken for something else. If possible, ask you vet for copies of the blood test results that have been performed so far and post them here. That way, our own resident "experts" (qualified by years of experience and hands on training) will be able to give you a second opinion.

    If in fact it does turn out that Guiness has cushing's, then please don't let the vet start at the highest end of the dosing scale. My vet did that to my poor boy (back before I knew what I know now) and he was severely over dosed. In the space of a couple of weeks, he went from high cortisol to virtually none. It was very scary and he was a sick little boy.

    In saying this however, there is no guarantee that your Guiness won't end up on that high dose, but you need to give him the chance first. All dogs do react differently and it is better to start small and find out if he is one that works with a small dose, than to start too high and regret it. In fact, if you have a chance to consult with an IMS before beginning the vetoryl, I would highly recommend this. Make sure you know what signs and symptoms to look for and monitor, when the blood tests should be done etc.

    The great thing about this place is that you can ask anything about cushing's and almost be guaranteed someone here has dealt with that before. So you are getting first hand experiences, years of knowledge and advice, all in one place.

    I wish you luck with sorting Guiness out and getting him back to his fit and healthy self. Do tell us more about him when you get the chance.
    Naomi, Oscar and Marcie.
    RIP my beautiful Fraser - passed October 1 2013. Original diagnosis Cushing's, but taken from us with rapidly aggressive liver cancer.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •